Category Archives: consumerism

Crafting a Perfect Brewery Name, Logo, and Slogan

Posted on July 24, 2019 by

Favorite craft brewery names/logos/slogans and why they are so good: *BEST NAME: Stormcloud Brewing of Frankfort, MI – This is my all time favorite name for a brewery and they have a great logo, as well.  If you’ve ever seen a fierce … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, beer, branding, brewpubs, business, Canada, cities, commerce, Communications, consumerism, Cuisine, culture, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, entrepreneurship, geography, historic preservation, history, land use, marketing, place names, placemaking, planning, product design, third places, tourism, Trade, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Regional Potato Chip Makers of the USA (past and present) 

Posted on January 9, 2019 by

Who doesn’t love potato chips? They are a staple of many lunches, dinners, and snacks. While there are some behemoth potato chip companies such as Frito-Lay and Pringles, fortunately there remain a number of local and regional producers. Here’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, branding, Cities, commerce, consumerism, Cuisine, culture, Food, fun, geography, marketing, product design, shopping, Trade | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Detroit’s Eastern Market

Posted on November 8, 2018 by

Anyone fortunate enough to visit engaging Detroit’s Eastern Market knows exactly what I am talking about in this post. Enjoy the list below! Great third places like Detroit’s Eastern Market can and will survive and thrive through both good and … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, agriculture, business, cities, commerce, consumerism, culture, economic gardening, economics, entertainment, entrepreneurship, Food, food systems, fun, geography, health, history, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, revitalization, shopping, Small business, social equity, spatial design, sustainability, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning, walking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Front Grills That Can Kill

Posted on August 24, 2018 by

A sadly growing trend in American transportation has been an increase in pedestrian and bicyclist deaths. There are several reasons for this, but one that is not mentioned as often as it should be is the increased size and altered … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, Alternative transportation, bicycling, Biking, cities, civics, consumerism, deregulation, government, health, Health care, hiking, history, human rights, humanity, planning, politics, recreation, Statistics, transportation, walking | Tagged | Leave a comment

Are You a Socialist?

Posted on August 2, 2018 by

This question was posed on a former sister blog (Progressive Blogic) some seven years ago during the rancorous debate about the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. It was meant to point out to the average person that “socialism,” particularly democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, branding, civics, consumerism, culture, economic development, economic gardening, education, fair trade, Food, food systems, government, history, land use, politics | 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

Driving and striving to survive a broken ‘Merica

Posted on January 6, 2018 by

I will never, ever look at a recreational vehicle, van, motor home, or campground the same way again. Not since reading Jessica Bruder’s engrossing, informative, and heartbreaking new book entitled Nomadland. I have long imagined, envied, and eagerly anticipated my … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, ageism, art, book reviews, books, Cars, civics, civility, consumerism, culture, demographics, economics, Economy, family, geography, health, Health care, history, homelessness, Housing, human rights, humanity, Labor, literature, logistics, minimalism, politics, poverty, product design, reading, shopping, social equity, Statistics, transportation, Travel, unemployment, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

My Amazon HQ2 prediction

Posted on September 21, 2017 by

Ever since Amazon announced they would be establishing a dual headwaters, a virtual cottage industry of predictions and analyses has developed. Everyone has an opinion on what metro will be selected. Here are my thoughts on the subject: My heart would … Continue reading →

Posted in air travel, airports, Biking, branding, Bus transportation, business, Canada, Cities, civics, Climate Change, commerce, Communications, consumerism, culture, economic development, education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, Environment, fun, futurism, geography, Housing, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, logistics, marketing, North America, placemaking, planning, recreation, revitalization, shopping, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, States, Statistics, sustainability, traffic, transit, Transportation, Uncategorized, urban planning | Tagged , | 9 Comments

The MOST important urban planning book of our time

Posted on February 11, 2017 by

I realize that the title of this post is a bold and perhaps controversial statement to make, but I truly believe that the definitive and thought-provoking publication by Salvatore Settis entitled, If Venice Dies, is the most important urban planning book … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, architecture, art, book reviews, books, branding, business, cities, civics, civility, commerce, consumerism, culture, demographics, density, economic development, entertainment, environment, Europe, geography, government, historic preservation, history, Housing, infrastructure, land use, literature, placemaking, planning, product design, recreation, revitalization, shipping, skylines, skyscrapers, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, sustainability, topography, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban planning, writing, zoning | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments