Streets can be good friends or quiet bullies. We talk with author and planner Bruce Appleyard about Livable Streets 2.0 and how design choices—lane widths, speeds, buffers, sidewalks, and bike protection—shape safety, community bonds, and the energy we feel the moment our feet touch the curb. Bruce shares the personal story behind the book’s legacy and why traffic’s “invisible harms” still fracture neighborhoods, then maps a clear path to build streets that give back. We dig into cognitive mapping and what children’s drawings reveal about freedom, learning, and place. When kids can walk and bike, their mental maps grow richer, their confidence rises, and schools benefit from more alert, active students. Bruce connects these human-scale wins to economic outcomes, explaining how the “street slum” effect drains main streets and how people-first redesigns boost sales and foot traffic. Slower is safer—and also better for business. Enjoy the stories, borrow the tactics, and help your city trade throughput for life. If this resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend who’s ready to rethink their block. Show Notes: Author Recommended Reading: Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City by Peter NortonThe U.S. Traffic Calming Manual by Reid EwingAnything written by Dan Burton Walkable City Rules by Jeff SpeckRight of Way:Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America by Angie SchmidtArrested Mobility: Overcoming the Threat to Black Movement by Charles T. BrownGreat Streets by Allan JacobsKilled by a Traffic Engineer by Wes MarshallConfessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town by Chuck MarohnStreets and the Shaping of Towns and cities by Michael southworth and Eran Ben JosephEnd of the Road: Reimagining the Street as the Heart of the City by Billy RiggsLife After Cars By Sarah Goodyear and Doug GordonBruce’s website which features more information on the topic: https://rethinkingstreets.com/To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Bookshop page at https://bookshop.org/shop/bookedonplanning or get a copy through your local bookstore!To view the show transcripts, click on the episode at https://bookedonplanning.buzzsprout.com/ RDG Planning & DesignArchitects, landscape architects, engineers, artists & planners with a drive to make a difference. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Follow us on social media for more content related to each episode: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/booked-on-planning/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookedPlanning Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookedonplanning Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookedonplanning/
