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Entries from July 2008
Bank of Common Knowledge
July 31, 2008
Why We Like Cities
July 31, 2008
What would 8,500 people in 14 major cities on five continents say about the places they live? That’s what French-based Veolia Environnement set out to learn when they commissioned a first-of-its-kind survey that was released July 29.
Here’s what they learned:
People value cities for the things that… more
Solar Derby
July 31, 2008
There is always something going on at Daley Center Plaza, which is what makes it such a great place. Yesterday, as reported in this Chicago Sun Times article, 16 school kids finished a weeklong solar power study by racing the sun-powered vehicles they designed and… more
Drive Less...Pay Less
July 31, 2008
Bill Bishop on The Daily Show
July 30, 2008
Bill Bishop, who was a featured speaker at our National Meeting in Pittsburgh, was Jon Stewart's guest last night on The Daily Show. Check out the interview about Bill's book, "The Big Sort," below:
Putting America’s Best to Work
July 29, 2008
Roanoke, VA is putting America’s best designers to work for its city.
Through the Urban Effect 2008 Design Competition, designers are asked to “explore the city's potential by creating unique urban and architectural designs that enhance the best qualities of Roanoke and create positive impact on three… more
Case for Greening…Early
July 29, 2008
The current hype around the pollution challenges Beijing is facing in the lead up to the Olympics offers an interesting opportunity for a microcosm view of pollution management issues world-wide.
This Wall Street Journal article highlights the economic impacts of excessive pollution. “Two years ago, with the… more
Did the Clean Air Act Also Lower Crime Rates?
July 29, 2008
We just came upon this interesting New York Times piece from last October that reports on a plausible link between high levels of lead and crime. Because of a surge in the number of teenagers in the 1990s, people were predicting a spike in crime. But it never happened. … more
A Restaurant Without Food
July 29, 2008
Could the no-food restaurant be a new city amenity? It seems to be working in Tasmania where an old boathouse has been converted into a restaurant space that can be used by anyone who would like to bring in a group and cook their own meal. While this model… more
Rethinking Suburbs
July 29, 2008
USA Today cover story reporting today that far-flung suburbs are reacting to high gas prices with new plans for urban-like communities. Places like Marcopia, Arizona, outside of Phoenix, are attempting to transform themselves into destinations with walkable downtowns, mixed use development and places of employment. There is a nice… more
A New Bus for London
July 29, 2008
Here's an interesting example of open source design. London Mayor Boris Johnson is inviting ideas from everyone for a new bus for the city, based on the much-missed Routemaster. The competition has two categories: Fun ideas from everybody and Professional ideas based on actual plans for the Routemaster.
Recommending Ryan Avant
July 29, 2008
If you haven't discovered Ryan Avant's blog, you should. Here's a recent gem:
"The two big challenges for fighting poverty are: 1) reducing, as much as possible, geographic segregation of socioeconomic groups, and 2) the tendency to choose affordability over proximity among the poor, which significantly affects expected income.… more
I Love to Dance
July 29, 2008
I do. I love to dance, and I love to watch others dance. I unexpectedly got more than half a loaf today. Matt Harding was my guest on "Smart City." While Matt doesn't consider himself a "dancer," indeed, he dances with great joy and in hundreds of locations, all of… more
Meeting of the Minds
July 28, 2008
Diverse groups translate their knowledge into innovation better than homogenous groups. This makes it vital that cities find ways to enhance, map and tap into the diverse knowledge available to them to better their creative performance.
Identifying, encouraging, and accessing varied knowledge domains and talent pools as a way… more
Green Dividend in Reverse?
July 28, 2008
The Wall Street Journal reported today that Americans have reduced their VMT (vehicle miles traveled) by 40 billion in the last seven months, with high gas prices to blame. The article is framed as a crisis due to lost gas tax revenue and the resulting drop in funding for highway… more
What a Remarkable Gathering
July 28, 2008
Two days of dynamic dialogues took place amongst an amazing group of urban enthusiasts who gathered on Thursday and Friday in New Orleans for the first ever Urban Next Summit. Thought-provoking panels and dialogues around city challenges and opportunities.
