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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664 2026-01-29T00:28:24.280-05:00 Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space "A community’s physical form, rather than its land uses, is its most intrinsic and enduring characteristic." [Katz, EPA] This blog focuses on place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging. Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com Blogger 12299 1 25 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-5010799866756723685 2026-01-27T04:30:00.001-05:00 2026-01-27T04:30:00.115-05:00 Good article in the New Yorker about political organizing <p>-- "<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/02/what-maga-can-teach-democrats-about-organizing-and-infighting">What MAGA Can Teach Democrats About Organizing—and Infighting</a>" </p><p>Distinguishes between "mobilizing" and "organizing," and grassroots determination of agendas -- "as Mao put it, letting one thousand flowers bloom." Organizing is about creating leaders that do, while "mobilizing" is about showing up to something.</p><p>When I talk about this, I've never made the distinction between mobilizing and organizing, but I always talk about what might be thought of as "long range planning," that for meeting X you already need to be setting up "next steps" and meeting or action Y.</p><p>I don't fully buy the comparison between the anti-drug use organization DARE and MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The author argued that by letting people set up chapters in MADD with limited guidance, they had a lot more agency versus a more top-down organization with control of messaging and agenda by people at the top. </p><p>Can a top-down organization work? DARE didn't because it turned out that research on its curriculum and methods found that it didn't diminish drug use, and that in some cases, even encouraged it. But what if the agenda and curriculum worked? Would DARE have been successful with the mobilizing model and top down control.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOE6sX_Ikp6E5jGhjZBhyBxaO9kCizEBeGdib-6Bj-kTqsUcQfFFm5R7DpYRGNIaEV0XgfHYmJVJIIj1JO894GFBsWrEfJewpyT4Xv51_NXHabgKm-JQLl5sQrQvcLfbinSpcgaLd4DH95vGuIlr-djgbvbg3A7L2YqAFCchj2KzRDA03_Noepw/s4000/55061622903_8f1523d833_4k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOE6sX_Ikp6E5jGhjZBhyBxaO9kCizEBeGdib-6Bj-kTqsUcQfFFm5R7DpYRGNIaEV0XgfHYmJVJIIj1JO894GFBsWrEfJewpyT4Xv51_NXHabgKm-JQLl5sQrQvcLfbinSpcgaLd4DH95vGuIlr-djgbvbg3A7L2YqAFCchj2KzRDA03_Noepw/s320/55061622903_8f1523d833_4k.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Protest against ICE after the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by ICE agents. Reddit photo.</i><p></p><p>The difference too between the two is that a more variegated infrastructure is created with the organizing model, providing the people at the top can be looser with control.</p><p>The article contrasts Democratic and Republican Party approaches, says the Republicans work it better because their only litmus test is whether or not you support Trump, not your position on guns, abortion, LGBTQ issues, etc.</p><p>It discusses the success of the Obama campaign, and how right wingers studied the model, and adopted and adapted it. </p><p>From the article:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Ben Wikler chaired the Democratic Party of Wisconsin from 2019 to 2025. He recently told me that “Democrats should be learning from the Republicans about how to build small, socially interconnected communities.” Wisconsin had the tiniest swing toward Republicans among battleground states in 2024 because, Wikler believes, the state Party prioritized “neighborhood teams working year-round and socializing with their neighbors, to form real communities”—the same approach that governs Faith & Freedom. For liberals, he said, alternatives to church and the gun club include neighborhood organizations such as gardening groups and community centers. Whereas maga welcomes anyone wearing the red hat, Democrats often require people to use new terms on pronouns and race, and they can punish or exclude anyone who strays. “That doesn’t work,” Wikler said. “A movement needs people who feel safe with each other, who can hang out and talk about things besides politics. People who like each other. The Republicans are finding those people. The Democrats aren’t doing that enough.”