Community Preference Survey and the Realtors' Perspective

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 • 5:30 p.m. ET

Hugh Morris, AICP, will examine the finer points of the 2011 National Association of Realtors "Community Preference Survey," which explored where people would like to live and the tradeoffs they are will willing to make to live there. A large sample enables a look into preferences by various demographic characteristics. Many of the same questions were asked in a similar 2004 national poll and thus responses can be compared between 2004 (the good times) and 2011 (the bad). Morris will also discuss the suite of NAR's smart growth resources available to state and local Realtor associations and how they are making use of these resources to support local charrettes and comprehensive plan, among other projects.

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RSVP for May 22 Tuesdays at APA

Hugh Morris, AICP, works for the National Association of Realtors Smart Growth office and has 20 years of planning experience. After completing both a Bachelor degree from Occidental College and a Master of Arts in Urban Planning from UCLA, he spent five years with a transportation consulting firm working on transit plans, travel demand forecasting models, and travel surveys. He spent the next two years with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, an energy efficiency think tank, where he focused on transportation issues, including investigating the real cost of our transportation system. The next 10 years were spent working with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy helping communities convert abandoned railroad corridors into hiking/biking trails. His principal area of focus was urban trails that were used for trip making as well as recreation.

He has had two papers presented at and published by the National Academy of Science's Transportation Research Board as well as contributions to APA's publication, Planning and Urban Design Standards as well as Trails for the 21st Century: A Planning, Design, and Management Manual published by Island Press.

Cycle Tracks and other Innovations to Accommodate Increased Levels of Bicycling in Urban Areas

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 • 5:30 p.m. ET

Cities across the U.S. are planning, designing, and implementing protected bicycle facilities, or cycle tracks, to accommodate increasing levels of bicycling, and to encourage more people to choose to bike for transportation. However, guidance on when and where cycle tracks are appropriate is currently limited.

This presentation will provide a practical framework for answering the question, Is a cycle track the right facility? It will outline an analytical process for assessing context and safety considerations, highlighting factors such as land use, traffic characteristics, driveways and other potential conflict points, and the presence of pedestrians.

Explore the benefits and shortcomings of cycle tracks compared with other on-road bike facilities such as bike boulevards and bike lanes. Other emerging planning and design treatments to improve bicycle conditions in urban areas will also be highlighted, and the presentation will conclude with observations on the role of bicycling, and more broadly complete streets, in sustaining places.

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Speaker

Daniel W. Goodman, AICP
Senior Planner
Toole Design Group