A huge thank you to our panelists and participants for engaging… more
The Unraveling of the Suburbs
July 28, 2008
Business Week teams with Zillow.com to confirm what Joe Cortright concluded in "Driven to the Brink" several months ago for CEOs for Cities. "Annual price changes in most of the largest metro areas, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and… more
City Chickens
July 25, 2008
Ok, so maybe it's a stretch to think we'll all raise chickens on our roof decks (I know my management company wouldn't be too keen), but the Australian company Rentachook is pitching chickens as sustainable "pets" that will eat your kitchen scraps,… more
Don't Diss Starbucks
July 24, 2008
City Talent Ranking
July 23, 2008
As I prepare for the Urban Next Summit kicking off tomorrow in New Orleans, I can’t help but check out Forbes recent rankings of Best Cities for Young Professionals.
Looking at the 40 biggest metros in the U.S., Forbes bases its rankings on where the class of… more
Emissions Count for Bike-Sharing Program
July 22, 2008
An interesting progress check on Paris’ bike-sharing program can be found here. Although there are some positive carbon emissions savings, the Worldchanging article reminds us that it’s important not to define the value of such programs too narrowly or treat them as a ‘quick fix’.
While the bike-sharing… more
Climate Clock Countdown in San Jose
July 22, 2008
The Climate Clock initiative, a major public artwork planned for downtown San Jose, ticks steadily toward the next stage, with the final three artist-led teams announced next month. They will develop their proposals in conjunction with a residency at the more
More Evidence of Kids in Cities
July 21, 2008
Check out Time Out Kids New York for the places parents like to head out for a drink (and bring the kids with them). This is no short list either - there are 22 restaurants, bars and bistros described here. Whether or not you think kids ought to be… more
Power of the Porch
July 20, 2008
Nice little description of urban life as experienced from the porch in today's Chicago Tribune. I particularly like the idea of "polite separation" of public and private space. Outward facing parts of the home allowing people to interact (or not) with the surrounding city. I think I'll unplug my… more
Way To Go Pittsburgh!
July 18, 2008
Having just been to Pittsburgh for our Spring National Conference, I was pleased to see this cover story in USA Today's Life section, which calls for a re-boot of people's perception of The Steel City. This once one-industry town seems to suffer from a lagging image of its past,… more
DIY Stroller Trips
July 17, 2008
Big Talent Boost for Tennessee: Free College
July 17, 2008
Urban counties in Tennessee could get a major boost in talent if a plan to provide free college tuition to community colleges comes to fruition. The plan, backed by Shelby County (Memphis) Mayor and CEOs for Cities member A C Wharton and Knox County (Knoxville) Mayor Mike Ragsdale, would use… more
Ok, maybe a 30 story tomato farm is a little over the top, but the idea of vertical farming does pose some interesting questions for cities: Would they off-set related transit costs? Would they boost local economies? Could they be used to improve air and water quality in urban centers?… more
Where Our Cars Are Killing Us
July 15, 2008
We came upon this interesting city ranking in Men's Health:
Complete with an interactive map, the pub ranks cities overall and then individually on pollution, number of miles driven, amount of gas consumed and other measures. It's an intriguing list, but we have to question one of the rankings… more
A Bite-Size Thought
July 15, 2008
The Seattle Art Museum has these nifty bite-size tours to help patrons capture a meaningful trip without feeling overwhelmed. I love the way they are framed around ideas like "if you can't see everything, at least see this," or "check out these interesting personalities."… more
Taking Back The Streets
July 15, 2008
Mayor Bloomberg, in cooperation with three business improvement districts, is taking a bold step toward making New York City more pedestrian and bike friendly. The plan is to take a section of Broadway in Midtown and reduce traffic lanes from four to two, opening up space for bike lanes and… more
Is Urban Sprawl Over
July 14, 2008
Richard Florida insists that high gas prices are not the only thing driving the move back to cities. In today's Globe and Mail, Richard writes that we are moving toward a new geographic order -- what geographers call "the spatial fix."
"Suburbanization was the spatial fix… more
Pardon Us While We Reinvent
July 14, 2008
More on Portland
July 12, 2008
Joe Cortright, senior advisor to CEOs for Cities, took the day off yesterday to show me two extraordinary streets in his hometown of Portland -- Mississippi and Alberta. They are both reflections of Portland's entrepreneurs at work, curating their small retail collections, inventing new restaurant concepts, providing charming places to… more
City Love Story
July 11, 2008
I was out of the office last week because i was off in vegas getting married. It was a lot of fun, and I highly recommend the Vegas Wedding to everybody and anybody. Where else can you drive a vintage scooter down the aisle?
more
The Vibrancy of Seattle and Portland
July 10, 2008
I've spent the past two days in Seattle and Portland. I arrived late Tuesday night in Seattle. Approaching downtown by taxi, I was struck by the growing size of the city skyline. My hotel, Inn at the Market (which gets a big gold star for service and staff), is situated… more
Shrinking But Not Sinking
July 8, 2008
Shrinking doesn't have to mean sinking. Leaders in Youngstown, Ohio are taking a look around and realizing the forces causing them to shrink are not going away any time soon. So instead of resisting the inevitable, they are getting in phase with the times and making plans for a better… more
Living Well Is Best Business Investment
July 8, 2008
Loved this pull quote from Metropolis article on Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë: "Delanoë would rather spend money improving the urban experience than sweetening deals to attract business investment. He knows that living well is the most effective business investment."
One of the mayor's priorities has been to "blur the… more
Once You Panic, It Is Way Too Late
July 7, 2008
Oil prices are, indeed, causing panic. And as Lee Raymond, the former head of Exxon told The NY Times, "Once you panic, it is way too late." He characterizes our policy to date as a "no-action policy."
Nearly 70 percent of the 21 million barrels of oil Americans consume… more
The London Festival of Architecture
July 6, 2008
The London Festival of Architecture is underway through July 20. Check the web site for the hubs of activity and the festival's fresh themes. Find the official guide here. Very, very cool.
moreDaycare - The Story Never Changes
July 5, 2008
Regularly throughout my career a story re-emerges on the so-called "trend" of women with children leaving the workplace to raise their children full time. But when the numbers are examined closely, the story turns out to be false. Women with children continue to work, and that means they have to… more
What's at Stake with Regionalism
July 3, 2008
Here is the smartest analysis I've seen of "regionalism" and the way costs are divided over multiple municipalities, a city and a county. It's from our colleague and member, Tom Jones, in Memphis.
The Memphis City Council brought the issue of who pays for what to a head when… more
Vacancies in Suburb and City Alike
July 3, 2008
"This isn't just blight in the urban core; it's blight and abandonment in new suburban communities, and that's just never happened before." That's the way Joe Schilling, a leader in the National Vacant Properties Campaign and an urban affairs professor at Virginia Tech's Metropolitan Institute, characterized the new twist… more
Art. It's What's Inside
July 2, 2008
Take a look at one of my favorite art guys just made. Very cool, Andrew Taylor.
moreIn the Mood to Give Back
July 2, 2008
Even though the nation seems to be in a sour mood, people seem to be in a giving move. Two stories I've been carrying around from USA Today make a point.
One is headlined, "Boomers in the mood to give back to society." A new survey from civicventures.org shows millions… more
Any City Can Be Transformed
July 2, 2008
Jaime Lerner, former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, is a delightful maverick who insists that any city can be transformed. In an interview with CNN, Lerner insisted that "every city can improve its quality of life in less than three years, no matter the scale or the financial conditions. All you… more
Parents choosing cities
July 1, 2008
People who love the cities don't stop loving them when they become parents – they just have different needs. Not surprisingly one of the biggest is good schools. How do you make public schools better? Ask the parents! As detailed in a Chicago Tribune article, five years… more