</p><p>One problem, according to researchers, is that the left’s success in mobilizing large crowds may have caused leaders to misunderstand what spurs someone to become politically active in the first place. In the late nineties, the sociologist Ziad Munson began interviewing pro-life advocates, and he initially assumed that such people had been strongly opposed to abortion for years. “I was completely wrong,” he said. In fact, nearly a quarter of activists told him that they had been pro-choice when they attended their first pro-life event. A majority said that they had not had strong opinions about abortion. “But then something happened, like they moved to a new town or started going to a new church, or they got divorced and started joining singles groups, and the new people they met were pro-life,” Munson explained. “And so they found a community, and a sense of identity, and that’s when they became committed.”</p><p>Many leaders of local MADD chapters first sought the group out after their lives had been upended by a drunk driver, and they found that meeting other victims helped them process their anger and grief. Wolfson, the MADD researcher, told me, “They were mainly women who had never thought of themselves as public figures, and now they’re talking to legislators and spending time with people who understand them and making new friends. At that point, you’re all in.” The organization accepted everyone, regardless of ideological background (and drinking habits). “All you needed to join was to care about this issue.”</p></blockquote><p></p><p>While not discussed in the article I think this is an element in anti-vaccination forces. Besides the anti-science etc. people, a lot of people who made "mistakes" during covid, leading to death or serious and long term illness, if not of themselves, of people in the circle, need "someone to blame" other than themselves.</p><p>And they bind together over those beliefs. </p><p>That becomes Anthony Fauci, Big Pharma--if ivermectin worked at reducing covid, Eli Lilly would have been marketing the hell out of it, hospitals, doctors, particular medicines and what they call "the protocol" which was remdesivir administered intravenously when hospitalized--they said it killed people.</p><p>Consistency and logic aren't part of the equation, such as the ivermectin thing--were the producers of ivermectin and hydroxychoroquine the Good Pharma and Pfizer and Moderna Bad Pharma?</p><p>Plus, you had people like DeSantis saying remdesivir was good, but don't get the covid shot. Crazy. FWIW, remdesivir helped me during my 8 day stay in the hospital as a result of my third and worst bout of covid.</p><p>From the article:</p><p></p><blockquote>When researchers such as Munson look at today’s leftist movements, they often see the opposite approach. “The left has purity tests,” Munson said. “You have to prove you’re devoted to the cause. But that means that, once you join, you’re spending time with the kind of people you already know, because you already move in the same circles, and you’ve screened out people who might be ideologically ambivalent right now but might have become activists if you had welcomed them.”</blockquote><p></p><p>Are they purity tests, some are like on trans issues--it killed me during the election to see ads from Trump saying "She cares about they/them. We care about you." But maybe at times it is more about logic and facts versus fabulism. At least it is for me.</p><p>From the article:</p><p></p><blockquote>The sociologist Liz McKenna, of Harvard, told me that movements succeed best when people feel welcome. A movement becomes sustainable when members feel empowered and find friends. “The left loves big protests, but protesting is a tactic in search of a strategy,” she said. There must be some shared core values among a movement’s members, of course, but the requirement can’t be that every value is shared. “Making room for difference isn’t a nice-to-have thing—it’s table stakes,” she told me. “The rallies are by-products of the community, not the goal.” Most of all, even though anger can be useful, a movement also needs to provide some joy. “Trump rallies are fun,” McKenna noted. “The Turning Point campus debates are fun.” For a long time, she said, the left was less fun and more angry, “and so the right was out-organizing them at every turn.”</blockquote><p></p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-6307667702959460487 2026-01-23T20:24:00.000-05:00 2026-01-23T20:24:03.331-05:00 National Park Service and climate change <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkJ8EfBLs5iTd8g7fv47h_rjtYsNkqhOlOMFKXD5edfngwatwUH3khG17MmTNyNcOHMIq5UahbgZg7xg7WTWHIdd5XWh5YrTIJwNVokb0Ck_pdUW8zMws7dztlsP5uK6y_ca1NpND5rT0fOtLbnbmJgR_dLjGtSkb1btk5ZbIzbn2SD3ewz-L6g/s1024/22cli-park-sign-02-jumbo.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkJ8EfBLs5iTd8g7fv47h_rjtYsNkqhOlOMFKXD5edfngwatwUH3khG17MmTNyNcOHMIq5UahbgZg7xg7WTWHIdd5XWh5YrTIJwNVokb0Ck_pdUW8zMws7dztlsP5uK6y_ca1NpND5rT0fOtLbnbmJgR_dLjGtSkb1btk5ZbIzbn2SD3ewz-L6g/s320/22cli-park-sign-02-jumbo.webp" width="320" /></a></div>The <i>New York Times</i> reports, "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/climate/park-service-erases-climate-facts-at-fort-sumter-where-the-civil-war-began.html">National Park Service Removes Sign on Climate Change From Fort Sumter</a>," that the Trump Administration has removed a sign about climate change impacts at Fort Sumter, the site of the start of the US Civil War.<p></p><p>This is a result of both the desire to whitewash historic interpretation to avoid discussion of difficult histories, such as slavery and DEI, but also a directive saying climate change doesn't exist and change interpretation accordingly.</p><p>Based on possible negative impacts, federal agencies with large property portfolios, such as the Department of Defense, and the National Park Service, have devoted a lot of time and attention to planning for site futures in the face of climate change.</p><p>The Park Service has a number of resources. Even if taken down, they'd be available via archive.org</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>the original policy memo calling for the development of policy, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/policy/upload/PM_14-02.pdf">Climate Change and Stewardship of Cultural Resources</a></li><li>a one pager on <a href="https://cdn.oceanservice.noaa.gov/oceanserviceprod/education/pd/climate/teachingclimate/nps_communicationbrief.pdf">Communicating Climate Change in National Parks</a></li><li>one of its classic style brochures on <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/climatechange/upload/2023-03-03-UPDATE-CC-Unigrid-compliant.pdf">Climate Change in National Parks</a> generally, and for the <a href="https://npshistory.com/brochures/climate_change-west.pdf">Western Parks</a></li><li>the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/climatechange/upload/NPS-2016_Cultural-Resoures-Climate-Change-Strategy.pdf">Cultural Resources Climate Change Strategy</a> report</li><li>and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/climatechange/upload/NPSClimateChangeResponseStrategy2023.pdf">a 2023 update</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/climatechange/toolkit-publications.htm">a webpage listing various resources</a></li><li>reports organized by park region about the potential for impact and the preferred response</li><li>reports on <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/climatechange/climatefutures.htm">park-specific climate futures</a></li><li><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-I29-PURL-gpo132144/pdf/GOVPUB-I29-PURL-gpo132144.pdf">Enhanced Monitoring to Better Address Rapid Climate Change in High-Elevation Parks</a></li><li><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-I29-PURL-gpo131898/pdf/GOVPUB-I29-PURL-gpo131898.pdf">Understanding the Science of Climate Change Talking Points: Impact to the Gulf Coast</a></li><li><a href="https://npshistory.com/publications/chis/nrr-2012-583.pdf">A Collaborative Science Agenda on Climate Change for Southern California Coastal Parks</a></li><li><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-I29-PURL-gpo79567/pdf/GOVPUB-I29-PURL-gpo79567.pdf">Large Rivers Water Quality Monitoring Protocol: Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network </a></li><li><a href="https://www.natureserve.org/sites/default/files/national_capital_east_parks_terrestrial_climate_change_vulnerability_-_resource_brief.pdf">Climate Change Vulnerability of Terrestrial Areas in National Capital Parks-East</a></li><li><a href="https://wrcc.dri.edu/nps/reports/2006_11_20_netninventory_final.pdf">Weather and Climate Inventory National Park Service Northeast Temperate Network</a> </li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOVRQCUBe8a7zU_xMDfOHbu35G222e-Bf2r7FXBv5P3KNkvZDNyewyyYsIW2EGOYqpvD2d_61XV5k6D-7NTwbgCPowLxZM7rKKhjxVk_O-CIoHlNcsHsdz-NL_wLLkVKMVd2GHk2Efxf3LGu0j051W1uebKWZ92ANEv3XGJJsKfK34uXSaBcP_w/s4941/climate_change-west1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4699" data-original-width="4941" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOVRQCUBe8a7zU_xMDfOHbu35G222e-Bf2r7FXBv5P3KNkvZDNyewyyYsIW2EGOYqpvD2d_61XV5k6D-7NTwbgCPowLxZM7rKKhjxVk_O-CIoHlNcsHsdz-NL_wLLkVKMVd2GHk2Efxf3LGu0j051W1uebKWZ92ANEv3XGJJsKfK34uXSaBcP_w/w400-h380/climate_change-west1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje7wXYbv2vpSW7XckVSQcHqfxI0pf0LmL49vf2VY6Em8lOZ4iHHotp_HIX0Qm3EXsRAT2nDQeVJdf58DG6qwDdXRWpFk226pKQqvENYiRFAZulBV266CUeGOCso9FDP0HZ8GoV-r8Gu32xjsslRVxpCozDygFymluIOIOlIDLXXYhq9QFPpLEjQ/s4918/climate_change-west2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4666" data-original-width="4918" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje7wXYbv2vpSW7XckVSQcHqfxI0pf0LmL49vf2VY6Em8lOZ4iHHotp_HIX0Qm3EXsRAT2nDQeVJdf58DG6qwDdXRWpFk226pKQqvENYiRFAZulBV266CUeGOCso9FDP0HZ8GoV-r8Gu32xjsslRVxpCozDygFymluIOIOlIDLXXYhq9QFPpLEjQ/w400-h380/climate_change-west2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-681755982353312549 2026-01-19T16:52:00.000-05:00 2026-01-19T16:52:20.982-05:00 Martin Luther King Day <p>I'm filing stuff from years ago, and a few items I've come across are relevant to the Day and the idea of strengthening the Black community.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvuvo9ZR8RRa2ovTbifmpYV0ah3K_-FkKLDkcegDLVTDGepa5M3piz2KUJUFbOm6REJqQgXusares_G0DQsh68iFYm5uHOHJnt2ZPWY49ABlT3yPhdwyCpmZa8p4PsOUP-qfi0wcqgm4KgC7S4cBBlDw42GGj31mDsBWf6kArWxr0CA9adtCQ=s238" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="238" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvuvo9ZR8RRa2ovTbifmpYV0ah3K_-FkKLDkcegDLVTDGepa5M3piz2KUJUFbOm6REJqQgXusares_G0DQsh68iFYm5uHOHJnt2ZPWY49ABlT3yPhdwyCpmZa8p4PsOUP-qfi0wcqgm4KgC7S4cBBlDw42GGj31mDsBWf6kArWxr0CA9adtCQ" width="238" /></a></b></div><p><b>Glen Ford, a key figure in progressive black journalism</b> ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/business/media/glen-ford-dead.html">Glen Ford, Black Journalist Who Lashed the Mainstream, Dies at 71</a>," <i>New York Times</i>). </p><p>He was co-founder of the syndicated television program "America's Black Forum," and later the website, <a href="https://www.blackagendareport.com/">Black Agenda Report</a>. He co-founded <a href="https://blackcommentator.com/">Black Commentator</a>, which among many important works, published a great five-part series on urban revitalization, which was focused on black empowerment</p><p><br /></p><p>This entry includes links to the full series:</p><p></p><p>-- "<a href="https://blackcommentator.com/52/52_cover_cities.html">Wanted: A Plan for Cities to Save Themselves</a>," 2003</p><p>2. There's been a ton of work and media on African American and foodways. One person is chef Bryant Terry, who has created a publishing imprint to bring those stories to print ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/dining/bryant-terry-chef-cookbook-author.html">With 4 Color Books, Bryant Terry Looks to Color Outside the Lines</a>," <i>NYT</i>).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_vY_hYBRMq3vAtPtdPkXEx1eJjW6Ru0sK6oCD687XrO9IJTDVMbUeb1NHemnxg-8fT8IIw9tG1VO7tYkrEZaKDh2qmBlv6vdiLnX5PSKpMIwzLw4uSrIBf-D4ltWT6VLljgzfvhqAinsfy6PIlJa2dTplqPMDUjQ-yJU9B47Hvf1Lhocy3JKvA/s500/https___image.oregonlive.com_home_olive-media_width2048_img_portland_impact_photo_villagejpg-0b79de91a4287341-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="500" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_vY_hYBRMq3vAtPtdPkXEx1eJjW6Ru0sK6oCD687XrO9IJTDVMbUeb1NHemnxg-8fT8IIw9tG1VO7tYkrEZaKDh2qmBlv6vdiLnX5PSKpMIwzLw4uSrIBf-D4ltWT6VLljgzfvhqAinsfy6PIlJa2dTplqPMDUjQ-yJU9B47Hvf1Lhocy3JKvA/s320/https___image.oregonlive.com_home_olive-media_width2048_img_portland_impact_photo_villagejpg-0b79de91a4287341-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>Village Market, Portland.