downtowns
« Previous EntriesUrban families after the great reset
Friday, May 29th, 2009As energy becomes expensive and major cities increase their status as economic drivers, families who live in them will inhabit smaller spaces than many do today. Some are already there, and from their lifestyles we can glimpse into the future.
Melanie, her husband and two children live in their 950 square foot condominium in Vancouver’s Yaletown […]
Special civic advocates for walking? cycling?
Sunday, May 10th, 2009Cities need to offer residents and businesses a variety of transportation options to maximize livability. Only facilitating automobile travel makes for a polluted, congested, and concrete-freeway-based environment. Only facilitating bikes or walking in 21st century life and you hamper citizens’ ability to go any distance or carry very much while doing it. As recently […]
Condo units in the downturn: vertical sprawl
Sunday, March 1st, 2009Well located, condominium units in Vancouver’s uber-chic Yaletown have become as challenging to sell these days as a generic single family home in the suburbs. As the residential real estate market has softened, it has hit some homes harder than others.
The economic principle of “scarcity” has been evident. Where there is “geographic constraint” or a […]
Creative destruction from Wal-mart’s arrival
Sunday, November 16th, 2008Long-time readers of this blog will know that while I’m personally not a fan of Wal-Mart, nor ever shop there, I do support their right to exist. If they provide what consumers want, it seems somewhat futile to try to stop them.
But here’s some new research from the University of Alberta: Wal-Mart can bring about […]
Two lessons from a massive CBD power outage
Monday, July 21st, 2008Last week in downtown Vancouver a main electrical cable underground caught fire. At approximately 10 AM, Monday morning, half of the CBD lost power including the building where I work. BC Hydro could not fully restore the power for several days, although some buildings were back on the grid within about 6 hours.
In perspective, this […]
Costing out urban vs suburban living
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008A few years ago when a real estate marketing company was promoting a downtown Vancouver condo project, they argued that a couple who could forgo automobile ownership would save the equivalent per year in expenses that would allow for an additional $100,000 worth of a mortgage. That is, skip auto ownership and you could […]
Downtown living as the new frontier
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Following up on my last post, here’s a new perspective on downtown living — it’s the “new frontier.”
In the late 20th century, many downtowns became somewhat lawless states of nature. Homelessness, crime, gangs and / or other urban ills often prevailed. But rents were cheap.
The first group in — the artsy, alternative, bohemian and sometimes […]
San Diego - city or sprawling cool beach towns
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008Christmas Day on Pacific Beach in San Diego was warm. Surfers caught waves; children splashed in the ocean; families had their annual portraits taken. A few beach stalls, coffee bars, and stores were open and we enjoyed a beer or two (legally!) on the sand at sunset. That was our first day in San […]
New suburban dream
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007It’s the New Year, coming up and a time to think ahead, so here are my thoughts on Suburbs!
The suburbs, for the most part, are toast. They have three possible outcomes in the twenty-first century: as slums, salvage yards, or ruins.
- Howard Kunstler in the Freakonomics Quorum on Cities
I actually disagree with this statement. […]
Density, family business and “mompreneurs”
Monday, December 17th, 2007In the dense neighborhoods and suburbs of Mexico City (such as Ciudad Neza or Coacalcos) I’ve often been intrigued by the variety of home based businesses that families — often the mother — operate. Some make paletas — ice creams and popsicles — to sell on the street or from a door […]
« Previous Entries