Indy's new 'Greenlawn Memorial Bridge' honors city's earliest pioneers proving there's more to urbanism than meets the eye.

Indystar Article

Previously called the Henry Street Bridge project, the new roadway and an expansion of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail will connect the new Elanco pharmaceutical campus with roads near Lucas Oil Stadium. The trademark rings encircling the bridge are now visible, with construction expected to finish by early 2027, the city said in a Wednesday press release.

To build the bridge, the city hired an archaeology firm to excavate more than 1,700 grave shafts within the right-of way, unearthing 19th century artifacts like necklaces, brooches and dolls. The year-long project wrapped up in October 2025. The city is still working on plans to reinter the individuals who were removed.

"We remain determined to uncover the stories of Indianapolis' least prominent early citizens," Leon Bates, a pan-Africanist scholar and community advisory group member, said in a statement. "This naming acknowledges the connection to our city’s pioneers, including the presence and contributions of many early African American residents."

Neutral Summary: According to reports, the DOT has been removing mentions of bike transportation, bike lanes, and certain speed restrictions g infrastructure from federal websites, in addition tools to analyze crashes including those against pedestrians and bike riders.

Opinion: This is insane and wrong, if they wanted to support people’s health, tax efficient solutions, and more, they would partner with other countries and organizations to spread public awareness of the benefits a well constructed bike network can bring.

(Just noticed I used "neighborhood" twice in my title, gah!)

I was just shopping for a birthday gift for my sweetie and wound up in a trendy shopping district in the Boise neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.

I've encountered this type of district in various cities I've visited. I think some of the characteristics that typify what I'm think of are:

• Seems to do "third-place" pretty well
• Walkable
• Embedded in an established neighborhood
• local small businesses rather than corporate chains
• Trendy vibe, although maybe upscale could apply in some cases as well; but there are these x-factors (that I don't even know if I'm correctly identifying) that distinguishes the area from conventional unremarkable business districts.

I suppose gentrification could be at work here, but that term carries a pejorative value-judgment. I guess I'm wondering if there is a neutral, descriptive term that urbanists and/or city planners use.

I’m curious which places have improved the most. It could be because of better public transit, safer streets, more parks, walkability, or anything else. What place comes to mind?

Occasional visitor, first time poster, so thanks in advance for any constructive feedback that is available:…
I know there is an abundance of literature on the benefits of what we conventionally think of as scenic vistas (open water, mountains, rolling hills with forests, etc.) on mental health. Does anyone know of a similar study with a focus on the mental health benefits of being able to see a cityscape or other distant features of the horizon in flat areas with unremarkable natural scenery? My long-shot theory is that when residents of cities like New Orleans, Detroit and Chicago (of course these are US examples, but this can apply globally) who have regular views of the downtown skyline, they might experience reduced stress and a lower heart rate relative to those in neighborhoods without downtown views, stemming from temporary relief from the visual clutter that otherwise might characterize the urban environment. an example might look like a neighborhood with a park that happens to be on a high elevation where a rare skyline view is accessible.
Anyway, is anyone familiar with any studies that measure something like this?

I am Brazilian, trying to learn more urbanism, specially about walkability and "urban forestry"(not sure if this is the correct term). According to your opinion/experience/studies, which cities in the world are reference regarding walkability and the amount of trees?

I am looking forward to hear from you