Category Archives: economic gardening

Should Struggling Cities Be Renamed?

Posted on July 7, 2019 by

Everyone loves a good comeback story like is currently happening in Detroit. However,there are some cities that have languished in a depressed economic state for so long (some for 100 years), that their very name can evoke a negative impression. … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, branding, business, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Communications, culture, economic development, economic gardening, Economy, futurism, geography, government, history, infrastructure, land use, marketing, place names, placemaking, planning, politics, spatial design, Statistics, sustainability, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning, Welcome | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten+ Planning Lessons from Page, Arizona

Posted on July 1, 2019 by

Some might be wondering where the heck Page, Arizona is located and secondly, how could a town founded in 1957 offer up any planning advice. Well, Page sits close to the Arizona-Utah border where the Glen Canyon Dam was constructed … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, Alternative transportation, archaeology, architecture, bicycling, cities, civics, commerce, culture, deserts, diversity, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, environment, geography, Geology, government, health, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, Native Americans, nature, placemaking, planning, spatial design, sprawl, topography, tourism, transportation, Travel, zoning | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Flagstaff, Arizona

Posted on June 21, 2019 by

Following our recent trip to the beautiful Southwestern United States, here are some thoughts on planning lessons one can learn from impressive and beautiful Flagstaff, Arizona. You can have a physically active and exciting city in a colder-weather, high-altitude environment. … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, archaeology, branding, cities, civics, colleges, culture, deserts, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, environment, fitness, geography, Geology, health, history, infrastructure, land use, Native Americans, Nature, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, recreation, spatial design, third places, topography, tourism, transit, transportation, Travel, weather, zoning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Town That Was Moved Four Times!

Posted on March 13, 2019 by

The first of our new “Frontier Towns” series is about the historic Great Plains town of Julesburg, Colorado. At the crossroads of multiple important and historic transcontinental routes lies the quaint Great Plains town of Julesburg, Colorado. This classic western … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, architecture, bicycling, Biking, branding, cities, civics, commerce, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, environment, film, fun, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, Maps, movies, nature, Passenger rail, place names, placemaking, planning, rail, Railroads, recreation, rivers/watersheds, signs, Small business, sustainability, theaters, topography, tourism, Trade, trails, transportation, Travel, urban planning, Welcome | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Flint You Don’t Hear About

Posted on January 15, 2019 by

Flint, Michigan has had a tough couple of decades. If the auto plant closings and shutdowns weren’t enough, terrible decisions by the state legislature and officials under the Snyder administration put its residents in jeopardy. Those same residents will be … Continue reading →

Posted in cities, civics, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, geography, health, Health care, historic preservation, history, Housing, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, pollution, poverty, racism, revitalization, Statistics, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

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

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

Unofficial Guide to Hipsterhoods of the Iberian Peninsula

Posted on July 26, 2018 by

The following is a list of current hipster hoods and/or streets identified in cities across the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain). If there are any neighborhoods that were missed in these or other cities, please let us know and they … Continue reading →

Posted in cities, Cuisine, culture, diversity, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, Europe, fun, gentrification, geography, history, humanity, inclusiveness, placemaking, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hot Dog Stands and Shops With Clever Names

Posted on July 18, 2018 by

To celebrate National Hot Dog Day on Wednesday, July 18th, I thought I’d list the best names for hot dog stands and shops from across the country. Coney Islands are also included in this list. Please feel free to submit … Continue reading →

Posted in branding, business, cities, Cuisine, culture, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, Food, food systems, food trucks, fun, geography, land use, placemaking, planning, third places, tourism, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Dollar Stores Are Gutting Small Town Retailers

Posted on July 12, 2018 by

Drive through many small towns across America these days and you are almost sure to see a dollar store of one brand or other (or multiple stores) at the edge of town along the main drag or on the bypass. … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, business, cities, commerce, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, product design, shopping, sprawl, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments