Category Archives: civility

Top Eleven Planning Lessons from Lisbon, Portugal

Posted on October 8, 2018 by

Below are my top eleven (11) planning lessons from a delightful week-long trip to Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal in late September. Many more could be added this list, but for brevity’s sake we’ll stay with these eleven (11) for now. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, architecture, art, cities, civics, civility, Cuisine, culture, diversity, downtown, entertainment, entrepreneurship, environment, Europe, Food, fun, geography, Geology, historic preservation, history, humanity, inclusiveness, land use, music, nature, pictures, placemaking, planning, Portugal, revitalization, spatial design, topography, tourism, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Derogatory place nicknames – UPDATE # 4

Posted on August 13, 2018 by

Last weekend (originally published in 2013) a derogatory nickname was overheard for a city here in Michigan that I had never heard expressed before in my 21 (now 26) years of being a resident of this state. For some reason … Continue reading →

Posted in cities, civics, civility, culture, general, geography, history, humanity, inclusiveness, poverty, racism, revitalization, Sexism, writing | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

“Just Mercy” Will Rip Your Heart to Shreds

Posted on June 11, 2018 by

In all my years, I have never read a more disturbing, yet compelling book. The injustice and inhumanity described in Just Mercy will literally rip your heart to shreds and bring tears to your eyes. Just Mercy must be made … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, art, book reviews, books, charities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, culture, diversity, history, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, injustice, literature, politics, poverty, reading, social equity, Statistics, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Great ‘Reverse’ Migration May Be Disastrous for Many Northern Cities and States

Posted on June 8, 2018 by

Between 1916 and 1970, more than six million African-Americans migrated northward to work in factories and live in cities across the Northeast and Midwest. Today, there is mounting evidence that this great migration has reversed itself, as those who can … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, culture, demographics, economic development, economic gardening, Economy, education, entrepreneurship, family, geography, government, history, Housing, humanity, immigration, inclusiveness, planning, politics, poverty, social equity, Statistics, urban planning | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Designate I-85 the “Civil Rights Freedomway”

Posted on May 3, 2018 by

It is my suggestion that Interstate 85 (I-85) Between Virginia and Alabama should be named the Civil Rights Freedomway. I make this suggestion because of the large number of important historical sites of the Civil Rights era located along or … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, Advocacy, Bus transportation, charities, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, culture, diversity, geography, historic preservation, history, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, land use, Maps, peace, placemaking, planning, politics, poverty, social equity, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, volunteerism | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mending Interstate Injustice – Freeway Capping Projects

Posted on April 28, 2018 by

In recent years there has been an effort in some cities to mend some of the wounds of Interstate Highway era gashes that were savagely cut through American cities. A method for healing these scars has been to cap the … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, architecture, Cars, cities, Civil Rights, civility, density, diversity, downtown, economic development, environment, geography, Green roofs, historic preservation, history, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, pictures, placemaking, planning, poverty, racism, revitalization, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, transit, transportation, Travel, tunnels, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

No words…

Posted on April 26, 2018 by

…can possibly describe the sad and disturbing aspect of American history depicted by the new National Memorial for Peace and Justice (a.k.a. Lynching Memorial) that opened today (4/25/18) in Montgomery, Alabama. I will let these photographs of this solemn site … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Rights, civility, diversity, history, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, peace, pictures, racism, social equity, Statistics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is your community a bully?

Posted on March 29, 2018 by

The title of this post may sound odd, but I am convinced that the persona of certain communities is to act like bullies towards their counterparts on the local and regional stage. In reality, this assertion shouldn’t be so strange … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, cities, civics, civility, Communications, culture, education, health, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, Love, peace, politics, social equity | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stand Up for Avra Valley!

Posted on March 25, 2018 by

Stand Up for Avra Valley! Midst a scenic desert valley a freeway is planned to flow more useless sprawl and chaos whose outcome we all know This Sonoran panorama is a treat for jaded eyes seducing all who view her … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, art, charities, cities, civics, civility, deserts, environment, geography, historic preservation, history, humanity, infrastructure, land use, nature, peace, pictures, placemaking, planning, Poem, politics, pollution, recreation, spatial design, sprawl, sustainability, topography, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban planning, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Arizona DOT ponders paving over paradise

Posted on March 11, 2018 by

  Are they NUTS? Among the alternatives being considered by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for future Interstate 11 (I-11) are two (2) options that would loop it west of Tucson through the stunningly gorgeous Avra Valley. Who in … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, cities, civics, civility, commerce, economic development, environment, geography, Geology, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, light pollution, Maps, Mexico, nature, planning, pollution, shipping, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, topography, tourism, traffic, transportation, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments