PROUD TO SPEAK ABOUT UNIVERSAL DESIGN AND INCLUSIVE MOBILITY

IN FRONT OF THE NATION’S TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY THOUGHT LEADERS AT THE 2025 JOINT ITE INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING

I was gratified to speak to the transportation, transit and mobility industry’s leaders – from the private, public, nonprofit and academic sectors – at the ITE International meeting this week in Orlando.

I spoke on: Creating Accessible, Healthy, and Smart Multimodal Communities Through Transportation.

I underscored design fails that make sidewalks, curbramps and crosswalks dangerous or impossible to use by people who use assistive mobility devices.

At the end of my presentation to a full ballroom, I implored those in attendance to get at the root of disability inclusion.

I challenged the nation’s leading mobility designers, builders and regulators to aggressively recruit, hire and retain people with various disabilities.

Without those personal insights, the most brilliant engineers and planners in the world are doomed to creating barriers that strip people with disabilities of independence, dignity and safety.

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PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

On location at the endless miles of wheelchair accessible boardwalks at Algar Seco near Carvoeiro in Portugal's Algarve

In the space of little more than a month, I have:

Headlined as a speaker on Universal Design and Sustainability at the Florida REALTORS statewide conference in Orlando.

Served as a key speaker at the American Planning Association’s statewide conference in Tampa.

Participated in the launch of the Saudades book, which features my fine art photography, which also is on display in the gallery section of Books & Books in Coral Gables.

Been featured as an on screen global expert on creating a better built environment for people with disabilities in the documentary film “Mark – A Call to Action” which released globally online, streaming and on DVD this month.

Traveled the Algarve and beyond in Portugal as a Universal Design expert consultant.

This coming week, I turn 60. 

I will weigh less than I did at age 16. 

Which means I was overweight for four decades, but finally figured things out and shed way more than 100 pounds.

HONORED TO SPEAK AT THE FLORIDA REALTORS

2024 CONVENTION IN ORLANDO

 

My topic was Sustainable Development Solutions -- How Do You Fit In?

I also focused on Universal Design and Aging in Place.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak at the Rosen Shingle Creek facility, to an attentive crowd.

Contact me to be your next keynote speaker on Universal Design, Placemaking, Aging In Place, Sustainability or any other aspect of Planning.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO HEIDI, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE

FROM THE CATS WE TAKE CARE OF & CAT DADDY STEVE

We are the cats and other fur babies protected by your monthly donations to the ASPCA. Some of us have very sad stories to tell, but life is getting better because of your love and support.

We are a colony of cats that lives near the seafront ramparts called the Skala de la Kasbah on the Atlantic cost of Essaouira. The fishermen with the famous blue boats give us lots of fish scraps and chin rubs, but the Moroccan Dirhams Uncle Steve donated helps a team of volunteers to build us shelters.

We are the Kedi of Istanbul. You saw us in an award-winning documentary. Turkey may be the best place on earth for a street cat to get the love of every passerby. But still, there are countless numbers of us, so Uncle Steve’s donation of several hundred Turkish Lira helps volunteers in our ancient city to build clusters of homes for us.

We are the felines of the Cat Café outside Orlando. While Disney, Sea World, Universal and water parks get all the attention – we’d like to think we are the most wonderful location in the land of theme parks. We loved the hugs you gave us, the money you donated and we look forward to safer times when you can visit again.

THIS BLOG CELEBRATES 160,000 READERS

A TOTAL READERSHIP THAT EQUALS OR SURPASSES
THE SUNDAY CIRCULATION OF THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Today, we passed 160,000 unique visitors to this blog.

We have made more than 1,800 original posts.

We have shared more than 1,500 original images from all over the world.

We were the photographer for more than 1,000 of those images.

Our blog items have a cumulative word count above 140,000 -- enough to fill three books.

We promise to continue posting daily, on issues such as:

Urban Design

Wheelchair Access

Mobility

Universal Design

Travel

Sustainability

Town Planning

Inclusive Mobility

Barrier-free Design

Fine Art Photography

Human Rights

THANKS SANTA, FOR 155,000 READERS...

...AND A GREAT 2017

Today, we passed 155,000 unique visitors to this blog.

We have made more than 1,700 original posts.

We have shared more than 1,000 original images from all over the world.

Our blog items had a word count above 120,000 -- enough to fill at least two large books.

We are thankful for a great 2017, including:

January -- I learned that PlusUrbia Design would be honored in May with the American Planning Association's  Economic Development Planning Gold Standard for the Wynwood Neighborhood Revitalization District.

February -- We celebrated Valentine's Day with our beautiful Siamese cat Honeybear.

March -- I learned that PlusUrbia Design would be honored in September with the American Planning Association Florida's Award of Merit in Neighborhood Planning for the Hialeah Transit Oriented Development.

April -- I went on a writing assignment to New Orleans and made friends with some jazz musicians.

May -- I observed Ramazan in Istanbul and made friends with legendary Armenian-Turkish photographer Ara Guler.

June -- Heidi Johnson-Wright was one of the very few non licensed architects to make a major presentation at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Conference in Orlando.

August -- I drew an assignment to co-author a major feature article on for Planning Magazine on Inclusive Mobility.

September -- We survived Hurricane Irma, only losing a fence along with some other outside damage.

October -- I went on a photo assignment to Oaxaca, Mexico and stayed through Dia de los Muertos.

November -- Heidi Johnson-Wright won the Pen 2 Paper writing contest for Crip Cargo.

December -- PlusUrbia Design moved to its new Coral Way studio office, after years in the Grove produced 10 awards and proclamations in the span of three years and the firm worked on key plans for Little Havana, Coconut Grove, El Portal, 395 and the SMART Plan of Miami-Dade County.

THOUGHTS ON ORLANDO TRAGEDY

LOVE, NOT HATE, HEALS WOUNDS

 

Orlando is an unthinkable tragedy.

 

I do not have words to express the pain I feel for the loss of life and traumatizing injuries to the LGBT community that I respect and embrace.

 

But please, let's not demonize all Muslims because of Orlando.

 

Timothy McVeigh killed 168 and injured more than 600, but we don't expel all white male military vets because one was a monster.

 

There will always be evil doers -- you can find them hiding behind every religion, race and belief system.

 

Their actions are not symbolic of the everyday person who shares their birth region or core beliefs -- that monsters so often pervert to justify their violence.

 

The people I've known who practice the Muslim faith are some of the most kind, welcoming, accommodating human beings I've ever had the pleasure of sharing time with.

 

This includes a Jordanian family in Ohio that has adopted my 79-year-old mom as their own.

 

With me being busy with work and caregiving 1200 miles away in Miami, my mom would not have a good quality of life without the unconditional neighborly love of the upstairs neighbors at my mom's apartment.

 

 They are hosting, loving, caring people who are emblematic of real Muslim and Arabic values.

 

Please let's not let our anger overtake our ability to differentiate between extremists who create hell on earth and the overwhelming majority of people who may practice a faith different than our own -- but are giving, loving, valuable human beings.

 

Diversity. America needs to appreciate it and embrace it.