Category
Planning
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07.21.10Want to improve conditions for walking and cycling in Savannah? Have your say today!What four words would you use to describe a community that is ideal for bicycling? What four words would you use to describe a community that is ideal for walking (or using a wheelchair)? You can provide the answers to these questions and others designed to solicit input for the Metropolitan Planning Organization's Non-motorized Transportation Plan. What in the world is that? Non-motorized transportation includes walking or using a wheelchair, bicycling, skating, and using pedicabs. The Non-motorized Transportation Plan, as part of the Total Mobility Plan, will serve as an update to the MPO’s Bikeway Plan of 2000 and as well as providing ...
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06.04.10Would 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. The major consequence for us would be more difficulty finding space to plant our chairs and umbrellas on the more crowded beaches of Tybee Island, right? Interviews were conducted just to make sure we were in the clear. But now the story may be changing. ...
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05.19.10Local journalist makes the connection between street design and danger to pedestrians. Almost.Local media outlets, over the last several years, have published and aired scores of stories about the dangers faced by pedestrians on our streets. These accounts usually follow the death or injury of a pedestrian and almost always include quotes from law enforcement officials warning pedestrians to use crosswalks, even when doing so would require a pedestrian to walk miles out of his or her way. Even when there's no compelling evidence a pedestrian would have been safer in a crosswalk. Local journalists have seemed unable to make the connection between pedestrian casualties and streets that are dangerous by design. ...
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04.28.10April 29 community forum examines health effects of infrastructure, transportationHealthy 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 to transportation — along with physical activity, nutrition and smoking. A press release describes the goal of the forum "is to help people understand what factors have the greatest impact on our health in Savannah. Keynote speaker Dr. Evelyn Lewis will provide an opportunity for citizens ...
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03.15.10The usual blaming of the victim follows latest pedestrian deathThis sequence of events is becoming awfully easy to predict: Pedestrian is killed or injured on a local street that's dangerous by design. News media coverage of the incident uncritically repeats law enforcement warnings that pedestrians should use crosswalks. Readers and viewers of news media coverage jump at the chance to share stories about "stupid" pedestrians who represent "a nuisance to motorists" because they don't use crosswalks. One interesting thing about WTOC-TV's coverage was the only cursory mention of a vehicle that hit the pedestrian and left the scene. Instead of exploring that important detail, the report instead spent time blaming the pedestrian ...
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About
Transportation, land use, local farming and green building are all potential topics for Sustainable Savannah. The goal is to aggregate content about local events and projects, so there will be a central place to review everything that’s happening. The site is aimed at encouraging collaboration and information sharing between groups and individuals currently engaged in sustainability efforts. The site can also provide a snapshot of Savannah for green-minded people who are considering visiting or moving to to the area.
