Interesting comprehensive plan for sustainable cities as envisioned by a private-sector behemoth.

     Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood would like to see the face of American transportation change.  Currently, 90% of Americans drive their cars to work.  Obviously, this contributes to congestion, pollution, and can become a quality of life issue if the commuter has to sit in traffic.  Mr. LaHood wants cities around America to provide alternatives. "He wants to make biking as important as driving." (NPR staff writer, Guy Raz)

     To quote Secretary LaHood precisely, he says,…

As sprawl and suburbanization continues unabated, the ethnic composition of cities changes drastically.  this is especially true in the…

While we contemplate important urban issues above the partisan fray here at Collaborative Government, the president's latest initiative enjoys relevance to urban issues/development and merits further analysis.  The plan includes subsidies for both the housing/mortgage…

Apparently, Oklahoma has a perfect suburb!!

Kids across the nation started back to school last week. My two boys started on Monday with my 5 year old starting kindergarten.  Fun times!!  While we all have fond memories of friends, teachers, and recess, the academic experience and how effectively our country prepares future generations remains under constant scrutiny.  Inner city school performance is…

Vanishing Automobile update #4

The Falling Cost of Transportation

The Surface Transportation Policy Project has issued another report blaming transportation problems on the suburbs. Driven to Spend claims that low-density suburbs ("sprawl") make people poor because it forces them to spend more of their incomes on transportation.

"Transportation is a big expense for…

An emerging controversy in traffic enforcement, red light camera debates rarely find common ground.  Advocates argues that the cameras promote safety and save lives by discouraging last second decisions to plow through intersections.  Critics believe the that cities introduced the cameras as revenue producing tools with no consideration for public safety.  Of course, the privacy issues are obvious.  Downtowns that utilize the cameras begin to develop a big brother…

A vital priority for New Urban trends is walkable neighborhoods that yield a more compact, dense urban region.  Advocates associate walkability with a healthier, safer lifestyle for citizens.  Denser community grids also promote a sense of community.  

In fact, recent studies indicate that prospective homebuyers list walkability as a desirable neighborhood…

One of more controversial urban planning issues is urban renewal or gentrification.  Critics either fret over the changing urban landscape or the displacement experienced by lower income families. 

The questions remains-how can cities or urban regions…