A small town transforms its main street and community, State Smart Transportation Initiative, August 16, 2021

Rather than build a bypass that might have shifted economic activity away from the town center, induce driving, and potentially cost more than $100 million, residents pushed for this reconfiguration. Their hopes that a more walkable main street would foster economic opportunity and transform the community seem to be playing out, as new businesses open and old ones expand. For DOTs, the shift from measuring performance in terms of car speed and throughput, to developing streets that better serve nearby residents, street users, and local communities is a transformative reform to traditional thinking.

Good stuff. Read the whole thing, for a specific, policy-based example of what some of these broader things I write about can actually mean on the ground, in concrete terms.

Going Deep Into Oyster Country, New York Times, Myles Poydras, December 3, 2021

Written by an African American and delving into the dining attitudes, culture, and lore surrounding oyster harvesting and eating, this is one of those long, deep pieces to sit down with for awhile. The history of the oyster restaurant, and the evolution of their reputation, is fascinating, and resembles that of the steakhouse.

For Aging Japan, a Cooker That Makes Chicken Soft as Butter, Bloomberg, Takashi Mochizuki and Yuki Furukawa, November 24, 2021

I’ll admit, this reads a little bit like a dystopian novel, but the appliance itself is pretty cool. Lacking both a large share of young people and immigrants, Japan is finding out how well technological innovation can take care of an aging population. It’s an interesting alternate path to most other countries, where nursing and elder care are relatively thankless, labor-intensive jobs (unless someone is lucky enough and in good enough health to be taken care of by their own family.)

With More Development Planned, Route 1 in College Park Will Soon Look Entirely Different, The Hyattsville Wire, Alison Beckwith, April 5, 2021

The proposed development would be a six-story mixed-use development with 175 apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail shops, as first reported by Route 1 Reporter.

The proposal does not include the longtime Cornerstone Grill & Loft hangout or neighboring bar R.J. Bentley’s, but it would include the demolition of some homes behind the block along Hartwick Road and Yale Avenue.

If approved, the development would be yet another multi-story building in an area of Route 1 previously known for low-slung commercial properties.

I lived on the Route 1 corridor in College Park for my two years of grad school, and often go back. The area has changed quickly and dramatically, and is an excellent example of the changing meaning and form of “suburbia.” This growth is mostly driven by University of Maryland, but it’s similar to the changes taking place elsewhere, such as in nearby Rockville. This new built form is something to watch, because a lot of places are going to look like this in the future.

Related Reading:

New and Old #29

New and Old #30

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