Increasing calls for regionalism by Brookings and others seems smart on its face.  But the experience with regionalism in a lot of parts of the country does not exactly produce the outcome advocates of regionalism are seeking.  I was reminded of this last week when I traveled to New… more

Greg Hinz, over at Crain's Chicago, produced a terrific column on the impact of having our first urban president in too many years.

But in it he also made some interesting observations about the ways city life is different and how it is changing:

"City folks are, well, different.… more

Here are some overdue photos from the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg.  The photos don't do justice to the magnificence of the building but I am posting anyway throughout the week.  This one is of the doors to the court where the nation's constitution is carved in relief.

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Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told the NYT that Starbucks is "more relevant to our customers than ever before...arguing that his cafes can be a refuge from the economic storm."  Schultz said, "We are not selling a commodity cup of coffee.  We have created a  unique experience."  But the company… more

In the past week, I've been in South Africa and Canada, as well as the U.S., speaking and exchanging ideas with leaders.  It occurred to me that in all three nations, there is a romanticized notion of the role rural areas still play in their success. 

In the U.S., we've… more

The front page of yesterday's recently redesigned Chicago Tribune had no news stories -- just huge headlines and big graphics.  It's the first time I've seen that happen on the front page of a daily newspaper.  Faced with declining readership of the print product, daily newspapers are trying all… more

Did anyone else notice?  Good for Colin Powell.  See it here.

Also, Powell comes out strongly -- strongly -- for religious freedom by telling a very poignant story of an American soldier who died in service who was also a Muslim. 

If we can't get along across faiths,… more

In preparation for the World Cup in 2010, Johannesburg is building its first metro line that will run approximately 60 km (with stops to include the airport).  In the central city, the line is underground, again.  The city is also building bus rapid transit in the city center, based on… more

Just heard on CNN Worldwide that Shanghai is trying to make the wait for its metro more entertaining.  On one line with 12 minute headways, Shanghai has installed a system to lend magazines to waiting riders.  Problem is, only 10 days into the program, riders haven't quite figured out how… more

Austin's plans to participate in Thrill the World got a boost when Mayor Will Wynn showed his own Michael Jackson moves. What a trouper.

Take a look at Pittsburgh's Citiwiki that invites citizens to offer their own ideas to develop an intelligent, easy-to-use transportation system that works for people of every stripe?

The goal of the Wiki is to harness the considerable intellectual firepower of the Pittsburgh region's thoughtful citizenry to help transform… more

This morning I flew through Chicago's O'Hare airport on my way from Portland, Maine to San Jose, California.  My chances of seeing anyone I know in one of the world's busiest airports are next to none.  But the surroundings are familiar, and some of the service people are familiar.  And… more

Alinea chef and impresario Grant Achatz demonstrated last night at Wired's NextFest why he, and not just his food, is so special.  He peppered a seemingly casual cooking demonstration and tasting with stories of how he evolved his one-taste preparations onto specially-made, sculptural serving utensils that hold heat, cold… more

Ohio has announced a new economic development strategy that includes 33 new efforts designed to create jobs, improve productivity through innovation and grow the income of all Ohioans.

The two programs with high priority are called Ohio Means Home and Ohio Hubs of Innovation and Opportunity.

Ohio Means Home… more

Cisco is promoting a concept called "Connected Urban Development" in partnership with cities to cut traffic congestion and reduce C02 by deploying innovative connected network solutions.  The program initially involved three pilot cities: San Francisco, Amsterdam and Seoul. According to the Financial Times, "these were selected because each… more

A new survey by the Pew Research Center finds that "One of the major impacts of the internet and cell phones is that they have enabled more people to do work at least occasionally from home. Some 45% of employed Americans report doing at least some work from home… more

I was in Seattle this week to open the Design for Livability forum. One of its sponsors was the Cascade Land Conservancy, Washington’s largest independent land conservation and stewardship organization.  What makes CLC so exciting is that it connects preservation of natural… more

The homeless of Seattle (and a lot more of their "adovcates") were moved from their high profile pink tent camp today.  The arrests were without fanfare, although its organizers complain that their property is "presumably destroyed" and that the city should have been willing to provide land for… more

Channeling Atlantic Monthly's Megan McArdle, Wendy Waters asks the provocative question, is Congress bailing out surburbia with its plan? 

Just checking out some terrific reports from the great Mark Stern and Susan Seifert who lead Social Impact of the Arts Project, a research center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice.

