David Brooks had a column in the New York Times today entitled I Dream of Denver. I found it interesting because he was citing the results of a recent Pew Research Center survey that seems to reinforce our desire for suburban living, and that it is still a strong part of the American Dream. He also infers that all planners love Amsterdam and think American cities should become just like that. Let me just say this first. The center of Amsterdam (to which Mr. Brooks is really referring) is a unique place. And the definition of unique like no other.…
I read the news today oh boy…. Between the daily news and the real estate industry news, it is hard to avoid being “over-stimulused.” Will the stimulus be enough? It seems most agree it will not. But we can sure argue about it. My began on a flight home from riding the new light rail system in Phoenix, and continued on Minnesota Public Radio this very morning – the stilted argument over federal stimulus for transportation and whether roads and/or transit are “subsidized.” Where are our precious tax dollars best spent? Of course they are all subsidized. Rail, roads, transit,…
As part of an upcoming article, I ventured out to Phoenix/Tempe to see a demonstration of the Decision Theater at Arizona State University. The Decision Theater is a high-tech space where images can be projected on screens encompassing three of four walls in the room. It is a planner’s dream – being surrounded on three sides by plans projected on three full walls – mmmmm, plans. With technology like the Decision Theater, it is possible for a group of people to compare different development plans, see them from above, obliquely, or actually navigate down streets or sidewalks, in between buildings,…
Dateline Phoenix…. Light rail isn’t the first thing that comes to mind in this sprawling city in the desert, with its vistas of distant mountains simmering in the heat. But when service began in late December, it seems the people of Phoenix have indeed jumped at the chance to jump on board the shiny new silver trains. In the words of Bob the Builder – “Can we ride it?” “Yes we can!” When I found out I had a meeting at Arizona State University in Tempe, it came to my attention that light rail had just opened and that it…
When I visited Atlanta on a rainy day last month after the Obama election, I had no idea I’d be visiting the Sweet Auburn district of the city. I was just up the street from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor. He was born in Atlanta. I didn’t expect to be at the center of black history at the very moment when that history was being rewritten. It was quite humbling. Sweet Auburn is in the shadow of downtown Atlanta. Auburn Avenue, the main commercial street running through Sweet Auburn, was once considered the richest African…
Let me tell you about my favorite NIMBY story. Exactly where it happened and who was involved matters not here, as this story offers many lessons. And by “favorite,” I don’t mean to imply that I like the ending, rather I do wish it turned out different for all involved. As most of you know, NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard, and refers to those opposed to a proposed development. It is typically a new real estate development, and the NIMBYs are typically nearby residents who don’t like the height of the proposed building or some element (real…
What do St. Louis, Atlanta and Minneapolis have in common? In all three cities, one can take the train from the airport directly to the downtown. What do Newark, Baltimore and Milwaukee have in common? You can fly in to their airport, and take a train to other cities. Continental Airlines offers a codeshare service by rail from Newark to New Haven, Stamford, Philadelphia and Wilmington. Milwaukee is effectively a third Chicago airport. If you are in the Loop, it is 35 minutes to Midway on the Orange line, an hour (often more) to O’Hare on the Blue line, and…
In late October I flew in to Miami for the fall meeting of the Urban Land Institute. I was there for four days, and rather than stay in a hotel, I chose to rent a condo in Miami Beach, about one mile from the convention center. I always try to better get to know a city when I travel, and staying in a condo nestled in a neighborhood is a great start. I scouted the condo carefully, using www.vrbo.com, a vacation rentals website, Walkscore, and checking out transit options. I needed to have a nice place to sleep, have a…
One of the highlights of my summer was a helicopter tour of the CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Elwood, Illinois. Covering 2,500 acres, CIC-Elwood, as is it called, is one of the largest integrated logistics centers in the country. It includes an intermodal terminal for the transfer of containers from train to truck, and 8 million square feet of distribution warehouses. You can read more about it at the ULI Case Studies website, but you’ll need a subscription to do so. It was a gorgeous June morning. I met representatives from CenterPoint Properties at their Oak Brook offices in suburban Chicago.…
A friend in Australia sent me a link to a great urban project in Seoul, South Korea. In 2005 the Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul was restored as a natural and public amenity. The river had previously been tunneled with an elevated freeway built on top of it, but in a move that would make John Norquist proud, the mayor of Seoul championed an effort to restore the river and create a wonderful urban gathering place. Click here to see for yourself on Picasaweb. The photos were taken by a friend of mine, Suzanne Burrows, who curretnly lives in Seoul. Remember…
