walkableprinceton

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?

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Posted in Alternative Transportation, Local, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Transit | Tagged nrg, Princeton, sustainability | Leave a comment

A Walk Around Princeton’s “Copperwood” Apartments

Posted on November 24, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Copperwood Apartments in Princeton. (Click to expand)

‘Copperwood’, a significant apartment development on Bunn Drive in Princeton, opened at the end of the summer. As of now, most of the 153 units are still unoccupied, giving a good chance to take a walk around and see the new buildings.

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Posted in architecture, Princeton, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Transit, Walking | Tagged apartments, Princeton, Walkability | 5 Comments

Princeton Community Lantern Walk, November 15, 2014

Posted on November 16, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Participants in the 2014 Princeton Community Lantern Walk on Palmer Square. (click to expand)

Every year, the Waldorf School of Princeton organizes a “Lantern Walk” for its students and their families. The event is a continuation of a European tradition celebrating the life of St Martin, and also reflects worldwide ‘festivals of lights’ that take place in many cultures around this time of year. This year, the Waldorf School helped organize a Lantern Walk in downtown Princeton that was open to the whole Princeton Community. You can read all about it here. On Saturday night, around 200 people processed around Princeton carrying lanterns, through the University, Palmer Square, and other historic points of interest in the downtown. Click through the photos below for more details.

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Posted in Community, Princeton, Walking | Tagged Princeton, st martin, waldorf, Walking | 2 Comments

Dear Princeton Walkability Advocates: Please Consider Applying For Municipal Committee Positions Now!

Posted on November 14, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Princeton area residents at Communiversity 2012, via Princeton Arts Council

Now is the time to apply for municipal committee positions if you want to help make Princeton more walkable.

Do you want to see a more walkable Princeton? Do you think our streets are too dangerous for walkers and cyclists? Are you concerned about affordable housing? Have you ever considered what Princeton could do to stop Climate Change? If so, the town is offering an opportunity right now to do something about it… Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Princeton | Tagged local government, Princeton | Leave a comment

How Big Is Princeton? And Where Is It Anyway?

Posted on November 11, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Welcome to Princeton, NJ. And where is that exactly? (click to expand.)

Welcome to Princeton, NJ. Home of 400,000 people, according to some estimates. (click to expand.)

OK, here’s a question: how many people live in Princeton? Easy- right? Well, not really… Continue reading →

Posted in Local, planning, Princeton | Tagged New Jersey, planning, Princeton, Trenton | 2 Comments

Princeton U. Launches Website To Get Feedback On Forward Strategic Plan

Posted on November 10, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Screenshot from Princeton University’s new strategic planning website. (click to expand).

Princeton University impacts our town more than any other institution, and in 2015, the University is seeking to create a new strategic plan to organize the next chapter in its history. The University has just set up a new website at this link, which aims to inform and involve stakeholders about the planning process. Continue reading →

Posted in Local, People, planning, Princeton | Tagged eisgruber, planning, Princeton, Princeton University | Leave a comment

New Costco To Open Just Outside Princeton

Posted on November 7, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Site of new Costco off Route 1 in Lawrence, NJ. (click to expand.)

Site of new Costco off Route 1 in Lawrence, NJ. (map via Google maps, click to expand.)

News just in via Brendan McGrath at the Times of Trenton: a new Costco is set to open in Lawrence Township just outside of Princeton. The proposed site is 4100 Quakerbrideg Road (see map above), which is right on the Lawrence/West Windsor border, about a mile south of the Princeton town line. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Downtown Vibrancy, Local | Tagged costco, Princeton, Walkability | 8 Comments

West Windsor And Mercer County Deserve A Real ‘Complete Street’ On Cranbury Road

Posted on November 7, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Cranbury Road (CR615) in West Windsor. (via Bing Maps, click to expand).

Cranbury Road (CR615) in West Windsor. Note the complete lack of sidewalks or bike facilities in the current condition. (via Bing Maps, click to expand).

West Windsor Township has been having a big public discussion recently about improving Cranbury Road, which is Mercer County Road 615. This discussion has been brought about by a brave and organized bunch of local residents, who are determined to see safety improvements. They persuaded the West Windsor authorities to commission a report to see what design alternatives could work to add safe walking and cycling facilities along CR615 in West Windsor. The report was subsequently published, outlining a number of different alternatives, which would have provided different amenities, and carried different costs in terms of both money and right-of-way.

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Posted in Alternative Transportation, Complete Streets, Local, planning, Sustainability | Tagged Complete streets, Princeton, West Windsor | 4 Comments

Princeton Nassau Street In The 1920s And Today

Posted on November 6, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Nassau Street in the 1920s (left) and today (right). Image credits: PU Mudd library and Bing Maps. (click to expand)

Old photos of Princeton are great, and here’s a good one. From Princeton University’s Mudd Library Twitter feed: a black-and-white shot of undergraduates walking down Nassau Street in the 1920s. Looking at the image, I’m struck by how…familiar…the surroundings are. The street appears remarkably similar to how it looks today. Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton, Smart Growth, Traffic, Walking | Tagged platemaking, Princeton, traffic | Leave a comment

Walkable Princeton – Front Page News

Posted on November 5, 2014 by walkableprinceton

November 2014 Princeton Echo, with profile of ‘Walkable Princeton’ (right-hand column; click to expand).

A lot of Princeton people are probably not enjoying reading the newspapers today (Nov 5) but here is some front page news that is well worth checking out! ‘Walkable Princeton’ got a lead feature in last week’s “Princeton Echo”! Continue reading →