Category Archives: Travel

Chronology & Geography of Civil Rights Wade-in Protests

Posted on November 18, 2019 by

Though not as well known or as common as the lunch counter sit-ins that protested segregated dining, beach wade-ins were another peaceful tactic used to demonstrate the rampant amount of bigotry and racism that existing during the Jim Crow era … Continue reading →

Posted in cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, geography, historic preservation, history, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, injustice, racism, social equity, tourism, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Chicago’s Northside Neighborhoods

Posted on October 23, 2019 by

  Below is my list of top ten planning lessons garnered from visits to nearly all of Northside Chicago neighborhoods over the past few years, especially those located to the north and east of I-90/94 (The Kennedy Expressway). Even with … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, architecture, art, bicycling, bike sharing, Biking, branding, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Cuisine, culture, demographics, density, diversity, entertainment, entrepreneurship, gentrification, geography, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, Maps, new urbanism, place names, placemaking, planning, Railroads, shopping, skylines, spatial design, third places, tourism, traffic, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Some Like It Hot” – Cities/towns built around natural hot springs

Posted on October 8, 2019 by

  The cities and towns listed below from around the globe are located amidst, around, or near natural hot springs. As a result, many of them have become centers for health spas, retreats, and environmental tourism. Unlike their rural counterparts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative energy, Canada, cities, civics, commerce, culture, economic development, energy, entertainment, environment, geography, Geology, health, Health care, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Mexico, nature, place names, planning, pollution, recreation, spatial design, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Ten Planning Lessons from Ancient Pueblos & Cliff Dwellings

Posted on October 3, 2019 by

After visiting numerous pueblos, cliff dwellings, and ancient ruins in the Southwestern United States, it is clear to this retired urban planner that the Native Americans were the first great community planners in North America. The sites visited thus far … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, architecture, cities, culture, density, environment, geography, Geology, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Native Americans, nature, placemaking, planning, spatial design, sustainability, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Proposed City Theme Songs

Posted on September 24, 2019 by

  The following are my choices for the song(s) that should be used as the theme song or anthem for the selected cities listed below. Some are familiar, some historic, some new, some inspirational, some witty, and some are even … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, branding, Canada, cities, civics, commerce, Communications, culture, entertainment, fun, geography, government, history, marketing, music, place names, placemaking, satire, songs, Travel, Welcome, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Ten Planning Lessons from Albuquerque

Posted on September 18, 2019 by

We have been enjoying an awesome trip to New Mexico. This post about Albuquerque is the first of several that will be written about the state, is residents, and its communities. Paz! The preservation and protection of the original 1706 … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, air travel, airport planning, airports, Alternative transportation, architecture, aviation, bicycling, bike sharing, Biking, Bus transportation, cities, civics, colleges, commerce, Cuisine, culture, density, diversity, downtown, economic development, entertainment, fun, geography, hiking, historic preservation, history, Housing, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, Passenger rail, placemaking, planning, rail, Railroads, spatial design, sprawl, third places, tourism, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Temples of Jazz – The Theatres

Posted on September 11, 2019 by

  This is the second blogpost of our series on the Temples of Jazz. The initial post was dedicated to the ballrooms and dance halls. This one will cover those theatres(ers) where jazz musicians performed during the Jazz Age, while … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cities, Communications, culture, diversity, economic development, entertainment, geography, historic preservation, history, inclusiveness, music, placemaking, Radio, songs, theaters, tourism, Travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Orlando/Winter Park

Posted on September 3, 2019 by

In terms of diversity and inclusiveness, the Orlando region of today is much improved compared to the Orlando of 50 years ago. Unlike much of the Orlando area, Winter Park has successfully maintained/employed new urbanism, walkability, and traffic calming techniques … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, air travel, airport planning, airports, Alternative transportation, architecture, art, Cars, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, commerce, culture, downtown, economic development, entertainment, geography, government, historic preservation, history, human rights, inclusiveness, land use, Maps, new urbanism, pictures, placemaking, planning, skylines, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, third places, tourism, traffic, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, weather | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Traverse City

Posted on August 25, 2019 by

Now that we have lived in Traverse City for almost four years, it is time to list the ten top planning lessons learned from our hometown. Sometimes, evaluation of the places closest to you are the toughest. Smaller cities and … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, air travel, branding, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Communications, culture, demographics, diversity, downtown, economic development, education, entertainment, environment, family, gay rights, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, homelessness, Housing, human rights, humanity, immigration, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, politics, poverty, racism, Sexism, social equity, spatial design, sustainability, third places, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban planning, volunteerism, Welcome | 6 Comments

Geography of the Jazz Age in North America

Posted on August 5, 2019 by

The Jazz Age represented the musical form’s peak period of popularity between 1920 and 1960. While New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago, and New York were and remain the preeminent epicenters of jazz, in many other cities across the country, vibrant … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cities, Communications, culture, diversity, economic development, entertainment, gentrification, geography, government, historic preservation, history, inclusiveness, land use, Maps, music, music reviews, North America, placemaking, planning, politics, racism, Radio, social equity, songs, theaters, third places, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment