Category Archives: government

The Beauty of the Contrasting-Chaotic City Form

Posted on October 3, 2018 by

As urban planners we have a tendency to emphasize the importance and efficiency of the traditional grid street pattern. Compared to the disconnected neighborhoods and subdivisions constructed over the past 75 years, the traditional street grid is far and away … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Cars, Cities, culture, density, downtown, Europe, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, Maps, North America, pictures, placemaking, planning, Portugal, spatial design, sprawl, topography, tourism, traffic, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 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

A Sad Place Where Mass Incarceration Thrives

Posted on June 14, 2018 by

While there are many famous prisons and penitentiaries in the United States including Leavenworth in Kansas, Sing-Sing in New York State, Alcatraz in California, and Huntsville in Texas, there is one county that contains so many prisons, it can rightfully … Continue reading →

Posted in cities, civics, Civil Rights, Economy, geography, government, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, land use, pictures, planning, politics, spatial design, States, Statistics | 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

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

Samples of Brutalist Architecture in Michigan

Posted on January 29, 2018 by

Posted in architecture, art, civics, Communications, futurism, geography, government, historic preservation, history, land use, planning, skylines, spatial design, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A physical Brexit with Iberian flair

Posted on July 4, 2017 by

Imagine, if you will, a place known as Iberia, a peninsula consisting of two great nations (Portugal and Spain). One day, for no apparent reason or cause, this geographic feature abruptly adopts a mind and a course of its own … Continue reading →

Posted in art, book reviews, books, entertainment, Europe, geography, Geology, globalization, government, history, humanity, literature, Maps, politics, topography, Travel, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

247 Smart cities and counting…

Posted on June 7, 2017 by

Above is a map of showing the 247 cities to date (as of 6/6/17) where the mayor has pledged their city will adhere to the Paris Climate Accord commitments on greenhouse gases. I am very proud to say our own … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, Alternative energy, branding, cities, climate change, culture, education, environment, geography, government, health, humanity, Maps, nature, planning, politics, pollution, Renewable Energy, States, sustainability, transportation, urban planning, weather | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

America’s most beautiful downtown – my vote is St. Augustine

Posted on May 15, 2017 by

I have had the great pleasure of visiting many communities across America ranging in size from hamlet to town to major city. This includes visits to parts of 49 states. Until this past week’s visit to St. Augustine, Florida I … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, Advocacy, architecture, art, bridges, cities, civics, civility, Cuisine, culture, diversity, downtown, geography, government, historic preservation, history, humanity, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, Maps, North America, pictures, placemaking, planning, skylines, spatial design, tourism, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment