Does Your City Need a 'Department of Sidewalks'? (Michael Pollack)
About this episode
The episode discusses the need for a dedicated agency to manage sidewalks and features an interview with expert Michael Pollack about his book on the subject.
A sidewalk isn't just a strip of asphalt; it's a place where countless laws collide, whether they're governing our movement, our safety, our right to free speech, our economy, or even just who's responsible for shoveling after a snow storm. But most communities don't have a single agency that manages all these competing concerns — and maybe it's time they create one. Today on The Brake, we interview sidewalk law expert Michael Pollack about his new book "Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America's Most Overlooked Resource." And in that book, he untangles the dense web of policies that shape our pedestrian spaces, which might just change the way you look at sidewalks forever.
People in this episode
Guest: Michael Pollack
Topics covered
- sidewalks
- urban planning
- public safety
- law
- pedestrian spaces
- city management
Keywords
- sidewalks
- urban policy
- public space
- safety
- law
- pedestrian rights
- city planning
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America's Most Overlooked Resource
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