The intersection of art and nature will be the subject of what looks to be a very cool conference in Reno, Nevada, October 2-4. I love this invitation:

Global interest in the intersections of nature and culture has broadened in recent years. In this expanding field, contemporary… more

Good for Detroit's suburban mayors.  They are launching an experimental venture called Millennial Mayors Congress, in which mayors and emerging civic leaders will collaboratively develop action-oriented solutions to regional challenges.  If it works, promoters believe it could break some serious SE Michigan barriers: increasing the access that young(ish) people have… more

That's the theme of the 2008 International Urban Parks Conference that begins today in Pittsburgh. I'll be speaking briefly on a panel tomorrow with Trust for Public Land President Will Rogers, New York's Director of the Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability Rohit Aggarwala and Brookings VP and… more

Karrie Jacobs, who writes for Metropolis, has a great photo on her blog with this caption:  In front of the WWII Memorial in downtown Brooklyn, city dwellers play with their children just like suburbanites and exurbanites. Those of us who live in cities are authentic Americans, too.

I can… more

News of two new high speed rail projects just landed in my Inbox from Midwest High Speed Rail Association.

Air France-KLM confirms high speed rail discussions

FRANCE: Speaking at the opening of Terminal 2G at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport on September 9, Air France-KLM President Jean-Cyril Spinetta confirmed that the airline… more

Is one more Lowe's worth it?  Miami-Dade commissioners have overridden a veto by Mayor Carlos Alvarez of their decision to ignore the urban development boundary and approve a Lowe's beyond the buffer that stands between developed Dade County and the Everglades.  Now the state has entered the fray,… more

I spoke with Richard Florida a couple of weeks ago about his books and his ideas.  A few excerpts:

"From a public policy point of view, we had better figure out how we're going to cope with an increasingly unequal world -- the rising gap between rich and poor,… more

For telecommuters, working at home is isolating, and Starbucks isn't cutting it for doing real business.  "Sometimes that's great, but if you're on a business call and the cappuccino machine goes off in the background, it can be a distraction," says Jeff Kubarych, a co-founder of Soundview Coworking.  There are many business… more

Much has been written about regionalism and our "metro nation" lately.  But there is little evidence that local governments, even within a metro area, can cooperate on the big issues.  One organization stands in stark contrast to business as usual -- the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus of Chicagoland.

I was reminded… more

As I was headed to meet the Innovation team at the City of Chicago today at lunch, I encountered one of those wonderful urban delights.  On Daley Plaza with the Picasso as background, a deejay was spinning smooth sounds for a group of spontaneous dancers surrounded by hundreds of surprised… more

California is nearing adoption of a law to encourage housing close to job sites, rail lines and bus stops to shorten the time people spend in their cars.  And, surprise!  The homebuilders are on board.  The measure, which has passed the State Assembly and awaits Senate approval, would be the… more

Yesterday I made a quick trip to Denver to visit with mayors there for the Democratic National Convention.  I took a very early flight (The CTA is always interesting at 4 a.m., filled with workers headed to O'Hare.), so I had plenty of time to look around a city I… more

A photo in the Thursday edition of The Chicago Tribune caught my eye.  The character Mr. Monopoly was standing on a large version of the game board for Monopoly Here & Now:  The World Edition.  Cities visible in the photo include New York, Sydney, London, Beijing, Vancouver, Shanghai and Hong… more

"Over the… more

A new study to appear in the September issue of The American Journal for Preventive Medicine finds that people who live in older neighborhoods appear less likely to be overweight.  The key?  Walkability.  Older communities encourage people to drive less and walk more because they tend to have better sidewalks,… more

The New York Times called it "Night Life Reprogrammed."  It's today's story on how young, tech-savvy New Yorkers are getting together at night under banners like "Ignite NYC" to show off their wonky skills, their best ideas and their best advice.  As one participant put it, "Instead of just… more

Here’s another example of some of the ideas we’ve been exploring with city leaders through our Remix and Creative Cities work.  This exemplifies ideas of connecting and tapping diverse knowledge as a starting point for individuals to contribute to community or public challenges. 

The Bank of… more

Too many urban leaders still operate under old assumptions when it comes to planning for their cities' futures. In her speech to the Tennssessee Municipal League, CEOs for Cities president and CEO Carol Coletta, discusses what leaders must pay attention to today and how they must respond to new realities… more