Today on Streetsblog.net

2951392025_c5a315b489.jpgStreetsblog Network is our brand new clearinghouse
of sustainable transport, smart growth and livable streets news, linked
from blogs across the country. Here’s a taste of what’s on the site
right now.

Seeking Redemption for the Strip Mall.
Milwaukee, WI: Is there an upside to strip mall sprawl? Some believe
big box stores like Wal-Mart, by forcing small retailers to diversify,
make a valuable and necessary contribution to the economy. Where looks at how "the boxscape" might be an asset to a new suburbia.

The Meaning of an American Commonwealth.
Indianapolis, IN: What role should the federal government play in
ensuring economic health for all regions of the nation? What
responsibility do prosperous areas have to those suffering a downturn?
Midwesterners and others debate the answer on The Urbanophile.

Also on Streetsblog.net:
bike commuting tips, congestion pricing in San Francisco, thoughts from
Texas on how to encourage connectivity in subdivisions, and much more.

Photo: austrini/Flickr

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Crenshaw Residents Fighting New Fresh & Easy Over Parking Lot

By Damien Newton |
The Segundo-based Fresh & Easy grocery store chain has earned high marks from environmental advocates for their LEED certified green building designs and hybrid-diesel trucking fleet.  However, the issue of where they place their parking lots and the impact that placement has on urban walkability may trip the green giant’s plan to open a store […]

Today on Streetsblog.net

By Sarah Goodyear |
Image: Leimert Park Beat We’re coming to the end of our first week at Streetsblog Network. The response has been overwhelming and very heartening. We’ve been getting e-mails from all over the country, and the message we’re hearing is that people are craving connection with others who are thinking about the ways in which smart […]

LA’s Worst Bike Amenities: Wilshire Crescent

By Damien Newton |
Three weeks ago, I announced a new Streetsblog feature where "every Friday" we’d examine a particularly bike-unfriendly place to visit. The idea was to show how far we have to go to have the Los Angeles that we all want and that’s it’s not all a political problem.  Many places in Los Angeles can actively […]

Obama’s Stimulus: Too Much Emphasis on Roads and Bridges?

By Sarah Goodyear |
There’s a lot of reaction from members of the the Streetsblog Network to President-elect Obama’s address this weekend. Some transit advocates, like The Transport Politic, are putting a positive spin on it, and Ryan Avent at The Bellows says, "it’s really amazing to see the wave of public intellectual criticism [for] Obama’s potential stimulus plan." […]

C.I.C.L.E. Wants You and Your Family to Ride Your Bikes

By Damien Newton |
Families that Mass together, stay together. Shot of May 2008 Passadena Critical Mass Sometimes when there’s breaking news, such as dissolving light rail contracts, verdicts from trials, public hearings on major transit or bicycle plans, it’s easy to lose sight that sometimes Livable Streets activism can be as simple as encouraging your children, or parents, […]