Rendering of mixed-use village in West Windsor. Via NJ.com (click to expand.)
Realtors suggest that walkable housing is in great demand. Transit experts recommend higher density development near transit to prevent further road congestion. And now West Windsor has stepped up by approving a mixed-use development across the road from Princeton Junction rail station. Continue reading
Princeton Palmer Square Hulfish parking lot, doing modest business on a Saturday on the lead-up to Christmas. (click to expand.)
Is it hard to get parked in Princeton? Not really. There are plenty of parking spaces in Princeton. So why does our downtown become blocked with drivers trying to find parking spaces? It’s because we make parking chaotic and unpredictable. Continue reading
Mall on Rt 27 near Princeton on Black Friday with loads of free parking spaces. (Click to expand.)
Cross posted at Strong Towns Network.
On Black Friday- traditionally a day marked by a surge of post-Thanksgiving shopping- our friends at www.strongtowns.org launched a nationwide appeal for members to send in photos of parking lots in their local areas. Photos flooded in, with a common theme- even on this busiest of shopping days, malls across the country had parking lots that were half-empty or worse. How can this be possible? And what does it mean? Walkable Princeton participated, focusing on malls along Route 27 north of Princeton. The results were amazing. Continue reading
This house at 135 Bayard Lane was renovated and rented as affordable housing by Princeton Community Housing in 2013. (click to expand.)
Princeton Community Housing is the largest organization providing affordable housing in Princeton. Their 2012 Annual Report, titled ‘Celebration and Opportunity’ offers an insight into the operations of the non-profit, including detailed breakdowns of their different communities, and resident profiles. We caught up with PCH executive director Edward Truscelli to find out more about what’s been going on.
The ‘B Home’ in situ at D&R Greenway Park in Princeton. (Click to expand.)
What is a house? In Princeton, it’s typically a one/two story structure with a sloping roof and some ornamental shutters that don’t actually close (see also ‘The Princeton‘ model from stack ’em housing constructor, Toll Brothers). However, occasionally, an innovator comes along and questions the entire idea of how we build homes…
Homes on Jefferson Road in Princeton. (click to expand.)
Princeton planning and zoning has had unintended exclusionary outcomes, making it hard for local middle-class workers to live in town, and incentivizing car-dependency and traffic. In this series, we explore options for adding more walkable housing in Princeton to enable diversity and inclusivity, while maintaining and enhancing Princeton’s historic charm. (See also Part 1 and Part 2.)
Take a look at the photo above. What do you see? Low-rise single-family homes, gardens and mature trees. A typical Princeton neighborhood scene. But this photo also shows the location of a recent doubling in housing density. How did this happen? Continue reading
Who needs a car to move a Christmas tree? (click to expand.)
Cross-posted at Strong Towns Network.
Compact, walkable development reduces municipal infrastructure costs, builds the tax base, and allows for efficient, green, car-free transportation. On the other hand, it has been argued that compact walkable housing does not reduce traffic, because people who live in such developments still drive cars all the time. Locally, this idea is completely contradicted by data on how people get to work, but there is still a persistent belief that cars are essential for the majority of journeys. How, for example, could you go to the supermarket without a car? Continue reading
Province Line bridge could become a road for cars again according to Princeton’s recently-revised Masterplan Circulation Element. (Click to expand.)
The bridge you see in the photograph above provides a crossing over the Stony Brook on Province Line Road in Princeton. It was built in Berlin, Connecticut in 1903 and is the longest of three surviving Warren pony truss bridges in Mercer County. It was closed in 1981, but rehabilitated and re-opened (to bikes and pedestrians only) in 2012. What happens to this route now could be an indicator of the direction that Princeton’s transportation policy is going to take in the coming years. Continue reading
The little cabins of Princeton’s Butler Apartments look set to face the wrecking ball in summer 2014. (click to expand.)
Princeton University is planning to demolish graduate student housing at their Butler Apartments site on S Harrison Street, but not everybody thinks it’s a good idea. Writing in ‘The Daily Princetonian’, University Professor Anthony Grafton expressed disappointment that the University was reducing its provision for housing for graduate students. Meanwhile, graduate students are circulating a petition to keep Butler open, because it provides a large amount of affordable housing. Continue reading
Hi everybody- sorry to post again about our upcoming Happy Hour, but given the pretty substantial snow out there, we have decided that it’s for the best if we postpone tonight’s meet-up to next Monday, December 16. We’re going to do it at the same time (7 p.m.) and the same place (Yankee Doodle Tap Room). Just next Monday. Hope to see some of you there! (Full, up-to-date details here.)
walkableprinceton 