Land Use
The wrong kind of walkability?
Lesley Conn’s Dec. 7 Savannah Morning News story, “Package store request galvanizes Victorian District neighbors,” contains an interesting passage. Nearby residents, she writes, are worried the liquor store will create “more pedestrian traffic on an already well-trod corridor.” What could happen if there are too many pedestrians? Would the sidewalks crumble? Too late! They already … Continue reading
Tybee Island meeting seeks public input on U.S. Highway 80 bridges
The idea of riding a bicycle from Savannah to Tybee Island is understandably appealing both to area residents and visitors from all over the United States. Unfortunately, the trip can be a dangerous one. Major barriers to safe travel by bicycle include the bridges at Bull River and Lazaretto Creek. A public meeting tonight on … Continue reading
Class presents ideas that could make strip mall sustainable
Perhaps there’s no type of building that better signifies suburban sprawl than the strip mall. Well, maybe a McMansion would do, but the strip mall has been with us longer and its very form and purpose transmits the essence of sprawl. The buildings are low and long, surrounded by parking lots and, in most cases, … Continue reading
When trends converge: Boycotts, bicycles and a car culture in decline?
In recent days, I’ve heard a lot about boycotting BP to punish it for the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Boycotts against companies have in many ways become the default American reaction against behavior we don’t like. Perhaps we have become resigned to idea that our main role in our economy and society is to consume. American … Continue reading
Would oil off our coast cause us to change our ways?
In the early days of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, some local media reported the Gulf Coast’s loss could be the Atlantic Coast’s gain, in the form of tourists reconfiguring their summer vacation destinations. These stories usually included mandatory expressions of sympathy for the region dealing with the environmental catastrophe. Still, the disaster was down there. … Continue reading
April 29 community forum examines health effects of infrastructure, transportation
Healthy Savannah is sponsoring a community forum on April 29 at 6 p.m. at the Savannah Civic Center. The forum takes an important, but not often examined (at least locally) angle on community health. Instead of focusing entirely on personal nutrition and exercise, the forum will examine the health impacts of infrastructure — specifically related … Continue reading
The return of Ellis Square, Savannah’s next great public space
Standing in Ellis Square yesterday evening, it was a little difficult to remember the ugly parking garage that occupied the square for decades. It was even harder to imagine more than 1,000 parking spaces below all the grass, trees and people having fun. And there were plenty of people having fun. A ribbon cutting, staple … Continue reading
Sustainable agriculture conference to be held in Savannah, April 16 and 17
The Greening the Southeast Regional Summit is scheduled for April 16 and 17 at the Coastal Georgia Center in Savannah. According to event organizers, the summit will, “bring together regional and national experts and grassroots organizations to provide training/information and successful models that focus on renewable energy sources for agriculture and forestry, to discuss how does sustainable farming … Continue reading
Series of workshops to imagine MLK without the I-16 overpass
As reported by the Savannah Bicycle Campaign last week, The Savannah-Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission and the Savannah Development and Renewal Authority are holding a three-day public workshop and charrette “to examine feasibility of removal of the I-16 exit ramps at Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and Montgomery Street, and to address redevelopment along the … Continue reading
Study links walkability and access to healthy food in Savannah
Mary Landers’ story, Savannah examines making healthy food an easier choice, in the Jan. 6 Savannah Morning News describes a study commissioned by the Healthy Savannah Initiative, which documents the problem of food deserts in Savannah. Landers describes the study’s methodology, which uses a variety of data sources “to come up with a block-by-block analysis … Continue reading
