Princeton’s Three Consolidations Leave Unfinished Business For 2014

Posted on December 31, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Princeton marks the holiday season, December 2013. (Click to expand.)

Princeton marks the holiday season, December 2013. (Click to expand.)

As Princeton looks to a New Year, it also marks a landmark: one year as a consolidated municipality. New Jersey’s absurd number of self-governing municipalities (565 at the last count) reduced by one on Jan 1, 2013 when Princeton Borough and Princeton Township united to form ‘Princeton’. But this isn’t the first time Princeton has seen a consolidation. Can you name the other two consolidations that have taken place in recent decades? What are their successes, what is the unfinished business, and how does it impact walkability?

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Posted in Density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

New Year’s Resolution: Stop For Princeton School Crossing Guards

Posted on December 30, 2013 by walkableprinceton
A crossing guard in the line of duty at Mount Lucas and Valley Road in Princeton. (click to expand.)

A crossing guard in the line of duty at Mount Lucas and Valley Road in Princeton, Fall 2013. (click to expand.)

What is the most dangerous job in the Princeton area? Cop? Firefighter? More likely the title belongs to the humble school crossing guard. Every morning, these people step quite literally in harm’s way in an attempt to enforce safe routes to school for local kids. But make no mistake, this is a dangerous job. Continue reading →

Posted in Complete Streets, Local, Princeton, Traffic, Walking | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Mixed-Use ‘Village’ In West Windsor Gets Go-Ahead

Posted on December 20, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Rendering of mixed-use village in West Windsor. Via NJ.com (click to expand.)

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 →

Posted in Density, Downtown Vibrancy, Local, Real estate, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Transit, Zoning | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Parking In Princeton Is Plentiful – Just Make It Predictable.

Posted on December 19, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Princeton Palmer Square Hulfish parking lot, doing modest business on a Saturday on the lead-up to Christmas. (click to expand.)

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 →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, The Parking Question, Traffic | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Free Parking Can’t Save Central Jersey Malls- Even On Black Friday

Posted on December 18, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Mall on Rt 27 near Princeton on Black Friday with loads of free parking spaces. (Click to expand.)

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 →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Local, Princeton, Smart Growth, The Parking Question, Zoning | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Princeton Community Housing Annual Report: Progress, But Much Work To Do.

Posted on December 17, 2013 by walkableprinceton
This house at 135 Bayard Lane was renovated and rented as affordable housing by Princeton Community Housing in 2013. (click to expand.)

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.

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Posted in Affordability, Princeton | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

‘The B Home’ And How We Build Houses In Princeton

Posted on December 16, 2013 by walkableprinceton
The 'B Home' in situ at D&R Greenway Park in Princeton. (Click to expand.)

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…

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Posted in architecture, People, Princeton, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Homes For Diversity And Inclusivity Part 3: Subdivide Large Lots.

Posted on December 13, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Homes on Jefferson Road in Princeton. (click to expand.)

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 →

Posted in Affordability, how-to-add-density, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Who Needs A Car To Haul A Christmas Tree??

Posted on December 12, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Who needs a car to move a Christmas tree? (click to expand.)

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 →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Biking, Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton, Sustainability, Walking | Tagged , | 5 Comments

New Princeton Circulation Element Proposes Reopening Province Line Road To Cars

Posted on December 11, 2013 by walkableprinceton
Province Line bike-ped bridge could become a road for cars again according to Princeton's Circulation Element. (Click to expand.)

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 →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Biking, Complete Streets, Princeton, Traffic, Transit, Walking | Tagged , | 7 Comments