Portland, Oregon's innovative and distinctive landmark, Tilikum Crossing Bridge of the People, is the first major bridge in the U.S, carrying trains, busses, streetcars, bicycles, and pedestrians- but no private automobiles. When regional transportation agency TriMet began planning for the first bridge to be constructed across the Willamette River since 1973, the goal was to build a something symbolic, which would represent the progressive nature of the Twenty-First Century. In this book, MacDonald captures the story of an engaging public process that involved neighborhood associations, small businesses, environmentalists, biologists, bicycling enthusiasts, designers, engineers, and Portland City Council. The result &– an entirely unique bridge that increased the transportation capacity of the city while enabling Portlanders to experience their urban home in an entirely new way--car-free. Written in a friendly voice, readers will learn how Portland came to be known as "The City of Bridges" and the home to this new icon in the city's landscape. MacDonald uses 98 of his own drawings to illustrate the history of Portland river crossings. Readers will take away a deeper understanding of how our public structures come to reflect a community.

An award-winning architect explores the history and engineering of a modern marvel with “easygoing prose [and] dozens of delightfully accessible sketches” (SFGate.com). Nine million people visit the Golden Gate Bridge each year, yet how many know why it’s painted that stunning shade of “international orange”? Or that ancient Mayan and Art Deco buildings influenced the design? Current bridge architect Donald MacDonald answers these questions and others in a friendly, informative look at the bridge’s engineering and seventy-year history. This accessible account is accompanied by seventy of MacDonald’s own charming color illustrations, making it easy to understand how the bridge was designed and constructed. A fascinating study for those interested in architecture, design, or anyone with a soft spot for San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge is a fitting tribute to this timeless icon.

Among the hundreds of parks and natural spaces around the Portland area, Forest Park gets the most recognition—and deservedly so—as America’s largest urban forest with more than 80 miles of hiking trails and biking paths. Yet there’s more to explore in and around the city than just this one forest, and Urban Trails: Portland, by hiking writer Eli Boschetto, brings this abundance to the people! There are plenty of opportunities for wandering the banks and wetlands of Portland’s three major rivers, as well as hiking on volcanic buttes, strolling through community gardens, discovering historic sites, and walking urban footpaths. Add to that, tips on observing some of the hundreds of species of birds and mammals that reside in these areas, and you practically have an urban safari at your doorstep. With an emphasis on easy access to the outdoors and fitness, features of this guide include: Trailhead directions, including public transit where available “Know Before You Go” tips for park hours, events, etc. Trail distance and high point Trailhead amenities Info for families with kids, dog owners, and bikers Sidebars on area history, nature, and sights Fun checklists for plants, trees, flowers, and wildlife you may spot Easy to reference maps Indicates trail suitability for walkers, hikers, and runners

Written for cyclists of all stripes, Best Bike Rides books offer a diverse array of scenic tours in and around some of America's largest urban destinations. Road rides, rail rides, bike paths, and single-track mountain bike rides all get included. Most rides are in the 5 to 30 mile range, allowing for great afternoon outings and family adventures. Each book features 35 to 40 rides with color photos, maps, point-by-point miles and directions, and GPS coordinates of starting and finishing points.

Some cities have long-treasured waterfront promenades, many cities have recently built ones, and others have plans to create them as opportunities arise. Beyond connecting people with urban water bodies, waterfront promenades offer many social and ecological benefits. They are places for social gathering, for physical activity, for relief from the stresses of urban life, and where the unique transition from water to land eco-systems can be nurtured and celebrated. The best are inclusive places, welcoming and accessible to diverse users. This book explores urban waterfront promenades worldwide. It presents 38 promenade case studies—as varied as Vancouver’s extensive network that has been built over the last century, the classic promenades in Rio de Janeiro, the promenades in Stockholm’s recently built Hammarby Sjöstad eco-district, and the Ma On Shan promenade in the Hong Kong New Territories—analyzing their physical form, social use, the circumstances under which they were built, the public policies that brought them into being, and the threats from sea level rise and the responses that have been made. Based on wide research, Urban Waterfront Promenades examines the possibilities for these public spaces and offers design and planning approaches useful for professionals, community decision-makers, and scholars. Extensive plans, cross sections, and photographs permit visual comparison.

"Fully updated and expanded"--Back cover.

Now more than ever—in a time when Americans still do not believe that humans are the primary cause of Earth's climate change crisis, the burden on educators to inform, challenge, and motivate students about sustainability is greater than it ever has been. On college campuses, writing intensive courses, often located within First-Year or General Education curricula, are an ideal place to take up this charge because of the flexibility of their content and the high volume of students that they reach. In this volume, a varied group of composition instructors with wide ranges and types of experiences provides best practices for bringing issues surrounding climate change into the writing classroom. From literature-based composition and creative writing courses to design thinking workshops to seminars "against sustainability," the authors in this volume lay out a multitude of possibilities for blending writing and environmental concerns that fellow practitioners can easily adopt or modify for their own use.