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Planning: general 🌇 Random Planning Thoughts (and Photos) Deserving No Thread Of Their Own

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SIgned up to take the AICP exam November 23. My guess is that the amount of free time I will have between now and then is about zero. I think we may have a quick study session at our state conference in Las Vegas later in October.

I am doing pretty well on the practice tests--I am using them mostly to see where I need to fill in gaps in knowledge. And, I am reading anything and everything I can planning-related.

Jim
 
jumbach said:
the amount of free time I will have between now and then is about zero
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Depends on how you go about it. About three months before I took the exam, I signed up for an online “flash cards” style of study aid, and did that for about an hour each night Monday through Thursday, and then the weekend before the exam, I read the Green Book from front to back, about 8 hours on a Sunday and 5 hours to finish up on Sunday.
 
JNA said:
"Desire Paths"
These are paths that naturally form as a result of bad planning.

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I had an architect from Argentina tell me during some lecture series that the most powerful thing in the world is a shortcut and he was showing many paths like this. He also explained how he designed buildings to incorporate these shortcuts.
 
DVD said:
I had an architect from Argentina tell me during some lecture series that the most powerful thing in the world is a shortcut and he was showing many paths like this. He also explained how he designed buildings to incorporate these shortcuts.
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The campus i did my undergrad on would come back during the summer and put sidewalks in spaces where these showed up. Most of the squares had diagonal paths. I don't think they were catering to students, they were just extremely protective about the landscaping.
 
We're getting sued for turning down a PD residential development.

It was turned down because it wasn't in compliance with the Comp Plan & he could do it by right anyway, but not get as many lots.

Something else we get to deal with.
 
Planit said:
It was turned down because it wasn't in compliance with the Comp Plan & he could do it by right anyway, but not get as many lots.
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Where I used to work, it would probably be the opposite; someone wanting a much lower density than what the Comp Plan recommended, and the zoning allowed.
 
My haul of planning books from the Friends of the Tompkins County Library book sale back in 2023.

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JNA said:
Wide Main Street Parking
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College Avenue in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado has that type of parking. Landscaped bumpouts and islands make the street feel narrower than it actually is.

 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
A repurposed military fort/installation? I like the use.
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Quartermaster depot.

It is a pretty nice adaptive re-use with city hall in the center of the quad and retail around the perimeter. It is way, way over-parked and the circular drives are kind of annoying. City hall should ideally be located downtown and this is decidedly not.
 
My schedule for AICP test Saturday:

My critical path* is making sure I am at the test center by 12:30 p.m. for the 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. test.

My plan:
Leisurely morning.
At about 10:30, leave my house, planning to get to the tire store in time for my 11 a.m. appointment. (Getting summer tires swapped for winter tires). After dropping off the car, walk into the nearby mall and find lunch. After lunch, walk 1/2 mile to the testing center, in an office building on a pad in the mall property.

Take test until 5 p.m. Walk back to the tire store (through that same mall). Pay for service, pick up car, pick up dinner, go home. Watch Canucks game. check e-mail to see if I passed.

Then, vacation starts.

(One of my fellow planners thinks my timing is off and I am cutting myself short . . . but I think 90 minutes is plenty of time for lunch and a half-mile walk.)

* A concept I learned about during my studies.
 
jumbach said:
My schedule for AICP test Saturday:

My critical path* is making sure I am at the test center by 12:30 p.m. for the 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. test.

My plan:
Leisurely morning.
At about 10:30, leave my house, planning to get to the tire store in time for my 11 a.m. appointment. (Getting summer tires swapped for winter tires). After dropping off the car, walk into the nearby mall and find lunch. After lunch, walk 1/2 mile to the testing center, in an office building on a pad in the mall property.

Take test until 5 p.m. Walk back to the tire store (through that same mall). Pay for service, pick up car, pick up dinner, go home. Watch Canucks game. check e-mail to see if I passed.

Then, vacation starts.

(One of my fellow planners thinks my timing is off and I am cutting myself short . . . but I think 90 minutes is plenty of time for lunch and a half-mile walk.)

* A concept I learned about during my studies.
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You won't have to check your email, you get the test result after you finish. You will also be finished well before 5 because you got this.
 
Apparently I woke up my wife while I was talking in my sleep. I don't remember, but she said I clearly said, "rational nexus."

She would never have heard that phrase; my only guess is I was somehow dreaming of Nollan.

(It was too early in the morning to say her stealing of the blankets, leaving me cold, was an improper taking.)

Jim
 
DVD said:
You won't have to check your email, you get the test result after you finish. You will also be finished well before 5 because you got this.
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If I finish early, I should probably go back and make sure I am happy with all the answers. That's the standard advice, but I think shouldn't second-guess myself, though. It's been decades since I've taken a standardized test, but I know from experience that your gut seldom fails you.

Jim
 
jumbach said:
If I finish early, I should probably go back and make sure I am happy with all the answers. That's the standard advice, but I think shouldn't second-guess myself, though. It's been decades since I've taken a standardized test, but I know from experience that your gut seldom fails you.

Jim
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Finished the test in about 2 hours.
 
As posted on FB
Planet Warriors · FollowesopnotrSdgM8l0:6929af5y7f1md10ar0 9Ys 3e12t90aaateu4ag89 P5 ·

Lancaster, California, successfully revitalised its downtown by transforming its main street into a pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined boulevard. This overhaul of Lancaster Boulevard turned a once automobile-dominated area into a vibrant hub that attracts businesses and residents. The nine-block redesign, which included reducing traffic lanes and incorporating wide public spaces for events, played a key role in the economic rejuvenation of the area. The project, completed in 2010, sparked a surge in private investment, creating new jobs and businesses, including restaurants, shops, and cultural venues.
By focusing on aesthetics and walkability, the city not only improved the visual appeal of the area but also encouraged community gatherings through festivals and events. Traffic safety also saw improvements, with a significant reduction in collisions and injuries. The transformation exemplifies how strategic urban planning can drive both economic and social benefits.


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Worst transit promotional film ever. How bad? The promoted rail system shut down not long afterward.

 
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