Category Archives: industry

Ten favorite and least favorite state capital cities

Provided below are lists of favorite and least favorite state capital cities across the country. These are based on impressions obtained from visiting and in some cases, living in those cities (Indianapolis, Columbus, and Lansing). The list is not based … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art, branding, business, cities, civics, civility, colleges, commerce, culture, demographics, diversity, downtown, economic development, Economy, education, entertainment, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, industry, infrastructure, land use, marketing, mountains, natural history, new urbanism, place names, placemaking, planning, politics, pollution, racism, recreation, revitalization, rivers/watersheds, schools, skylines, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, States, sustainability, third places, topography, toponymy, tourism, Trade, traffic, transportation, Travel, urban design, urban planning, visual pollution | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Living amid an “Ecology of Fear”

I recently read Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster by the late Mike Davis. It is an intriguing book that switches from whimsical to dark and foreboding at the turn of a page. In fact, the … Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Africa, Animals, archaeology, art, Asia, book reviews, books, branding, business, Canada, Cars, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, climate, climate change, commerce, Communications, culture, demographics, density, diversity, economic development, economics, ecosystems, education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, environment, film, fun, futurism, geography, Geology, government, Guns, Handguns, health, highways, hiking, historic preservation, history, homelessness, Housing, human rights, humanity, immigration, inclusiveness, India, industry, infrastructure, injustice, land use, Latin America, literature, marketing, money, movies, music, natural history, nature, opinion, planning, politics, pollution, poverty, psychology, racism, reading, Religion, revitalization, schools, Science, Science fiction, Sexism, Small business, social equity, Social media, spatial design, Statistics, sustainability, technology, Television, theaters, topography, tourism, Trade, traffic, transportation, Travel, unemployment, urban design, urban planning, visual pollution, weather, Wilderness, Wildlife, Women, writing, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Geography of film and TV production hubs in the USA/Canada

The list below identifies the top movie and television production locations in the United States and Canada based on the number of filming sound stages in the market. The numbers provided include those sound stages that are currently in operation, … Continue reading

Posted in art, business, cities, commerce, Communications, culture, digital communications, economic development, entertainment, entrepreneurship, film, fun, geography, history, industry, infrastructure, land use, Maps, marketing, movies, pictures, placemaking, planning, spatial design, Statistics, technology, Television, theaters, tourism, Trade, Travel, urban planning, video, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Three superb and fresh reads about Los Angeles

“These three books will certainly introduce readers to the width and breadth of mighty Los Angeles. If that entity, however you define it, resists a simple explanation, then so be it. For that may be one of the LA’s most endearing and enduring qualities.” Continue reading

Posted in art, book reviews, books, business, Cars, cities, culture, diversity, downtown, economics, entertainment, environment, fun, geography, government, Highway displacement, highways, hiking, historic preservation, history, homelessness, Housing, humanity, immigration, inclusiveness, industry, infrastructure, injustice, land use, literature, mountains, movies, Music, natural history, nature, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, pollution, racism, rail, recreation, Renewable Energy, revitalization, skylines, social equity, songs, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, sustainability, technology, Television, third places, topography, tourism, Trade, traffic, trails, transit, transportation, Travel, trucking, urban design, urban planning, walking, weather, Wildlife, writing, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten planning lessons from LA’s South Bay beach cities

We had the pleasure of visiting the three South Bay beach cities of Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Hermosa Beach over the Christmas holiday weekend. Below are ten planning lessons learned from these charming and beautiful communities. Peace! Esplanade nearest … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Alternative energy, Alternative transportation, architecture, bicycling, Biking, branding, business, cities, civics, climate, climate change, commerce, culture, demographics, density, economic development, Economy, ecosystems, electric vehicles, entertainment, environment, fun, geography, health, hiking, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, industry, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, nature, pictures, placemaking, planning, pollution, recreation, Renewable Energy, revitalization, spatial design, Statistics, sustainability, third places, topography, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, urban design, urban planning, visual pollution, walking, water, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

North America’s busiest RO/RO motor vehicle seaports

Enormous Brunswick, Georgia RO/RO Terminal – Source: lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com RO/RO seaports are those that service ships that import and export motor vehicles including cars, trucks, construction equipment, farm equipment, and even boats; they literally roll-on and roll-off (RO/RO). Almost sounds like … Continue reading

Posted in Canada, Cars, cities, commerce, distribution, economic development, electric vehicles, engineering, EVs and hybrids, geography, industry, infrastructure, land use, logistics, Maps, Mexico, North America, planning, shipping, spatial design, Statistics, Trade, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Working list: North America’s largest rail yards

Trains moving in the UP Bailey Yard – photo by author June 2021 Below is a working list of the largest active rail yard facilities in North America comprising 200 acres or more in acreage. Included are classification yards, rail … Continue reading

Posted in business, cities, commerce, distribution, economic development, engineering, geography, history, industry, infrastructure, land use, logistics, planning, rail, Railroads, shipping, spatial design, Statistics, Trade, traffic, transportation, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten planning lessons from mighty Los Angeles

Despite its detractors, every time I’m in Los Angeles, the city impresses me more. From the first time in 1970 to just recently, the changes are palpable, especially the move(s) away from being so car-centric and increased densification. Below, is … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, Alternative transportation, architecture, art, bicycling, branding, business, cities, civics, commerce, culture, density, distribution, downtown, economic development, Economy, entertainment, entrepreneurship, environment, fun, geography, Highway displacement, highways, historic preservation, history, humanity, immigration, industry, infrastructure, land use, logistics, Maps, mountains, movies, music, nature, Passenger rail, peace, pictures, placemaking, planning, pollution, rail, Railroads, recreation, skylines, skyscrapers, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, Television, topography, tourism, Trade, traffic, transit, transportation, Travel, trucking, urban design, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Twelve planning lessons from failing cities

There are likely many more planning-related lessons from failing cities that could have been added, but these are ones that initially came to mind. Any additions, suggestions, or corrections are welcome. Do NOT chase the latest fad project without doing … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, business, Cars, cities, civics, civility, commerce, culture, downtown, economic development, environment, fitness, food systems, geography, government, health, Health care, Highway displacement, highways, historic preservation, history, Housing, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, industry, infrastructure, land use, nature, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, politics, recreation, revitalization, Small business, spatial design, sustainability, third places, tourism, traffic, transportation, Travel, urban planning, visual pollution, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Applying facets of Vastu Shastra to address climate change

Vastu Shastra doctrine are ancient spiritual design priciples that can be described as follows: “Vastu is the art of living in harmony with the land, such that one derives the greatest benefits and prosperity from being in perfect equilibrium with … Continue reading

Posted in archaeology, architecture, art, Asia, Astronomy, cities, civics, climate change, commerce, culture, density, ecosystems, education, environment, geography, Geology, health, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, India, industry, infrastructure, land use, Maps, natural history, nature, planning, rivers/watersheds, Science, spatial design, sprawl, sustainability, topography, transportation, urban design, urban planning, writing, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment