Category Archives: Urban Planning

Hitting Pedestrians Wasn’t Always an ‘Accident’: How Crossing the Street Became a Crime

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

One of the things that makes many,though not all, cities work is that they’re geared towards pedestrians. Unfortunately, our traffic laws along with our attitudes towards automobile-pedestrian collisions haven’t caught up to this reality. Actually, it’s more accurate to say … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Transportation, Urban Planning | Leave a comment

D.C.’s Housing Crisis Isn’t Due to the Absence of Skyscrapers

Posted on May 2, 2012 by

Recently, a Washington Post op-ed argued that D.C. should alter the building height limitation: And while certainly many factors affect the cost of housing in the city (such as demand, crime rates, school quality and proximity to public transportation), it … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boston, Urban Planning | 1 Comment

Cities Haven’t Figured Out How to Accomodate the Upper-Middle Class (Yet?)

Posted on March 17, 2012 by

I recently discussed yet another person who makes more than most of us would ever think imaginable and who, nonetheless, believes he is in dire straits. What’s interesting is that, based on my anecdotal perusal of these complaints, they seem … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Urban Planning

The Vanishing of Boston’s West End

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

Well, it’s still there, it’s just ass ugly. In 1959, the West End of Boston, which had been declared a slum, was revitalized. Here’s what it looked like in 1958: (from the West End Museum, Boston) Here, it is, all … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boston, Museums etc., Urban Planning | 1 Comment

How to Get High Urban Density Without Lots of Skyscrapers

Posted on January 21, 2012 by

I’ve argued before that we can’t be serious about combating global warming until we recognize that population density is key–the key–to reducing energy use. Don’t worry: as Atrios likes to joke, I’m not trying to turn your suburb into mid-town … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, Urban Planning | 5 Comments

Another Day in a Floating Libertarian Paradise

Posted on August 20, 2011 by

Sounds mostly like a tax dodge.
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Posted in Civil Liberties, The Rule of Law, Urban Planning | 32 Comments

Removing Urban Highways: Thank the Big Dig

Posted on April 17, 2011 by

Boston’s Big Dig, which I would argue is the singular example of urban renewal through highway removal, appears to have disappeared down the memory hole.
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Posted in Boston, Massachusetts, Transportation, Urban Planning | 9 Comments

Some Thoughts About the WWF Energy Study, Nuclear Power, and Urbanization

Posted on March 22, 2011 by

We need a strong dose of realism here: until we confront how deurbanization has contributed to our energy needs, we won’t substantially tackle the global warming problem.
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Posted in Energy, Environment, Housing, Nukular Stuff, Urban Planning | 3 Comments

Urban Vertical Farming: Maybe in Detroit?

Posted on June 24, 2010 by

Is this totally crazy, or could this be a partial solution towards revitalizing some of our down-on-their-luck urban areas?
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Posted in Agriculture, Urban Planning | 12 Comments

An Island in the Middle of the Charles River?

Posted on May 24, 2010 by

Don’t worry, I’m not describing Boston Mayor Menino’s latest harebrained scheme.
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Posted in Architecture, Boston, Urban Planning | 6 Comments