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The Benefits of "Daylighting" Intersections. The journalist John Surico has written about the longest Open Street in NYC and connecting people to places for Project for Public Spaces. In his latest article, John turns his focus to "daylighting," the idea that better sightlines at intersections lead to safer crossings. This practice, which can range from painted curb extensions to bikeshare docks, has already led to a 14% decrease in collisions in San Francisco's Tenderloin where it has been implemented and can be a relatively cheap solution many cities can adopt. (CityLab)
How Public Spaces Help Communities Thrive. Setha Low, an anthropologist, at the CUNY Grad Center started research public spaces in 1978. For two of these years, she observed NYC's Jones Beach to understand how a public space could make many diverse groups of people feel welcome. Understanding that these methods might be too time intensive for many people to carry out, she has included a blueprint for how people can carry out their own public space ethnographies in low-efforts ways in her recent book Why Public Space Matters. (ArchDaily)
Manchester Offers Public "Warm Spaces." In an effort to protect their most vulnerable community members, Manchester, UK, is designating dozens of publicly accessible "warm spaces" for use by all. These spaces, a combination of public libraries and community centers, will offer warm drinks, free wi-fi, and supportive services. The City hopes this initiative will provide people with comforting gathering spaces and mitigate the effects of loneliness. (Yahoo News)
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