LandDesign’s Post

Honored that the 41st and 43rd Street Pedestrian Bridges are finalists in Architizer’s Sustainable Landscape / Planning award and in the running in the “people’s choice” category (one of five worldwide, they're in very good company here). The 41st and 43rd Street Bridges connect the city to nature. The result of an international competition called “Bridging the Drive,” this is a major civic project that provides bicycle and ADA-compliant pedestrian, wheelchair, and stroller lakefront access for a long-underserved area of Chicago. Before, the lakefront was difficult to reach from the west because Lakeshore Drive and the train created an enormous barrier. The bridges promote sustainable practices by encouraging non-vehicular activities such as bicycling and walking. They are constructed to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, people with disabilities, and emergency vehicles.  They allow those using wheelchairs and strollers to reach the lakefront and its parks. In this way, they are sustainability “multipliers” that encourage sustainable lifestyles, by making it easier and more enjoyable for to access the lakefront and other parts of Chicago via the lakefront pathways, without using motor vehicles. Architizer A+Awards - Application Gallery #architizer #sustainability #planning #41ststreetpedestrianbridge #43rdstreetpedestrianbridge #aecom #terryguen #cdot #chicago #cordoganclark

Pave the Way: Walkways, bike paths, and sidewalks – in the 3D CityPlanner, you're in control! Modify road profiles to include or expand pedestrian-friendly spaces. Adjust pavement width, add benches, and even incorporate streetlights. Enhance the walkability of your urban plans and create vibrant, people-centric areas. #UrbanDesign #3DCityPlanner #WalkableCities #StreetImprovements

Low cost, high impact. Here are some strategic curb extensions (bulb-outs) recently added by Salt Lake City Corporation adjacent to a school, creating shorter crossing distances for pedestrians and increased awareness and safety from cars moving through the crosswalk. Nothing but some paint, glued-down plastic delineators, and a little bit of planning. These kinds of design decisions affecting the public right of way are critical to livable urban environments. SLC has lots more work to do, but it’s great to see this and other improvements coming down the pipeline. #urbandesign #saltlakecity #utah #trafficsafety #walkability

A well-planned home starts with the perfect parking space! 🚗✨ Measure twice, park once—ensure your parking area meets the dimensions for a seamless exit. Have you ever faced the parking predicament ? Let's help each other avoid common hiccups! 👍 Share the wisdom and make every parking experience a breeze. 🅿️ #ParkingTips #ParkingSizeMatters #ParkingWisdom #HomeHacks #ParkingPuzzle #CarSpace #SmartParking #VehicleDimensions #ParkingSolutions #ParkingBalance #ParkingProblems #FloorPlanning #ArchitectHelp #HomeDesign #ArchitecturalDesign #SpacePlanning

Here is the entry lobby for a small apartment building. The design had bike racks included so that the bikes could be stored and keep the egress route clear. (Edited to clarify there are more bike racks within the lobby but out of shot here) Now consider the E-bikes and e-scooters that are now used. This design also had a performance solution to permit an "open stair in lieu of a fire isolated stair". Meaning that a single issue from an E-bike or e-scooter will spread smoke to all corridors on all levels. Somewhat unsurprisingly, bikes have been reported as stored within this area not within the bike racks and blocking egress. The presence of the bike racks gives people "permission" to store their bike here...whether there is a bike rack free or not and this can lead to the issues (blocked egress) that the design was trying to avoid by including bike racks... This is not good design and will be forwarded to the Municipal Building Surveyor to review. #fireengineering #firesafety #lithiumionbatteries #lithiumionbattery

Street furniture & waste receptacles enhance streetscapes. But NOT when they 100% block wheelchair users from accessing pedestrian crossing buttons. This is especially bad when this is on your city’s Main Street in front of its train station. #UniversalDesign #disabilityInclusion #planning #bestpractices #streetdesign #dot #walkability #wheelchairaccess

When I reported this fire safety concern to the council, the Council Municipal Building Surveyors (MBS) office responded with this: "Concerning e-bikes and scooters, it is understood that at the time of the fire engineering reports this would not have been a consideration by the RBS or design team as it is for many currently. Whilst we note that it has become an increasing issue in recent years Council will not be pursuing measures specifically relating e-scooters e-bikes.   I trust this clarifies your query. " I have raised this with the Strata/Body corporate manager advising them to get fire engineering advice on the issue. To avoid a perceived conflict of interest (so I do not appear to be “finding a problem to get paid to look into it”) RED will not provide this investigation nor advice and we have provided a couple of other fire engineering companies that may be able to assist. What are your thoughts on the response from the MBS? #firesafety #fireengineering #mbs #ebikes #escooter

It's getting close to the end of 2023 and I'm doing alot of reflection as well as personal reassessment in anticipation of a very important 2024 year. #crossroads #decisions #growthmindset

DO THIS! Essential considerations for designing accessible parking. 1. Parking spaces marked with an accessible parking sign 2. Clear blue markings with hatches 3. Unloading space wide enough for van accessibility 4. Van accessible sign installed 5. Wheel stop for safety 6. At-grade route to the sidewalk 7. Slope grade below 2%. #AccessibleParking #ADACompliant #DisabilityAccess #ParkingAccessibility #civilengineering

Happy Friday! Wondering how many are planning horse back riding on the weekend? Important to keep in mind while horse back riding is how to prevent falls. Loosing the pants is usually not on anyone's mind. In contrast building low energy buildings to some it feels like they can be "Losing the shirt" or simply put value in an investment. Climate Smart buildings with purpose and passion edge are about natural balance without blowing the brains out even when wearing a hat. Best part, it is an affordable option to fit market cravings today. #architect #hvacdesign #mepengineering