Short answers, pulled from the story.
Carmel, Indiana constructed 155 roundabouts between 1997 and 2025, making it one of the most roundabout-dense cities in the United States. The city has made roundabouts a central element of its pedestrian-focused urban design philosophy.
Carmel was originally called Bethlehem. It was platted in 1837 by Daniel Warren, Alexander Mills, John Phelps, and Seth Green. The name changed to Carmel in 1846 when the town established a post office, because Indiana already had a post office named Bethlehem. The name Carmel references a settlement mentioned in 1 Samuel 25:2.
Leslie Haines invented one of the first automatic traffic signals in the United States. It was installed in 1924 at the intersection of Main Street and Rangeline Road in Carmel, Indiana. The signal is currently preserved in the old train station on the Monon Trail.
The Great American Songbook Foundation is a national nonprofit museum and archives dedicated to American popular music. It was founded by singer and music historian Michael Feinstein and is headquartered in the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.
Carmel, Indiana had a population of 99,757 as of the 2020 census. The median age was 40.1 years. The city spans approximately 49 square miles in Hamilton County, immediately north of Indianapolis.
The Carmel Symphony Orchestra was founded by Latvian immigrant Viktors Ziedonis in 1976, the same year Carmel was incorporated as a city.