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Thursday, June 30th

The Oily Bird Gives the Finger....
My wife called me from a traffic jam this afternoon to report a homemade sign she saw in the window of minivan. Printed out on a computer and neatly folded, it said:

The obvious reference is to France's refusal to support our invasion of Iraq.

Well, France didn't fight on our side in the Revolutionary War 250 years ago so we could bring King George III back from the grave in the New American Century, and their decision not to fight on our side in Iraq seems more and more reasonable all the time.

100,000 Iraqi dead, most of them noncombatants; nearly 1800 US soldiers dead; the Muslim world seething with anger against us; corrupt contractors building military bases all over a formerly sovereign country; erstwhile Rumsfeld buddy Saddam rubbing our noses in the arrogance we granted him in exchange for petrol back in the Reagan years; corrupt elections anointing the great and good friends of oil plutocrats at home and abroad....

And the minivans keep on crawling through our chaos of sprawl, blaming France for having a conscience!

Only in America, indeed....

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.30.05 @ 15:44PST

Leaving San Francisco
I'm not the only one who left San Francisco. According to a new Census report, 32,000 (Well, 31,999)others left between 2000 and 2004. Ninteteen thousand left Boston. Why? High cost of living.

Port St. Lucie, Fla., had the nation’s fastest growth rate among large cities (100,000 or more population) between July 1, 2003, and July 1, 2004, according to new estimates.

Located along the Atlantic coast between Cape Canaveral and West Palm Beach, and spring training home of the New York Mets, Port St. Lucie saw its population increase 12 percent during the period, to 118,396. It was joined on the list of the 10 fastest-growing cities by two others in the Sunshine State: Cape Coral (ranking fifth) and Miramar city (eighth).

California had four cities in the top 10: Elk Grove (second), Moreno Valley (sixth), Rancho Cucamonga (ninth) and Roseville (10th). Two cities in Arizona were in the top 10 — Gilbert (fourth) and Chandler (seventh) — and, relatively nearby, North Las Vegas, Nev., was third. Elk Grove, Miramar and Roseville each became eligible for this list for the first time, as all three cities passed the 100,000 population threshold between 2003 and 2004.

New York City continued to be the nation’s most populous city, with 8.1 million residents. This was more than twice the population of Los Angeles, which ranked second at 3.8 million. The estimates show that among the 10 largest cities, only one change has occurred in the rankings: San Jose, Calif., has replaced Detroit, as the nation’s 10th most populous city.

Phoenix had the largest population increase between 2003 and 2004, adding 29,826 people. Los Angeles; San Antonio; Las Vegas; and Fort Worth, Texas, rounded out the list of the five biggest numerical gainers.

Pittsburgh's population slipped to 322,450 as of July 1, 2004, down from 325,599 a year earlier, a decline of just over 3,000, or 1 percent, dropping it to 56 among the nation's largest cities.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.30.05 @ 05:17PST

Wednesday, June 29th

Britain's Sustainable Communities Initiative
Common Dreams. reports on a far-ranging and assertive British national initiative to support and guide the building of sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and mixed-income communities along the Thames and other places. The goal is not just environmental propriety but a return to human culture in a world that has all too often sacrificed both present and future to a delusory bottom line. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott talks "of 'sustainable' communities that don't just incorporate good environmental standards but assure a sense of place, low crime, transportation choices, citizen participation, economic development and 'life chances for all.' Such places, he argues, 'create superb buildings and open spaces — where people want to be together and feel real pride in their own community.'"

To read more, go to The Brits Can Teach Us, by Neal Peirce.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.29.05 @ 07:23PST

Monday, June 27th

Black Activists Condemn Supreme Court Attack on Property Rights; 'Abusive' Ruling Could Create Housing Crisis
A recent 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that allows local governments to seize private land for the benefit of businesses instead of strictly for public projects is condemned by the black leadership network Project 21. Combined with anti-growth home development restrictions, Project 21 members fear the decision could lead to an urban housing shortage severely affecting minorities, the poor and young families.

Eminent domain powers have usually been reserved exclusively for public projects such as road-building, parks and the development of public benefits such as hospitals. In the case of Kelo v. City of New London, however, city officials used their eminent domain power to evict homeowners -- some of whom lived in the disputed neighborhood for over 70 years -- from 90 acres of land later given to the Pfizer pharmaceutical firm for a research facility. Pfizer then signed a $1 a year lease with the city. In his majority opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote: "Promoting economic development is a traditional and long- accepted function of government."

In her dissent, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia and Chief Justice William Rehnquist, wrote: "Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private property, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms."

In a separate dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas noted the decision would likely result in new urban renewal projects that have historically displaced minorities, the elderly and the poor. Washington, D.C. mayor Anthony Williams -- who praised the Court's decision - is expected to evict small businesses and homeowners later this year to build a new, privately-held baseball stadium.

Linked with anti-development "smart growth" building restrictions, the Kelo decision could create a housing crisis. A 2002 econometric study commissioned by The National Center for Public Policy Research, the parent organization of Project 21, determined that a national application of "smart growth" building restrictions employed in Portland, Oregon throughout the 1990s would have resulted in one million households not being able to own a home during that same period of time - with a quarter of those households being minorities. Poor families and families just entering the housing market would be similarly affected, and rents in general would increase due to demand. The new eminent domain powers endorsed by the Kelo decision could lead to an increased demand for housing in restricted markets, potentially creating a housing crisis.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.27.05 @ 12:46PST

Sunday, June 26th

The Garden Square North
Following the Supreme Court's recent descision that the government can take private property and give it to another private entity, I was happy to find my development pamphlet outlining the big plans for the Garden Square North project The brochure is curiously absent a date, but my memory says about ten years.

A local entity took the properties from private owners with plans to hand them over to a developer. There's a cute pop-up that shows the facades and an interior diagram behind the paper thin walls. The translucent first page includes quotes from Art Rooney, Mayor Tom Murphy, Anthony Sanzo, the president of Allegheny General Hospital and Arthur Ziegler, President of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.

According to the brochure, the attempts to redevelop the area began in 1986. The partnership represented here was formed in 1994. "It's the single most important intersection on the North Side," deputy Mayor Tom Cox was quoted as saying. And yet, now on the verge of collapse, the "dilapidated" photos of the block looks much better that the actual buildings today. From the photos, it appears the storefronts and apartments above them were occupied.

One building has since burnt. Two have settled bringing to costly repairs if not necessary demolition. Several on Federal Street have been demolished.

Yes, I will go on and on about this until the area is somehow revitalized. The lesson is that while these "takings" may be legal, they aren't right, and they don't always go as planned. They are also far from an ideal way to redevelop.

Word on the street is the Urban Redevelopment Authority now plans to sell off the buildings one at a time to private developers. Developing them one at a time would have been a wonderful idea ten years ago.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.26.05 @ 05:06PST

Friday, June 24th

Hope Street
This morning I took the 312 bus into Tinseltown and walked up Hollywood Boulevard to the office. The route takes me past a dozen blank doorways, each inhabited by a huddle of young runaways wrapped in shabby bedrolls, with only the tousled crowns of their heads showing. The beginning and the end of the Hollywood Dream....

As I passed one such doorway, I heard a cadenced murmur, and I let myself intrude on their privacy enough to take a quick glance:

The girl was reading to her companion from a novel, and reading quite well. Between the blank, locked door and the roaring traffic, on the skids in Hollywood on a hot summer morning, sharing the passions of some distant and long-dead writer....

In a world such as ours, it gave me hope. Perhaps they'll make it, after all.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.24.05 @ 09:25PST

Wednesday, June 22nd

Electronics Recycling Scheduled at Best Buy
Best Buy Co. Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., will hold its annual electronics recycling event at its corporate campus in Richfield, Ill., June 24 and 25. Accepted items include (but are not limited to) scanners, printers, fax machines, computers, monitors and phones (including cellular). Get a complete list of locations and nationwide recycling program information by visiting www.BestBuy.com/recycling.

Now if they would only trade in their parking lot for a sidewalk....

GS Morey (gsm@newcolonist.com), on 06.22.05 @ 09:35PST

Monday, June 20th

Senate Cuts Funding for Public Transportation Security; APTA Calls This a Step Backward for Millions of Transit Riders
American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President William W. Millar called on Congress to restore a cut in public transportation security funds made last week by the Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security Appropriations. In letters sent to committee members, Millar said the action created a major step backward in protecting the safety of millions of daily public transit riders by severely reducing the transit and rail security grant program Congress initiated just last year.

In FY 2005, Congress provided $150 million for transit and rail security grants. Last week, the Senate Committee on Appropriations reduced the transit and rail security grants to $100 million when it approved the FY 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations bill.

Millar noted that since September 11, 2001, the federal government has spent $18 billion on aviation security, but only $250 million on transit security. Yet, Americans take public transportation 32 million times a day -- 16 times more than they travel on domestic airlines.

Last year APTA identified $6 billion in transit security needs for U.S. public transportation systems. In 2004, Americans took more than 9.6 billion trips on public transportation systems.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.20.05 @ 18:12PST

Free Transit Good for People, Business
A discussion came up on the Carfree Cities list about the program in London offering free public transit for anyone under 16 years old. This reminded me of the town of Hasseltl in belgium, which adecade or so ago made all public transit within the city freed to everyone--which enabled it to lower taxes while the economy boomed. To quote from the Avenues blog article on the matter:

A year later the use of public transport has increased by a staggering 800%. The merchants are happy because business has increased; there are fewer accidents, fewer road casualties and there has been an increase in social activity. The same day that the town made the buses free, they also slashed local taxes....

To read the complete article, go to Avenues: This One Speaks for Itself

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.20.05 @ 07:12PST
Sunday, June 19th

A Saturday Outing
Saturday, we went to the house of my old friend Bob in the gray and sprawling blandscape of Ontario, east of Los Angeles. Because we were leaving from my wife's office, I went there by bus to meet her, whence we headed east in her Mini Cooper. (My own transportation modalities comprise a Metro pass, a Bridgestone bicycle, and several good pairs of shoes.)

This was an ordinary Saturday, but since we saw that the Hollywood Freeway was already at a standstill at 3:30pm, we drove downtown by surface streets to make an end run around it. Once among the skyscrapers, we found an onramp to the I-10 and headed east. Or so we thought.

Mid-afternoon on a Saturday, and it was a parking lot for most of the drive out--its ten to twelve traffic lanes notwithstanding. We spent nearly two hours to go forty-five miles. At one point a Metrolink train whizzed by in the median, the folks inside looking cool and comfortable. There was nothing else to see but the humped metal backs of the cars ahead of us, and the flat roofs of cinderblock stripmalls on the other side of the chainlink fences bounding us in.

The party at Bob's house, when we got to it, was pleasant enough. We stayed till well after dark, then headed home on the 60, which Bob guaranteed was never as congested as the 10. And it wasn't. But we still ended up mired in traffic jams three or four times on a Saturday night!

Even my car-loving wife had to confess that it was insane.

The old saying among traffic engineers is that "Curing congestion by building more lanes is like curing obesity by buying bigger pants." No amount of asphalt will ever be enough. The paradigm itself is faulty.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.19.05 @ 23:32PST

Wednesday, June 15th

Study Shows How Transit, More Transportation Choices Reduce Cost
The Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) released, Driven to Spend: Pumping Dollars out of Our Households and Communities, which shows that families are paying a high price to meet their transportation needs and families in areas with fewer transportation choices carry even greater burdens.

Driven to Spend updates prior transportation cost studies published by STPP and CNT, but for the first time provides information on the effect of gas prices on family budgets. The study ranks 28 metropolitan areas on their combined transportation and housing costs and recommends specific actions that governments – federal, state and local – can take to reduce the burden of transportation costs for families by investing in more transportation options.

Key findings of Driven to Spend include:

· Households in regions that have invested in public transportation reap financial benefits from having affordable transportation options, even as gasoline prices rise.

· Low-income families are unduly impacted by higher transportation costs since transportation expenditures claim a higher percentage of their family budgets.

· For the first time, the study analyzed the effects of gasoline price hikes and ranked areas by the jump in household expenditures due gas prices. From 2003-2004, Los Angeles area families paid $316 more per household for gasoline, with families in the Kansas City metro area paying $312 more for the second highest increase. The New York metro area posted the smallest increase at $220 per household.

Families in the Houston (TX) metropolitan area have the highest overall transportation expenditures at 20.9 percent, followed by the Cleveland (OH) and Detroit (MI) metro areas at 20.5 percent, Tampa (FL) at 20.4 percent, and Kansas City (MO) at 20.2 percent. The national average was 19.1 percent, making 2003 the second highest year for transportation costs as a share of family budget in the last twenty years. Transportation expenditures in 2002 set a record for the period at 19.2 percent.

The five areas where families expended the smallest share of their household budgets for transportation services were the Baltimore (MD) metro area at 14 percent, Portland (OR) at 15.1 percent, New York (NY) and Washington, DC areas at 15.4 percent and Philadelphia (PA) at 15.9 percent.

The report in its entirety can be found here.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.15.05 @ 09:01PST

Tuesday, June 14th

New Colonist Editor to Expose Self in LA
If you'll be in Los Angeles this Friday, June 17th, come meet the New Colonist's managing editor, Rick Risemberg, at Sabor y Cultura, LA's premier coffeehouse. Rick will be participating in a night of poetry and spoken word with several other artists, presenting a small selection of work in both Spanish and English.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.14.05 @ 13:41PST

Reclaiming, Saving Pittsburgh's Steel Mills
Allegheny County (which contains Pittsburgh) announced recently that the county has reached an agreement with Park Corporation to purchase the Carrie Furnace site, a 137-acre brownfield that spans several boroughs outside of Pittsburgh.

The Carrie Furnace site was closed by US Steel in 1983 and purchased by the Park Corporation in 1988. The agreement allowed the Park Corporation to acquire the Carrie Furnace Works, as well as Homestead Works.

According to newspaper reports, the land use plan calls for housing and a marina in Swissvale near Pittsburgh. The blast furnaces would be refurbished as part of a steel heritage historical site and include a hotel and conference center.

Office buildings would stand on another part of the site and include parking for commuters and a bike trail.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.14.05 @ 05:50PST

Monday, June 13th

Asians who aren't scientists
Living in the Mid-west, or the Middle-Atlantic as Pittsburgh likes to distinguish itself, I knew Asians and Indians as scientists, researchers and doctors. I remember my surprise on one of my first trips to San Francisco that there were actually Asian mechanics. How different it is here, I thought, to not only have different people, but a broad spectrum of different people.

I recalled this just the other day while walking to the grocery store. I noticed an Asian who apparently worked for a Pepsi bottler delivering soda.

Things appear to be changing in Pittsburgh (none too soon). Maybe years from now someone not unlike me won't be so surprised to see an Asian mechanic.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.13.05 @ 15:02PST

Sunday, June 12th

San Francisco has highest median home price
Despite losing population and the bursting of a little thing called the dot.com bubble, San Francisco managed to earn the honor of having the highest median home value in the country ($607, 065) in a recent Census Bureau report. New York ($314,989) is now a relative bargain at number ten. Ahead of it is Seattle ($322,629), Boston ($335,676), Los Angeles ($339,095), Oakland, California ($370,056) and others. (um, where would you like to live, Oakland or New York???)

What I'd really like to see is a ranking of home values for urban areas relative to suburban areas. It seems that might provide an indication of how much city living is gaining in popularity.

If you are looking to escape the high prices and move to more affordable cities, you might try Buffalo, Pittsburgh ($68,553), Philadelphia ($74,354) or Baltimore ($80,594) (although I've heard many complain about the escalating prices in the last two and I've looked in Philadelphia... you're not getting anything near Center City for $74K. I think the case may be in these cities there are very valuable properties and those with none or negative value--because of back tax).

see the rankings

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.12.05 @ 14:44PST

Annual study shows nation's traffic troubles growing worse
Despite slow growth in jobs and travel, traffic congestion continues to worsen, researchers say, costing Americans $63.1 billion a year. The 2005 Urban Mobility Report measures traffic congestion trends from 1982 to 2003, reflecting the most recent data available. If today’s higher fuel prices are factored in, the cost jumps another $1.7 billion.

The release of the annual study by the Texas Transportation Institute comes at a time when the U.S. Congress is considering legislation to re-authorize funding for transportation programs and projects across the nation. The House-passed version of the six-year bill includes a Congestion Relief Program to address urban congestion problems.

The TTI study ranks areas according to several measurements, including:

1. Annual delay per peak period (rush hour) traveler, which has grown from 16 hours to 47 hours since 1982.
2. Number of urban areas with more than 20 hours of annual delay per peak traveler, which has grown from only 5 in 1982 to 51 in 2003
3. Total amount of delay, reaching 3.7 billion hours in 2003.
4. Wasted fuel, totaling 2.3 billion gallons lost to engines idling in traffic jams.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.12.05 @ 14:19PST

Saturday, June 11th

Hidden Subsidies of Private Auto Use
Here's an excerpt from a report on hidden subsidies of private cars in Europe (from the European Commission, Directorate General for the Environment):

Local authorities across Europe are subsidising private car use by up to EUR 250 per citizen a new study published today by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability shows. ICLEI calls on local authorities to cut such hidden subsidies and to boost investment in sustainable public transport. Examples of the type of subsidises being paid include maintenance of roads and green spaces alongside streets, traffic signals, lighting, traffic police and parking.

Gino van Begin, ICLEI Regional Director for Europe said, “Car drivers are getting a free ride from local authorities and the result is increased congestion and pollution in European cities. Redressing the balance in favour of investments in sustainable transport will be good for the economy and the health of urban-dwellers.”

Based on analysis of local authority budgets of 12 German cities as well as Graz (Austria), Geneva (Switzerland) and Ferrara (Italy) – the report shows that most of the money used to subsidise private transportation is not recovered. In Germany, sources such as parking fees and fines bring in an average of just 29.1% of expenditure. In Graz, the net spending for car transport is double the amount contributed to the public transport system.

You can view the entire report at: www.increase-public-transport.net

Bear in mind that in the US, the subsidy to automobile is vastly greater than in Europe, while taxes are far lower, and public transit is appallingly underfunded, resulting in a greater degree of de facto "socialism" than what those rugged individualist All-American types complain that Europe supports--while driving their cars over the backs of the working poor, the "urban elites," and the unborn.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.11.05 @ 11:06PST

Friday, June 10th

LA Looks Ahead
And it was indeed a long battle between Villaraigosa and Hahn in Los Angeles, spanning two elections. Hahn was first elected primarily because he was the son of Kenny Hahn, rightly revered longtime councilmember who made his reputation the old-fashioned way: by working for his constituency. Son Jim turned out to be somehwat of a chairwarmer instead, with a nasty habit of slinging mud when the going got tough. The mud stuck last time, and Villaraigosa lost; but this time he knew Hahn's pitches and was ready for the mudballs.

Hahn's Los Angeles coasted on the momentum that 20 years of Tom Bradley and 8 of Richard Riordan built up for him, and the city has seen a great improvement in subsidized private infrastructure--lots of mixed-use and transit-oriented development centered on Metro stations and well-served bus-routes; but outside the major corridors the city still consists to a great extent of car-dependent tracts walled off from screaming 6-to-12-lane boulevards leading to the usual malls. Transit service is world class in some places and nearly nonexistent in others; this is something that Vilaraigosa has promised to remedy, specifically proposing completion of the western branch of the Metro Red Line between Koreatown and the sea (or at least UCLA).

Here's a quote from Villaraigosa's website on his plans for transit:

Just like the pioneers who built this city from a dusty desert town, we must be willing to think big -- and then work hard to make our vision a reality.

Here is my goal: Every Angeleno should be able to walk out of their front door, get to public transit in five minutes and ride anywhere they want to go, whether it’s to work, to the beach, or to Dodger Stadium.

Significantly Expand Our Rail System: I will spearhead an effort to forge consensus throughout the region to significantly expand our rail system. We must make the following projects a priority:

Build an above ground rail extension of the Red Line north on Lankershim to the northeast San Fernando Valley.

Connect the future Exposition Line to LAX via Crenshaw Boulevard.

Build the Downtown Connector to link the Blue, Gold and Exposition light rail lines downtown.

Extend the Green Line to LAX.

Extend the Wilshire Red Line out to the beach.

Extend the Gold Line east into the San Gabriel Valley.

Ensure that all planning takes into consideration a true regional transit system that Angelenos can be proud of.

LA residents actually voted themselves two tax increases a few years ago for building schools, and construction has finally started in the last eight months, mostly in dense urban districts with lots of kids; finding teachers will be one of the new mayor's big tasks.

Although a quick Googling of V's name will turn up some sites by militiaman sorts who claims he's a "rabid Mexican nationalist," V took the vote almost everywhere in town, even the mostly white Valley districts, winning 59% to 41%. This leaves him well-placed to form working coalitions with other pols and with citizens' groups. Those coalitions may dilute the power of the big developers who have really run LA for over half a century. The fact that those same big developers have noted that there's money to be made from the beneficial influences of transit improvements, coupled with loud grassroots demand for more transit (eg, Exposition Line, Silver Line), gives me hope that V might be able to shout down the NIMBY types who have without fail been dead wrong about the evils and inefficacy they imagine attend transit projects.

So we have some hope for V--and we'll be watching to see whether he'll fulfil those hopes, or dash them. Or just put us to sleep, as Jim Hahn did.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.10.05 @ 21:52PST

A Tale of Two Cities
I suggested a comparison of two mayors and two cities to Rick Risemberg some time ago. His city, Los Angeles, having a new mayor-- and Pittsburgh having a soon-to-be mayor following a lengthy reign.

Pittsburgh and Los Angeles certainly face different challenges in the coming years. How different is the question--and how similar?

A comparison of the mayoral race itself could certainly shed some light. A long-battle in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor is "mayor" without being elected (yet), sweeping through the primaries and facing little opposition in the general election. The machine at work?

That's my worst fear. The last thing Pittsburgh needs is another entrenched politician. There are some signs that O'Connor's ideas are more to my liking than his predecessor, however. He's already suggested building a streetcar line from Downtown to Oakland and he says he favors a "mosaic" approach to downtown development. That's in opposition to current mayor Tom Murphy's approach which favors a master developer.

That's what's being talked about here in Pittsburgh. Look for further updates and for insight into the issues the new mayor brings to light for Los Angeles.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.10.05 @ 06:59PST

Wednesday, June 8th

The Last of the Master Developers
One of the most ruinous effects on the diversity and uniqueness of America's downtowns has been the master developer. Master developers have been awarded countless urban projects that in effect replace our unique streets and storefronts with chain stores and malls.

It's not chain stores I have a problem with. If a chain wants to buy a building and open an outlet, more power to them. But when our city officials hand over private property to master developers, chain stores are handed block after block which has often been taken from local businesses.

That's why I was more than pleased to read a newspaper article this morning that indicated the idea of looking for a master developer to spruce up downtown Pittsburgh's Fifth-Forbes corridor is all but dead. "Local developers, consultants and industry experts hope that means Pittsburgh officials are ready to turn away from Mayor Tom Murphy's vision of a master developer for Fifth and Forbes and embrace a mosaic of small developers who could remake Downtown one building at a time."

There are two (probably more) major redevelopment areas the city (through the Urban Redevelopment Authority) have concentrated on during the reign of our present mayor. One is Fifth-Forbes, and the other the Garden Theater district. Both were in better shape more than a decade ago when they started acquiring the properties.

The article told of a successful local developer who wants to redevelop one building in the downtown corridor, but has been repeatedly turned away by the URA, who wants to save the building for a master developer.

If it wasn't for the cities insistence on saving the buildings and business, while sending our development dollars out of town, my guess is both projects would be well underway if not in a completely revitalized state by now.

Let's hope this is the beginning of the end for master developers and the beginning of an era of revitalization "one building at a time."

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.08.05 @ 09:40PST

Tuesday, June 7th

Seattle Is ‘Most Unwired City’ In America
Seattle is now the most unwired city in America, according to Intel Corporation's third annual “Most Unwired Cities” survey released today.

In a rapidly changing wireless landscape, Seattle narrowly unseated former top position holders San Francisco (2004's Most Unwired City ) and Portland , Ore. (2003's Most Unwired City ). Seattle-area residents can now stay connected, informed and entertained throughout the city, from the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market and the Bank of America Tower to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the Space Needle.

This year's survey sheds more light on what previous Intel Unwired Cities surveys were indicating – that connecting to wireless Internet access points with laptop PCs and other wireless-enabled devices in public places is becoming part of everyday life in America . Businesses use wireless Internet access as a competitive advantage to attract customers, and cities use it to enhance livability and quality of life. Consumers are also discovering these so-called “WiFi hotspots” at an increasingly diverse range of locations – from airports and hotels to laundromats and baseball parks.

Following the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett-Tacoma, Wash. area on the list of top 10 unwired regions are San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland, Calif. (No. 2); Austin, Texas (No. 3); Portland, Ore.-Vancouver, Wash. (No. 4); Toledo, Ohio (No. 5); Atlanta (No. 6); Denver (N o. 7); Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (No. 8); Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. (No. 9) and Orange County, Calif. (No.10). Making the biggest jump over last year, Baton Rouge , La. climbed 67 spots to crack the top 20. The complete list of Intel's “Most Unwired Cities” is available here .

In addition to identifying the top unwired regions, the survey found increasing diversity in the types of places where WiFi is being offered, including:

Legacy Golf Resort – Phoenix
Kansas Speedway – Kansas City , Kan.
Chelsea Piers – New York
Loveland Ski Area – Georgetown , Colo.
SBC Park – San Francisco
Dirtwood Skatepark – Houston
King County Library – Seattle
Waveland Bowl – Chicago

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.07.05 @ 14:11PST

2005 Small Cities Day to Kick Off at Estes Park, Colo.
Private-public partnerships leading to better quality of life in small cities will be showcased on Saturday, June 18 when municipal leaders from small cities across the country gather in Estes Park, Colo., for the annual National League of Cites (NLC) Small Cities Day. The NLC Small Cities Council, led by Estes Park Town Trustee Lori-Jeffrey-Clark, will celebrate and discuss the importance of small communities and the role they play in American society.

"We thought it appropriate to show examples of how the economic vitality of a community coincides with partnerships between city, private and agency operations to enhance the quality of life," said Town Trustee Lori Jeffery-Clark, chair of the NLC Small Cities Council. "Small communities make up the fabric of American life. In fact, a majority of US cities are under 50,000 people. Everyday, and in many ways, small towns are making a difference and improving the quality of life for its citizens."

The meeting follows on the heels of two days of NLC meetings in Denver, Colo. that will focus on strategies to stimulate local economics in a changing global market. Participants will include more than 150 leaders from cities and towns and the business community. Discussions regarding international trade, outsourcing and revitalizing local downtowns will be discussed. Members from the Small Cities Council will participate in the Denver meeting and then travel to Estes Park for the Small Cities celebration.

While in Estes Park, participants are expected to tour several public and private enterprises that showcase the importance of small communities throughout America. Included are the Good Samaritan Village and Talon's Point, an affordable housing project of the Estes Park Housing Authority. Built with funding from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, Talon's Point will showcase the importance of maintaining the CDBG program, which the Administration has proposed to significantly alter.

The group also will also tour Rocky Mountain National Park as well as downtown Estes Park, and take a walking tour of the Knoll-Willows property that showcases the town's open lands and working partnership with the Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.07.05 @ 14:01PST

Monday, June 6th

Stamford Review Available
Download your free copy of the Stamford Review. The issue contains articles on Manhattan’s Historic Financial District, Revitalization in Stamford and Sharon Springs, New York, Funding and Community Revitalization Programs of The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preserving Manhattan’s Historic Façades, Retail Revitalization in Cleveland, Why Malls, Mega-Projects, and Even Traditional Urbanism Are Not Enough, The Red Hook, Brooklyn Waterfront: Will Ikea See the Light? and more Download now

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.06.05 @ 12:03PST

International Downtown Association Seeks Speakers
Have a hot urban topic? The International Downtown Association is seeking panelists for it's upcoming gathering in Denver. IDA offers downtown development professionals and leaders the opportunity to meet with their peers and discuss important issues affecting the industry. The educational sessions are the cornerstone of IDA’s conferences. The goal of IDA is to choose talented speakers who are experts in the field and who can effectively communicate their message to a variety of audiences. Why not try your hand at being a panelist during one of our breakout sessions? Make your ideas heard by taking part in the 2005 IDA Annual Conference Call for Speakers.

The deadline for submissions is May 27, 2005, 5:00 PM EST. Details

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.06.05 @ 11:57PST

National Trust Names Historic Buildings of Downtown Detroit, Michigan one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
Detroit’s urban core boasts a rich array of architectural treasures reflecting its role as a major station on the Underground Railroad, an industrial powerhouse, the world-famous “Motor City” and the home of Motown – but today, many of these treasures are threatened by neglect and a lack of vision.

The Statler Hilton Hotel is currently being demolished and the Madison-Lenox, a 2004 “11 Most Endangered” site, was demolished last month. Belle Isle, once a beautiful park, is now dotted with deteriorating facilities, and the once-grand Park Avenue neighborhood now lies dormant. While individual developers, property owners and neighborhood groups have forged policies and used available tools to restore some areas, the city administration has been slow to embrace these opportunities and has failed to grasp the lesson that preservation can be a key to revitalization.

In fact, a “hit list” recently issued by the city calls for the demolition of more than 100 buildings in preparation for the 2006 Super Bowl. The city is at a crossroads. Detroit’s leaders can continue their demolition campaign, or they can work with developers and preservationists to breathe new life into old buildings and save the history of one of America’s great cities.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.06.05 @ 11:50PST

National Trust Names the Belleview Biltmore Hotel in Belleair, Florida one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
Fondly known as “The White Queen of the Gulf,” the rambling Belleview Biltmore is an ageless grand dame that has welcomed presidents, business tycoons, European royalty and home-grown aristocrats since 1897. During World War II, the elegant Belleview was pressed into service to provide housing for the U.S. Army – but as soon as the war ended, the hotel resumed its familiar role as a favored vacation retreat for VIPs, movie stars and sports icons. Today, the Belleview Biltmore is still one of West Florida’s most picturesque and beloved landmarks – and a thriving destination as well, attracting thousands of guests yearly. But as with many historic hotels, their prime locations are attractive to developers who wish to cash in on real estate values by converting the hotels into condominiums. In the case of the Belleview Biltmore, its location on 21 acres beside Clearwater Harbor has prompted the owners to apply for permits to demolish the hotel. They have entered into an agreement with a developer who plans to build houses and condominiums on the site. Protection under local law is very limited for the Belleview Biltmore, and unless someone comes to the White Queen’s rescue soon, this icon of Victorian charm and Southern hospitality will be destroyed.

To highlight the threat to this vital piece of American heritage, the National Trust for Historic Preservation today named the Belleview Biltmore Hotel to its 2005 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

The History Channel will air public service announcements (PSAs) that feature the 2005 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The PSAs will run at various times during the programming schedule throughout the summer.

History: Opened in 1897, the Belleview Biltmore was built by Henry B. Plant. The hotel is four and a half stories and is the largest wood-frame building in Florida.

Threat: Plans are in progress to demolish the hotel in order to construct residential properties.

Solution: Only the purchase of the Belleview Biltmore (with preservation in mind) will save it from being demolished.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.06.05 @ 11:49PST

Growing African Immigrant Community Deepens Roots in New York City; $350,000Capital Campaign for African Services, Community Center in Harlem
As the African immigrant community in New York City grows, increasing by more than 127 percent in the last decade alone, the need has also grown for health and self-sufficiency services provided by community-based, non-profit organizations such as African Services Committee.

"Deepening Our Roots" is a 2-year, $350,000 capital campaign undertaken by African Services and its first capital fundraising effort after more than 20 years of service to the African communities of New York City. The campaign will help African Services complete the process of building a strong foundation in Harlem with a long-term lease and renovation of additional space for a drop-in African community center at 429 West 127th Street. The campaign will also fund self-sufficiency program offices, workshop areas and space for an international program department.

The campaign has brought in 10 percent of its target amount through private donations and has now entered a new phase with the announcement of a $75,000 challenge grant from an anonymous donor who is committed to supporting African Services' innovative HIV prevention and testing programs. The deadline for this grant, which matches all donations one-for-one, is December 1, 2005.

The organization, founded by Ethiopian refugees more than 20 years ago, today serves more than 10,000 African immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers each year.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 06.06.05 @ 11:41PST

Sunday, June 5th

Global Warming, California, the Good Life, & the Governor
Governor Schwarzenegger of California surprised us all recently by breaking ranks with Republican delusocrats and making an unequivocal statement on Global Warming, its reality, and the need for us to reduce our contributions to it--especially in California, the car capital of the world. he laid out specifical goals for greenhouse gas reduction which, for the first ten years, are less stringent than the kyoto protocol's, but which become stricter a couple of decades on out.

Action Net has posted a form whereby you can comment directly to the governor if you wish; you wil find it here.

My own letter to Schwarzenegger follows:

Thank you for expressing some realistic sentiments vis-a-vis Global Warming, as well as quantifying realistic and worthy goals for us as a state to work towards.

There is much more to be done, though; we cannot permit our economic addiction to sprawl further to destroy this state's culture, commerce, and physical environment. Sprawl depends on intensive public expenditures to provide and maintain the inefficient highway infrastructure it requires. Freeways, roads, interchanges, and public parking (on or off street) soak up tax money while eliminating revenue bases; furthermore, the sprawl model, by isolating citizens in their cars and in their neighborhoods, which have no typically public space except for streets, destroys community and the feeling that we can work together to build a future. Bedroom communities linked by vast, bleak roads to shopping malls isolated in huge parking lots condemn our citizens to hours of unproductive driving, leading not only to global warming but, plain and simpy, wasted lives, as well as a dangerous dependence on foreign oil supplies.

I suggest that, as a start, you, Mr. Governor, commission an analysis of the true cost of sprawl development to the state treasury and to the health of the people of California. This would provide a starting point for a restructuring of our priorities in development.

Next, you should gather together case studies of human-scale development old and new all over the world, to see what aspects of that paradigm we should actively support as a state (as we have actively and in fact coercively supported sprawl development for over half a century).

Third, you should immediately redirect a higher proportion of transportation funds to urban mass transit projects and systems, which by their nature encourage denser mixed-use human-scale development.

Fourth, you should push for the development of bullet-train service as recently envisioned between San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco & the peninsula, and Sacramento, since this would nearly eliminate air travel between those cities, as well as minimizing car use on the same routes; this would go a long way to reducing Calikfornia's contribution to global warming, as well as improving our economy through reduction of wasted time on the road (not just between cities but to and from airports), as well as reducing the need for airline subsidies.

You have made a brave and bold statement; that's a good start. Now it's up to you to help us make it real.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.05.05 @ 13:00PST

Thursday, June 2nd

Urbanity and Life
William Leddy presents a beautiful article on new (and old) paradigms for the future on the Commondreams site this week, which I strongly recommend to all. Here's a brief quote:

The desire to make our cities enjoyable places to walk and bicycle isn't a nostalgic urge to recreate an imagined 19th-century Main Street. Creating greater density in our cities, mixing retail and residential uses within human-scaled, tree-lined streetscapes, makes sense at many levels. Thriving pedestrian streets are safer, cleaner and more energy-efficient, and they foster a stronger sense of community than the auto-dominated commercial strips that surround us.

Read it all at:

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 06.02.05 @ 13:31PST