Category Archives: Food

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

After Hours at Detroit’s Eastern Market

Posted on November 3, 2018 by

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, Cars, Cities, commerce, downtown, entertainment, Food, food systems, fun, historic preservation, history, land use, pictures, placemaking, planning, revitalization, shopping, spatial design, Travel, urban planning | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

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

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

Sweet and Clever Donut Shop Names

Posted on July 4, 2018 by

Here’s some sweet fun for Independence Day. Below is a list of iconic, as well as newer doughnut/donut chains across America, including their hometown and the year they were founded (if known). Those doughnut/donut chains shown in bold are our … Continue reading →

Posted in branding, business, Cuisine, demographics, economic gardening, Food, fun, geography | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

WATCH mUSkeGOn!

Posted on May 29, 2018 by

Got to admit that it has been quite a few years since I last visited Muskegon, Michigan. Even though it is my mother’s birthplace, I can only think of two or three trips to the city (not passing by on … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, cities, Cuisine, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, environment, Food, historic preservation, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, recreation, revitalization, skylines, spatial design, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Tally of Food Truck Courts, Lots, Parks, and Pods 

Posted on May 21, 2018 by

Here’s my working tally of permanent or semi-permanent (seasonal) food truck courts, lots, parks, and pods that are open to the public on most, if not all, days of the week. The list does NOT include temporary rodeos, events, festivals, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Cuisine, culture, diversity, economic development, economic gardening, Food, food systems, food trucks, fun, geography, inclusiveness, land use, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, Small business, spatial design, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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