The Power of Place: A State of Place blog about the Value of Urban Design & How Data Helps Advance It.

In the second installment of our Vision Zero blog series, Design for our Lives, we go on our Founder and CEO, Mariela’s exhilarating (for all the wrong reasons) trip down memory lane as she braves a 1.4 mile walk in the suburbs of Miami. With vivid illustrations of downright embarrassing at best, and unacceptably dangerous design (or lack thereof) features, we showcase why Vision Zero is indeed necessary, but bring to light various yet unanswered questions about the movement, which we will continue to explore throughout the series.

Today we introduce the first installment in our Vision Zero blog series, with a helpful Vision Zero 101 infographic and a compelling personal message of why we must Design for Our Lives…

Get your dose of M&Ms this week as Mariela and Michelle - our CEO and COO - take State of Place on a “sidewalk” show in Oslo and North Carolina. Tune in to watch Mariela pitch State of Place at the Katapult Accelerator Demo day OR register to see Michelle pitch to the Research Triangle economic development and sustainability community about how we use data to get SMART(er) (walkable, livable, and sustainable) places done!

Today’s post is by State of Place’s CTO Andy Likuski. Andy argues that trams are integral to high quality urban life, not a nice to have that can be value engineered into just straightening out a few bus lines. Trams are certainly placemakers, but also have a near magically ability to enhance public life for both travelers and people on the street, and most amazing they can integrate nature into city streets.

In light of yet another vehicle-ramming attack in Munster, Germany - and now Toronto, are pedestrian barriers really the best way to protect the public realm from future attacks - or is this strategy merely akin to playing a real life version of whack-a-mole? Can walkability be the "silver-bullet" we've been looking for in the fight not only to keep people safe, but to make people, the planet, and dare we say, profits happy?

Last week, in light of the most recent vehicle attack in Germany, we argued that we need to make fast strides toward walkability to well, save the world! So the question now is, how do we do that? While there's no secret, fool-proof recipe for creating walkable, livable places, there are five key factors you do need to consider - the "hierarchy of walking needs" - when putting together your redevelopment and planning strategies! Learn more about the Hierarchy of Walking Needs and get one step closer to saving the world! :)

In light of yet another vehicle-ramming attack in Munster, Germany, are pedestrian barriers really the best way to protect the public realm from future attacks - or is this strategy merely akin to playing a real life version of whack-a-mole? Can walkability be the "silver-bullet" we've been looking for in the fight not only to keep people safe, but to make people, the planet, and dare we say, profits happy?

In honor of International Walking Day, we're revisiting the FIU pedestrian bridge collapse, discussing a recent proposal by prominent Miami-based New Urbanists to reenvision 8th street, and offering a limited-time promo for a 14-day free State of Place trial!

How many times do we have to be disappointed by citymaking's next "panacea" before we realize there will NEVER be a silver bullet answer to solving the beautiful, chaotic mess that is a city organism? This might seem odd for a "tech" company to say, but tech alone will NOT save cities - in fact, no one thing alone will save cities! Today we discuss how the devastating FIU pedestrian bridge collapse and the fatal Uber autonomous car accident showcase how it's important to "KISS" our way to better places and use tech as a means and not an end.