walkableprinceton

Princeton Predictions for 2015

Posted on January 1, 2015 by walkableprinceton

The old Dinky Rail Station in Princeton. In 2015, this building will almost certainly reopen as a restaurant. (click to expand.)

‘Town Topics’ just published a very nice review of the year 2014. But what does the New Year have in store? Here are ten stories which are likely to be bothering our local reporters in 2015. We’ll check back at the end of the year to see which of them actually happened. As a bonus, we are including a ‘likelihood index’, which shows how likely we think each of these guesses is. Continue reading →

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Time To Review Our Predictions for 2014 (And Laugh)

Posted on December 31, 2014 by walkableprinceton

The opening of the new Dinky station was one of the most notable Princeton events in 2014. (click to expand.)

This time last year, we made a series of predictions for 2014. A lot of things happened in Princeton in 2014. Just not necessarily the things we predicted! Let’s review: Continue reading →

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Six Surprising Facts From Princeton Future’s Princeton Profile 2014

Posted on December 19, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Ralph Widner presents the ‘Princeton Profile 2014’ at the Princeton Future Meeting of December 13, 2014. (click to expand, image from Princeton Community TV).

Last Saturday, Princeton Future hosted a community meeting at Princeton Public Library. Ralph Widner presented an analysis of publicly-available data on the demographics of Princeton, including information on socioeconomic background, transportation and housing. You can read a handout that summarizes the analysis by clicking here. The report contains a number of surprising details. Here are six of them:
Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Alternative Transportation, Community, Events, People, Princeton, Walking | Tagged data, Princeton | Leave a comment

Green Design In Princeton Means More Than Solar Panels

Posted on December 18, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Features of a Green Building, via Lanefab Design. (click to expand.)

Recent debates over redevelopment in Princeton have focused on how ‘green’ new buildings might be. This is an appropriate question in a town that prides itself on being a sustainability leader in New Jersey. But what does ‘green’ look like? Recently, NRG Inc unveiled a new plan for a so-called ‘ultra-green’ headquarters in West Windsor. But despite some outstanding energy-efficiency measures in the building itself, the site is still in a sprawl-y office park that is mostly accessed by single passenger vehicle. A great article recently in Planetizen discussed the features of a sustainable building, noting that site selection is as important as site design. As shown in the graphic above, ‘Green Bling’ like solar panels is only one part of what makes a building sustainable. Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, planning, Princeton, Sustainability, Zoning | Tagged leed, living buildings, net-zero, passivhaus, Princeton, sustainability | 1 Comment

Thumbs Up To Sidewalk Detour On Witherspoon Street!

Posted on December 17, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Sidewalk detour on Witherspoon Street. (click to expand.)

One of Princeton’s best restaurants, Elements, is moving into the old UPS space on Witherspoon Street opposite Princeton Public Library. The new restaurant complex will unite the existing small plates place, Mistral, with Elements under one roof, with a new bar that is probably going to be pretty fantastic. But as the fitting continues inside, we are admiring this sidewalk detour that has been set up around the construction zone. Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton, Walking | Tagged downtown, Princeton, restaurants, Walkability | Leave a comment

‘Cafe 44’ Closes At 44 Leigh Avenue, Will Re-open In Tortugas Space.

Posted on December 16, 2014 by walkableprinceton

The old Cafe 44 location at 44 Leigh Ave in Princeton (click to expand).

Cafe 44, which has become a local favorite in the Witherspoon-John neighborhood in Princeton, has closed its doors at the 44 Leigh Avenue location. The eatery will move across the road to share a space with ‘Tortugas Mexican Village‘ restaurant. Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton | Tagged Princeton, vibrant, walkable | 1 Comment

Princeton’s Proposed “7-11 Law” Might Be A Plus For Walkable Living

Posted on December 14, 2014 by walkableprinceton

The Old West Coast Video Site at East Nassau Street in Princeton, which may become a 7-11. (click to expand.)

Faced with the possibility of a 24-hour 7-11 convenience store opening in the old West Coast Video Site at 259 Nassau Street, Princeton Council has rushed through a new municipal ordinance to ban 24-hour opening in town. The proposed ordinance, which includes a bunch of carve-outs for certain favored businesses, is likely to be approved at the Council meeting tonight. (Update 12/16/14 – the ordinance was indeed passed.) Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton, Zoning | Tagged 7-11, Princeton, Walkability | 1 Comment

Some Thoughts On Zoning Reform On Witherspoon Street

Posted on December 3, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Witherspoon Street in Princeton in 2014. (click to expand.)

Witherspoon Street in Princeton in 2014. Nassau Hall of Princeton University can be seen in the distance. (click to expand.)

Princeton Council is considering amending the zoning along Witherspoon Street, one of Princeton’s major thoroughfares, which runs from Nassau Hall in the south to Valley Road in the north. Almost every form of activity in Princeton happens on Witherspoon Street, and right now, it has almost every form of zoning as well. It might make sense to harmonize the zoning, now that the Borough/Township line no longer cuts Witherspoon Street in two. But what would be the purpose of change? With so much history around it, there is a case for keeping things the way they are. But reform could also protect and enhance several features of Witherspoon Street. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Alternative Transportation, Community, Complete Streets, Density, Downtown Vibrancy, how-to-add-density, Local, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, The Parking Question, Zoning | Tagged planning, Princeton, Witherspoon Street, Zoning | 1 Comment

True Sustainability On Linden Lane In Princeton

Posted on November 25, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Construction at 89 Linden Lane in Princeton. (click to expand)

Earlier this week, local architect Kirsten Thoft was awarded LEED-Platinum designation for her new home on Linden Lane. Linden Lane looks set to become the LEED capital of Princeton, because just up the street, another home is set to achieve LEED-Platinum status. At a ‘Behind the Drywall’ tour this weekend, we saw how one local resident has planned a truly sustainable home.

Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, how-to-add-density, People, planning, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, Sustainability | Tagged leed, Princeton | Leave a comment

New NRG Headquarters In West Windsor: Would It Be Truly ‘Ultra-Green’ If It Was In Trenton?

Posted on November 25, 2014 by walkableprinceton

West Windsor specializes in single-use land planning and office parks like this, which contribute to car dependence and global warming. The new NRG headquarters looks to be more of the same. (click to expand.)

A typical West Windsor office park. (click to expand.) For a rendering of the proposed NRG HQ, see here.

This week, NRG Energy, Inc announced plans to build a new headquarters in Princeton. Actually, it’s at the Carnegie Center in West Windsor. But the bigger question is whether the new headquarters will live up to its billing as an ‘ultra-green’ development. The development is described as ‘carbon-neutral’, but this label ignores the impact of transportation. Is a building really ‘carbon-neutral’ if hundreds of people drive cars to it every day?

Continue reading →