revitalization
« Previous EntriesStealth density vs high rise density
Thursday, June 10th, 2010Living in walkable, urban neighbourhoods is becoming trendy. And communities are defined as “walkable” when virtually everything you could need from groceries to clothes to plumbing supplies can be acquired on foot.
But to support those businesses, you need a dependable large supply of consumers. Walkable places therefore tend to have higher housing density than less-walkable […]
A whale in the city:unexpected eco-consequence
Thursday, May 20th, 2010A few weeks ago a grey whale swam into Vancouver’s narrow, False Creek inlet. It swam, fed off bottom dwelling critters, and generally delighted hundreds of spectators who came to watch it swim past the new Olympic Village and over to the condo community of Yaletown.
In my childhood, this was a dirty, aging heavy industrial […]
Value of (old fashioned) home ownership
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010In his Great Reset press tour, Richard Florida has been challenging people to think hard about the role of home ownership, especially in the US but also in some struggling Canadian cities. He is correct to point out the tragedy of the problem–people who have no equity in their homes and cannot sell them also […]
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 […]
Will economic patriotism improve cities
Friday, April 24th, 2009In the United States there is notable talk about how people should be buying American, with some trying to have this enshrined in official policy. Economix this week pondered whether this economic patriotism was uniquely American (I doubt it).
Meanwhile, Richard Florida comments on a “home base” effect that certain brands have. Starbucks peforms best in […]
Is infrastructure spending the answer?
Monday, January 19th, 2009Many North American cities face crumbling infrastructure along with a need to offer residents new mass transit options. During the current economic slow down, the conventional wisdom seems to be that investing in infrastructure is a win - win, offering short term employment and long term needs.
But, what if many of the people needed to […]
From factories to bedrooms and boardrooms
Monday, September 1st, 2008Some North American cities are experiencing strong demand for office, residential and retail space, particularly in the core areas of the metropolis. Meanwhile manufacturing has declined, leaving some former factory buildings under utilized.
A result is that city governments are allowing these spaces to be converted or redeveloped into other uses.
New YorkCity is one such place. […]
Back to the future
Sunday, August 10th, 2008In the Philadelphia area (link via Planetizen), city officials representing older neighbourhoods and inner ring, older suburbs are now working together to promote these communities as great alternatives to far flung, distant suburbs:
They are places that have been long suffering as homebuyers the past few decades have opted for more spacious homes on large lots […]
From Suburb to Satellite City
Thursday, August 7th, 2008Writing in the Globe and Mail, John Bently Mays insists that some suburbs are thriving:
If pundits are going to discuss the future of North American suburbs — and this is surely an excellent time to do so — then they should have in mind a clear picture of the very dynamic phenomenon they are […]
Rise of cities, decline of national park visitation
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 Fewer people are visiting America’s national parks, reports the Economist. Instead, the Economist believes more tourists are visiting cities, which have become cool.
This leads to the question of the relationship (if any) between urban revitalization and lower national park patronage.
Indeed, there seems to be a correlation between the cleaning up of cities […]