Category Archives: Cities

A Quartet of Former Vintage Barber Shops

Posted on June 21, 2018 by

As a follow-up to my previous post of old barber shops still operating, here are four (4) that no longer are used as barber shops. Two (2) are currently empty though the barber shop in Honor was a sign shop … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, Animals, architecture, business, Cities, coffee shops/cafes, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, food trucks, geography, historic preservation, history, land use, Pets, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, Small business, third places, Uncategorized, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Quartet of Old Barber Shops

Posted on June 17, 2018 by

One of the traditional and original third places of most small towns and larger cities is the barber shop. They often serve as a natural gathering spot for local news, discussion, gossip, and small talk. I can’t think of a … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, business, Cities, civics, entrepreneurship, geography, historic preservation, history, land use, placemaking, planning, Small business, third places | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fracking sprawl across West Texas

Posted on March 8, 2018 by

Many places across America lament the urban sprawl taking place in their midst. Meanwhile, parts of Texas have a different kind of sprawl to contend with – fracking sprawl. As can be seen in the photos taken as I flew … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, air travel, Alternative energy, aviation, Cities, Climate Change, economics, energy, geography, Geology, health, Housing, infrastructure, land use, pictures, planning, politics, pollution, spatial design, sprawl, topography, Travel, Uncategorized, visual pollution | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Eons of neon in Tucson

Posted on February 27, 2018 by

If there is one type of signage this urban planner adores, it’s tastefully designed mid-century neon. And if there is one place to find such glorious signage, it’s Tucson, Arizona, where the city and local preservation groups have done a … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, architecture, art, Cities, Communications, consumerism, economic development, fun, historic preservation, history, land use, planning, shopping, signs, tourism, Transportation, Travel, Uncategorized, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Planning lessons from Tucson

Posted on February 25, 2018 by

My wife and I just returned home from an amazing week in gorgeous Tucson, Arizona. Unlike many places visited, it was easy to come up with many more than ten planning lessons from this beautiful desert oasis. While we adore … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, Alternative transportation, architecture, art, bicycling, bike sharing, Biking, Cities, civics, colleges, Cuisine, culture, diversity, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, entrepreneurship, environment, fitness, Food, food systems, fun, geography, health, hiking, historic preservation, history, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, nature, pictures, placemaking, planning, recreation, spatial design, sprawl, third places, topography, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban planning, visual pollution, walking, Wildlife, zoning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A visual celebration of Le Corbusier’s five Unite’ d’Habitation

Posted on February 16, 2018 by

Five European cities have the distinct honor of being home to a magnificent Brutalist style, utopian ideal, multiple-family housing complex designed by renown architect, Le Corbusier. These Unite’ d’Habitation are breathtaking in their form and functionality. Each building has slight … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, Cities, culture, Europe, geography, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, land use, minimalism, placemaking, planning, skylines, spatial design, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Brutalist architecture buildings seen/visited

Posted on February 9, 2018 by

Brutalist Architecture often evokes strong reactions, both positive and negative, from the general public. While there are certainly some “less than stirring” examples, there are also quite lovely and inspiring ones too. One of my favorites is Clowes Memorial Hall … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, Cities, culture, downtown, geography, government, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, skylines, urban planning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Airports with 360 degree orbital beltways

Posted on January 22, 2018 by

As a follow-up to my last post, I thought it would be interesting to list off the airports around the globe that are ringed by limited access expressways. Such a design has several benefits – the expressway can serve as … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, aerospace, air travel, airport planning, aviation, business, Cars, Cities, economic development, geography, infrastructure, land use, planning, spatial design, sprawl, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel | 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

USA/Canada metros with the most Bitcoin ATMs/tellers

Posted on December 13, 2017 by

Below is a fascinating list from coinatmradar.com of the cities in the United States and Canada with the most Bitcoin ATMs or tellers. There are currently a total of 1,244 in the USA and 310 in Canada. The most surprising fact is how far … Continue reading →

Posted in business, Canada, Cities, commerce, consumerism, deregulation, digital payment systems, geography, infrastructure, internet, product design, Statistics, technology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment