Category Archives: cartoons

The Old West Personified in a Town’s Iconic Name

Posted on March 21, 2019 by

Frontier Towns, Chapter 2: Pecos, Texas Few names portray a better image of the Old West than “Pecos.” The Pecos River is the natural dividing line between central and western Texas, as to the west of this iconic river the … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, books, branding, cartoons, cities, civics, commerce, culture, deserts, downtown, economic development, environment, fun, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, Maps, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, recreation, spatial design, topography, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Favorites of 2017

Posted on December 27, 2017 by

One of my New Years resolutions for 2017 was to read more classic literature and watch classic films I have missed in the past. As you can see form this list, I have accomplished that, partially in thanks to TCM … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, art, book reviews, books, branding, cartoons, Communications, culture, entertainment, film, fun, history, internet, libraries, literature, movies, music, music reviews, reading, Science, Science fiction, Television, theaters, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fictional cartoon cities and towns

Posted on December 14, 2017 by

Here’s my list of cities and towns from well-known, popular, and classic cartoons. If there are any I am missing, please feel free to send suggestions along. Aberdale – Clarence Adventure Bay – Paw Patrol Anytown – the ZhuZhus Arlen … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cartoons, Cities, Communications, culture, demographics, diversity, family, fun, geography, history, land use, Maps, movies, pictures, place names, satire, skylines, spatial design, technology, Television, Transportation, Uncategorized, video | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Superhero cities

Posted on April 2, 2016 by

Below are listed famous superheroes from comic books, television, film, and cartoons and the primary city where they are based in or operate from. As some superheroes do not have a primary city where they perform feats of derring-do, those … Continue reading →

Posted in books, cartoons, cities, entertainment, fun, futurism, Television, writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Urban planning portrayed through art

Posted on March 12, 2016 by

As urban planners we most often tend to think of our profession being depicted to the outside world in fairly basic textual and geographic terms. Either it is the written word in somewhat legalistic prose, or it is maps representing … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, books, cartoons, cities, civics, Communications, culture, film, history, humanity, inclusiveness, land use, literature, movies, music, new urbanism, pictures, placemaking, planning, Poem, spatial design, sustainability, Television, theaters, tourism, Travel, urban planning, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Bloom County” is back on the map!

Posted on July 16, 2015 by

This week, after a 25 year absence, the world has been treated to the revival of the Bloom County comic strip. What a wonderful surprise.  The zany and irreverent world of Opus (the penguin), Milo, Steve, and Bill the Cat has … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, art, cartoons, civics, Communications, culture, fun, humanity, inclusiveness, Love, pictures, politics, Social media | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Inside Out” – Pixar’s best film yet

Posted on June 28, 2015 by

Pixar is so very good at making excellent animated movies on a wide range of topics, that it is hard to compare them equally. Wall-E and The Incredibles have long been my personal favorites. Still, Inside Out rises head and shoulders … Continue reading →

Posted in art, branding, cartoons, Communications, diversity, education, entertainment, family, film, fun, humanity, inclusiveness, Love, movies, pictures, theaters, video, Women | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Street tree trimming gone berserk!

Posted on January 8, 2015 by

Needless to say, the cartoon below about street tree trimming in Alameda, California certainly depicts some of the worst examples that could be seen across the country. Here in the Midwest, the top-left image is more often referred to as “goal post”  or “touchdown” … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, art, cartoons, cities, civics, civility, environment, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, nature, pictures, placemaking, planning, politics, pollution, satire, sustainability, transportation, urban planning, visual pollution, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

It’s Bombastic!

Posted on December 28, 2014 by

Many people who live in the United States will be able to relate to this recent and oh-so hilarious Pearls Before Swine comic strip episode about a certain monopolistic cable provider we all know and dislike. Cheers!  

Posted in art, branding, cartoons, civility, Communications, consumerism, deregulation, economics, entertainment, fun, infrastructure, marketing, satire, Television, video | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The visual wit of Ian Lockwood

Posted on December 12, 2014 by

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the Michigan Association of Planning’s Transportation Bonanza 6. Among the stellar list of speakers was Ian Lockwood, P.E. of Toole Design Group. He gave a terrific presentation entitled “Prepare for the Biggest Paradigm Shift … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, Alternative transportation, art, bicycling, Biking, cartoons, civics, Communications, entertainment, fun, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, satire, spatial design, transportation, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments