News & commentary on sustainability, activism, urban planning, politics, and our world.
Oprah recently featured San Luis Obispo, “America’s Happiest Town” (if the video above doesn’t work for you, that’s the link to it). Jenny McCarthy actually does the leg work for this video story. Highlighted features of the city are that it shut down its main street 40 years ago — “experts say if your town [...]
One of my new favorite things is Portlandia, a six part comedy series on IFC that lovingly skewers the fictional inhabitants of Portland Oregon. The original skits mock everything from self-righteous vegans, bicyclists and crazed militant feminists, to entitled clueless rich white people and even our culture’s preconceptions about gender roles. Portland Oregon is a [...]
Many of the things we need to do to make cities better for children would also make them better for everyone. But many city planners and others who listen to the complaints of mothers often seem more interesting in saying that mothers shouldn’t expect so much and don’t even see the point that a city [...]
How can the city government make you happier? Perhaps by planting more trees. Perhaps by creating more parks and bike paths. Perhaps by broadcasting bird songs.. this is what one city might start doing with that specific goal in mind. It will be done on a main drag in Lancaster (California), Lancaster Boulevard. Scientific studies [...]
You probably have no idea what I’m talking about at this point. The term “access” in city planning refers to a person’s ability to get somewhere or something. Makes sense, right. And it’s what city planners are focused on, isn’t it? Not exactly. A lot of planning is focused on “mobility,” a car’s ability to [...]