</i><p></p><p>3. In 2001, the St. Johns Woods low income housing project in North Portland, reached out to a local youth support organization, to create a community garden as a youth program--now called <a href="https://www.villagegardens.org/our-roots">Village Gardens</a>. </p><p>The impact on the neighborhood was swift--within 8 months, police calls dropped, there was a notable reduction in litter, and on time rent payment metrics improved. The Garden created a safe environment for youth. </p><p>A community store, <a href="https://www.villagegardens.org/village-market">Village Market</a>, developed later as part of the initiative ("<a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2011/05/village_market_a_healthy_corne.html">Village Market, a healthy corner store, opens in North Portland's New Columbia</a>," "<a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2012/05/nonprofit_grocery_store_in_nor.html">Nonprofit grocery store in North Portland's New Columbia turns 1, learns to adjust</a>," <i>Portland Oregonian</i>). It's still going strong 15 years later.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>... it’s a unique nonprofit grocery store with a mission to provide fresh and healthy food to residents in and around New Columbia.</p>
<p>While officially a mixed-income neighborhood, New Columbia is also the state’s largest public housing development built to be home to some of the city's poorest residents. The community along this stretch of North Portland between Interstate 5 and the St. Johns Bridge is listed on city of Portland and USDA maps as a “food desert,” or an urban neighborhood where residents must travel extensively to get fresh produce.</p>
<p>The Village Market opened May 28, 2011, on the same corner where two previous businesses, Big City Produce and AJ Java, tried to make a go and failed. A year on, the grocery is still operating on grants and adjusting its nonprofit vision to the reality of the neighborhood. “It’s been an adventure,” said Amber Baker, the store's program director for Janus Youth Programs, which operates the market. “The goal is to be self-sustaining in four years. We’re hoping for that.”</p></blockquote><p></p><p>4. <a href="https://www.oasisfreshmarkets.net/">Oasis Fresh Market</a>(s) was opened by Aaron Johnson, a former football player at the University of Tulsa, to bring food to an underserved area ("<a href="https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2021/05/17/north-tulsa-welcomes-oasis-fresh-market/">North Tulsa welcomes Oasis Fresh Market</a>," Black Wall Street Times). The market has developed a wide variety of support programs for the community, such as breakfast and lunch for kids in the summer ("<a href="https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2025/06/02/oasis-fresh-market-launches-free-breakfast-lunch-for-tulsa-kids/">Oasis Fresh Market launches free breakfast, lunch for Tulsa kids</a>," BWST), and support for SNAP recipients denied benefits. They're going to open a second store downtown.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSugbkz68iauA-kHOjsYOhjTNcw-JAnf-d4-D-nDIQgewoGZzjEbTIY4imB-JxnSM1PCjoRssagRIQmJ0gi-SV3KqJwq5HisWB5pkSq_c_SEKE-DWaPbfG64yxNe_9rS46io8j4ASPE3kGJkK1cbV0QD-ZuNbERliXXraeuuLnRnFNfoE0zIvsA/s639/download2-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="639" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSugbkz68iauA-kHOjsYOhjTNcw-JAnf-d4-D-nDIQgewoGZzjEbTIY4imB-JxnSM1PCjoRssagRIQmJ0gi-SV3KqJwq5HisWB5pkSq_c_SEKE-DWaPbfG64yxNe_9rS46io8j4ASPE3kGJkK1cbV0QD-ZuNbERliXXraeuuLnRnFNfoE0zIvsA/s320/download2-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>A rally against critical race theory in Leesburg, Va., June 12, 2021. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, AFP/Getty Images.</i><p></p><p>5. A story on Derrick Bell, "T<a href="https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/the-godfather-of-critical-race-theory-11624627522">he Godfather of Critical Race Theory</a>" (<i>WSJ</i>).</p><p></p><blockquote><p>In the life of any big idea, there comes a moment when it stops belonging to the thinkers who invented it and becomes public property. Today, critical race theory is undergoing that kind of transformation. When the term came into use in the 1970s and 1980s, it described the work of scholars like Derrick Bell, Richard Delgado and Kimberlé Crenshaw, whose work was hotly debated in legal academia but little known outside it. But over the last year, critical race theory has moved to the center of American political debate.</p>
