What is a virtual photo walk? — Watch this video and you will want to go on one

  “As a photographer you’re in a special place taking pictures, and now you can share that with others”   Photographer John Butterill discovered a way to share his photo walks through Google+ Hangouts. Almost immediately photographers around the world began volunteering to share their view of the world with people whose mobility was limited. …

Walkability raises housing value by $4,000 – $34,000

Can you walk to stores, schools and a park from your home? If so, your house or condo may be worth substantially more than those in more isolated, pedestrian-hostile neighborhoods. That’s the finding of “Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Housing Values in U.S. Cities,” a study by Joseph Cortright that analyzed data from 94,000 …

How a college campus in the middle of Los Angeles is lowering traffic

The rest of Los Angeles may seem as congested as ever, but traffic at UCLA is the lightest it’s ever been since the university began measuring more than 20 years ago. The 2011 commuting report marks the eighth consecutive year that UCLA’s vehicle count dropped. With an average of 102,000 trips daily, the number of …

Send Slate your pictures of #walkfail – useless sidewalks, missing crosswalks, etc.

Slate wants your pics of useless sidewalks, missing crosswalks, dangerous shoulders and anything else that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe walking. The most interesting images will be featured on a gallery on Slate. Deadline: May 1 How to Submit Email: send it to us at unwalkable@gmail.com. Flickr: Tag your photo #walkfail and upload to …

Toronto – “a strong latent demand for more walkable neighborhoods”

The map above shows Toronto’s walkability, with the lighter portions indicating greater walkability (‘utilitarian walkability” being how easy it is to walk to do utilitarian things — get to work, shop — as opposed to for pure recreation). It’s striking how much high walkability follows the boundaries of the old City of Toronto. There are …

Top Events for the US Open of Surfing 2011

Welcome to the 2011 US Open of Surfing! The party officially starts today with check-ins for the athletes and the big on-beach retail stores opening up. Though, with a big swell hitting right now most are probably in the water. If you’re looking to attend I pulled together my favorite, must-see events, check ’em out: