Car Free America

Car Free America

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Why America's 'Forgiving' Roads Kill
I recently read “Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty” by Abhijit V.
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
Introducing the Low-Cost Bus Priority Toolkit
Bus priority measures (dedicated lanes, transit signal priority, queue jumps, all-door boarding, and strategic stop optimization) are proven…
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
Lessons from a Complete Streets Pioneer. Why Urban Roads Shouldn't Be Runways
Awhile back I was lucky to see the late John N.
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
Low-Cost Vision Zero Toolkit: Quick-Build Strategies to Save Lives
As a former Vision Zero manager for a large metropolitan area, I’ve seen firsthand how major safety projects can dramatically reduce crashes.
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
Baltimore’s Highway to Nowhere: Reconnecting Street Networks as a Foundation For Livable Cities
I’m currently living in Miami, but much of my formative hands-on planning education took place in Baltimore.
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
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Should New York Annex (Conquer) Northern NJ?
A Modest Proposal for Regional Transit Dominance
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
The Quiet Revolution in Hoboken: How One Small City Achieved Zero Traffic Deaths.
Is Hoboken's Success Applicable to Bigger Cities?
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
The Ultimate Multimodal Transportation Project Review Checklist
Every year, cities across North America approve billions of dollars in transportation projects.
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
Comment-Letter Templates That Help Win Projects. Protected bike lanes, road diets, transit priority, upzoning & sidewalks
Inside these downloadable .docx files you will find copy-and-paste comment letters that can help you advocate for protected bike lanes, road diets…
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
The 2026 Active Transportation Grant Funding Guide: Grant amounts, deadlines, and the tricks to make your grant more competitive
Introducing my 2026 Active Transportation Grant Funding Guide.
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
The Rise of Blandville: The Cost of Mixing The City and Country
Traveling in Europe recently made me realize something interesting about American cities: We’ve tried to combine the country with the city with…
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
The Truth About Urban Crime: Why Inaction Is Killing Our Communities
Crime is in the news, and it’s time to face the truth.
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
Why New York and Miami Are Betting Big on Walkable Offices, and Why It’s the Future of Work
It appears New York and Miami are leading the return-to-office movement.
 • Mark R. Brown, AICP, CNU
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