Author: Mark Wihak
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30 km/h Town
A significant factor contributing to pedestrian deaths and serious injuries is the speed a vehicle is going when it hits them. A pedestrian hit by a vehicle moving at 30 km/h has a 9 in 10 chance of surviving the collision; a pedestrian hit by a vehicle moving at 50 km/h has a 2 in…
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Pedestrians First: Tools for a Walkable City
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) is “a global organization at the forefront of innovation, using technical expertise, direct advocacy, and policy guidance to mitigate the impacts of climate change, improve air quality, and support prosperous, sustainable, and equitable cities.” The ITDP website has a wide range of studies and reports, and tools…
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I’m looking forward to leading my first Jane’s Walk on Sunday, May 3rd. While I’ve enjoyed going on a number of Jane’s Walks, this will be the first time I’ve led one. I’m going to use Regina’s ailing downtown as a way to look at pedestrian infrastructure: sidewalks, traffic signals, and urban design to examine…
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Jane’s Walk
Jane’s Walk started in Toronto in 2006 and quickly began to spread around the world, with walks now taking place in more than 500 cities. Named after the influential writer and activist Jane Jacobs, Jane’s Walk are volunteer-led public walks that look at different aspects of the cities they take place in. Laura Pfeifer, who…
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Alan Patridge has a 360° camera
I may have to rethink this whole moving-image project on walking. How can I possibly compete with Alan Partridge?
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Desire Paths
Desire Paths (aka Desire Lines) are pathways carved out by pedestrians, which usually indicate the shortest or preferred route between two points, in spite of where planners have placed sidewalks and official pathways. Robert Macfarlane described them as “paths & tracks made over time by the wishes & feet of walkers, especially those paths that…
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Right of Way?
Angie Schmitt’s Right of Way looks at the ways in which pedestrian deaths are not really accidents, but the result of ignoring pedestrian safety when we design our cities, roads and vehicles. Pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. increased a shocking 80% between 2009 – 2023! Jeff Speck, whose book Walkable City we’ve previously noted, wrote…
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Winter sidewalks
There’s an extra challenge for pedestrians living in cities with winter weather that lasts for months of below-zero temperatures and snow. While municipalities can’t prevent cold weather, their policies and actions on clearing sidewalks have a significant impact on our ability to walk safely in the winter. Regina, Saskatchewan where Project Pedestrian originates, finally passed…
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Pedestrian Dignity
Pedestrian Dignity seeks to raise awareness about issues related to being a pedestrian. Created by Jonathan Stalls, whose book WALK: Slow Down, Wake Up, and Connect at 1 – 3 Miles Per Hour was published in 2022, Pedestrian Dignity encourages collaborations and shares information about walking from all over the U.S. In addition to the…
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How wide is your sidewalk?
A city’s approach to sidewalks has a huge impact on the experiences of its pedestrians. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the National Research Council published Sidewalk Design, Construction and Maintenance, which “recommends a minimum Residential Street sidewalk width of 1.5 metres. When the sidewalk is located adjacent to the curb on major roadways, the…
Project Pedestrian 