Category Archives: art

Temples of Jazz – The Ballrooms

Posted on August 18, 2019 by

  This post is the first of a three-part series about those special places that brought the jazz era to life beyond the recording studio and radio station. The ballrooms, theaters, and smokey clubs are where jazz musicians were able … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, culture, demographics, diversity, entertainment, geography, historic preservation, history, humanity, injustice, land use, music, placemaking, politics, racism, Radio, revitalization, third places, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Geography of the Jazz Age in North America

Posted on August 5, 2019 by

The Jazz Age represented the musical form’s peak period of popularity between 1920 and 1960. While New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago, and New York were and remain the preeminent epicenters of jazz, in many other cities across the country, vibrant … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cities, Communications, culture, diversity, economic development, entertainment, gentrification, geography, government, historic preservation, history, inclusiveness, land use, Maps, music, music reviews, North America, placemaking, planning, politics, racism, Radio, social equity, songs, theaters, third places, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Detroit’s Corktown Neighborhood

Posted on July 29, 2019 by

Some planning lessons learned from one of my favorite neighborhoods in all of Detroit. A city’s oldest neighborhood can also be a leader in its revival. The historic site of a former major league stadium (Tiger Stadium) can enjoy a … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, branding, business, cities, civics, culture, economic development, economic gardening, education, fun, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, politics, revitalization, Small business, spatial design, sports, third places, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Amazing Songs from the First Half of 2019

Posted on July 3, 2019 by

The first half of 2019 has burst forth with some amazing new music. Especially exciting is the amount and quality of guitar-driven rock. Here’s a list of my favorite tracks so far this year, with links provided to youtube: Shine … Continue reading →

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America’s First Great Town Planners…

Posted on May 30, 2019 by

…were not William Penn (Philadelphia), Pierre Charles L’Enfant (Washington, DC), James Oglethorpe (Savannah), nor other post-Columbian examples. No, America’s first great town planners were the Native American Indians. Whether they were the builders of magnificent cliff dwellings and mesa-topped pueblos … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, architecture, art, cities, civics, culture, education, environment, geography, Geology, historic preservation, history, humanity, land use, Native Americans, placemaking, planning, spatial design, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

An Impressive Park Memorializes When Quilts Saved a Town

Posted on May 28, 2019 by

Frontier Towns, Part 7: Panguitch, Utah In city planning, as well as park and recreation circles, one of the most successful trends of the past decade or two has been the creation of pocket parks. These small oases help provide … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cities, geography, historic preservation, history, land use, placemaking, planning, recreation, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Icy Wonders of Nature

Posted on January 26, 2019 by

Living “Up North” in Michigan can present some challenges during the winter months. But, it can also often instill a complete sense of awe and wonder. The beauty of freshly fallen snow, the reflective subtleties created by moonlight on the … Continue reading →

Posted in art, environment, fun, geography, nature, pictures, rivers/watersheds, Science, tourism, Travel, weather | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Delights of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park Home

Posted on November 20, 2018 by

Posted in architecture, art, culture, historic preservation, history, Housing, pictures, spatial design, tourism, Travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

After Hours at Detroit’s Eastern Market

Posted on November 3, 2018 by

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, Cars, Cities, commerce, downtown, entertainment, Food, food systems, fun, historic preservation, history, land use, pictures, placemaking, planning, revitalization, shopping, spatial design, Travel, urban planning | Tagged | Leave a comment

“AAARTH” – An Amazing Album Reaches Tremendous Heights!

Posted on October 23, 2018 by

Please let me chew on the words of a recent blogpost for a moment….(munch, munch, munch).  Thank you. I really thought nothing could possibly equal Metric’s Art of Doubt when it came to new Alternative Rock music in 2018. Well, … Continue reading →

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