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…