This past weekend was the first OpenStreetsPGH event of the summer. On Saturday May 11th a stretch of streets from downtown Pittsburgh to South Side Flats was closed off to car traffic, freeing up this vital public space for human activity and people-powered movement. Having attended as many OpenStreets event as I could over the … Continue reading OpenStreetsPGH May 2024 (w/ video!)
Category: Urban Studies
Milk crates (& bike baskets) of Amsterdam
During my European travels this past summer I had a four hour layover in Amsterdam while en route from Florence to Prague. It was a long enough stop to warrant getting out of the airport to briefly explore the city. I had my Mom with me and in an attempt to make the trip as … Continue reading Milk crates (& bike baskets) of Amsterdam
“The Master Plan” play in Toronto
In October 2022 I traveled to Toronto to interview folks who had been involved in challenging Google's proposed "smart city" redevelopment on the city's Waterfront. Early on in these discussions my interlocutors began asking if I had read "Sideways," a recently published book by journalist Josh O'Kane that chronicles the contentious history of the project. … Continue reading “The Master Plan” play in Toronto
Buff Zone: Color Park controversy
A couple of weekends ago I went for a run along one of my usual routes on the South Side stretch of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. While crossing beneath the span of the Birmingham Bridge I noticed the words "Buff Zone" graffitied onto the pile foundations and sporadically spotting the asphalt of the trail … Continue reading Buff Zone: Color Park controversy
South Side streets, micromobility misfires, e-bike discourse
For the entirety of the past year East Carson Street – the central corridor through Pittsburgh’s South Side – has been undergoing a slow and stymying overhaul. The construction project has involved street closures, blocked sidewalks, and haphazardly reconfigured intersection crossings (I previously chronicled my own frustrations with mobility in the neighborhood). Supposedly the project … Continue reading South Side streets, micromobility misfires, e-bike discourse
L.A’s 6th Street Bridge as urban communication convergence zone
Last month the city of Los Angeles celebrated the opening of the new 6th Street Viaduct bridge. The new structure replaces the original 6th Street bridge, an iconic landmark that spanned the L.A. river, connected downtown to Boyle Heights, and appeared in numerous films and other media. The original bridge was constructed in 1932 and … Continue reading L.A’s 6th Street Bridge as urban communication convergence zone
An urban media tour of the South Side
With the weather warming up crowds have returned to the outdoor patios on my block and elsewhere along Carson Street, and I’ve recently returned to the trails and even brought my bike out of its winter hibernation (I’ve continued to be flummoxed by the pervasive road construction and sidewalk closures, however). In honor of the … Continue reading An urban media tour of the South Side
Beyond Crisis Creativity conference & Carrie Furnace Visit
Last month I was pleased to participate in an exciting un-conference that took place at the University of Pittsburgh. Sponsored by Pitt’s Global Studies Center, the Global Academic Partnership Conference: Beyond Crisis Creativity: Imagining New Futures Through Art and Youth Activism brought together artists, scholars, and assorted urban interventionists from Pittsburgh and around the world … Continue reading Beyond Crisis Creativity conference & Carrie Furnace Visit
Road Blocks: Mobility & Sidewalk Accessibility in Pittsburgh’s South Side
When I moved to Pittsburgh’s South Side last summer I found it to be a dramatically different experience compared to my years living in the city’s East End neighborhoods. Most notably the entirety of South Side Flats seemed imminently accessible, with the major thoroughfare and commercial core of East Carson Street providing a walkable central … Continue reading Road Blocks: Mobility & Sidewalk Accessibility in Pittsburgh’s South Side
Pokemon Go & post-pandemic mobility expectations
I haven’t played Pokemon Go since the early days of its release. It was nearly impossible to avoid the buzz surrounding the game’s launch. And as I wrote back in July 2016, the hype around the game was infectious and the game itself offered an exciting new way of interacting with public spaces in your … Continue reading Pokemon Go & post-pandemic mobility expectations