The grass is greener, but...

For those of us not in NYC, sometimes it's hard to believe that there is so much to fix, given that pedestrian-transit centricity is so strong there. But that being said, it's the same for DC. DC is better than a lot of places in terms of livability and walkability, yet it can be so so so much better. And it's the job of advocates to point out the opportunities and the problems (I like to think of the word problem as a synonym for opportunity).

So the work, writing, and other efforts of the folks at Streetsblog and the Open Planning Project in NYC help lead the way towards more complete places, and pro-walking, pro-bicycling, pro-transit, pro-urban mobility policies.

This week they have five entries on what they call the "Streetsie Awards."

-- The 2008 Streetsie Awards, Part 5
-- The 2008 Streetsie Awards, Part 4
-- The 2008 Streetsie Awards, Part 3
-- The 2008 Streetsie Awards, Part 2
-- The 2008 Streetsie Awards, Part 1

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Relatedly, Washcycle has two good entries, along similar lines, but specifically about bicycling in the Washington region:

-- 2008: A Look Back
-- 2009: Looking Ahead

Washcycle is very good about regional bicycling issues. I am not able to stay on top of many of the issues in the region to be able to write the kind of complete but broad regional perspective pieces that I might want to. DC stuff, and I can't even keep up with that, keeps my mind plenty occupied.

(I do pay attention to stuff in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland, in part because DC is physically connected to those places and now I live within one mile of both counties and I try to read the Hyattsville and Takoma editions of the Gazette, Baltimore--I read the Baltimore Sun every day, and to some extent, Arlington County in Virginia. But it's hard to keep up with things beyond those places...)