<p>In their book “Critical Race Theory: An Introduction,” Mr. Delgado and Jean Stefancic list several of its core premises, including the view that “racism is ordinary, not aberrational,” and that it “serves important purposes, both psychic and material, for the dominant group,” that is, for white people. In recent years, these ideas have entered the mainstream thanks to the advocacy of the Black Lives Matter movement, which was catalyzed by several high-profile cases of police violence against Black people, as well as the New York Times’s 1619 Project and bestselling books like Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility” and Ibram X. Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist.” Critical race theory also informs instruction at some schools and other institutions.</p>
<p>These ideas have now become a major target of conservative activism. In September 2020, the Trump administration issued a memo instructing executive branch departments to cancel “any training on ‘critical race theory,’” which it equated with teaching “that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country.” This year, legislators and school boards in many states have introduced proposals to prohibit the teaching of critical race theory in schools, with Florida’s State Board of Education adopting such a rule earlier this month.</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0jIyhohJYYNo5_ZfrJcpMa8SVL-t5ld9bPzEJVrjvGzIKKarKOGJCqt_wTgyF3JjgXzo-MKVwI5MWVSoLxJ01T3eVQWLDCouVuFCdZyWoO8uO5coxu-qMboMg194TV4iIZF_E20CcHwAVZEXBb3llyB99r66XSRB1S3_Gy_1SOUOOdfq2nlxeg/s1900/The-National-Public-Housing-Museum-photo-credit-Barry-Brecheisen-_010.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="1900" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0jIyhohJYYNo5_ZfrJcpMa8SVL-t5ld9bPzEJVrjvGzIKKarKOGJCqt_wTgyF3JjgXzo-MKVwI5MWVSoLxJ01T3eVQWLDCouVuFCdZyWoO8uO5coxu-qMboMg194TV4iIZF_E20CcHwAVZEXBb3llyB99r66XSRB1S3_Gy_1SOUOOdfq2nlxeg/s320/The-National-Public-Housing-Museum-photo-credit-Barry-Brecheisen-_010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>6. While tenancy was and is not limited to African-Americans, there is a new <a href="https://nphm.org/">National Public Housing Museum</a> in Chicago ("<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/10/nx-s1-5354803/a-national-public-housing-museum-opens">A National Public Housing Museum opens</a>," NPR, "<a href="https://www.archpaper.com/2025/05/national-public-housing-museum-chicago/">In Chicago, LBBA repurposes a New Deal–era building into the National Public Housing Museum</a>," <i>Architect's Newspaper</i>).<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>The institution is the first of its kind. NPHM was founded by public housing residents—its goal is to become “a place to experience stories of hope and personal achievement amid struggle, resistance, and resilience,” NPHM said in a statement.</p>
<p>... Sunny Fischer cofounded NPHM and now sits on the board. She grew up in the Bronx at a public housing campus. Fischer called NPHM a Site of Conscience, or a space to remember and address past injustices and their ongoing legacies.</p><p>“As a Site of Conscience, we join museums around the world committed to telling complicated and difficult stories, preserving history, and imagining a more just future,” Fischer said.</p><p>Upon entry, visitors can see illustrative WPA advertisements for public housing, bygone relics from a time when the federal government invested in such things. Three historic apartments were reconstructed at a 1:1 to scale to show how different generations of public housing residents lived.</p>
<p>Instead of your conventional gift shop, the museum store is co-operatively run by public housing residents. NPHM also has a REC Room, a curated space by DJ Spinderella showcasing the beats and melodies born on public housing campuses. The Doris Conant Demand the Impossible Advocacy Space is meant to encourage discussions about social justice.</p></blockquote> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-8292630534026947140 2026-01-18T05:00:00.001-05:00 2026-01-18T05:00:00.116-05:00 Life After Cars | US Metropolitan areas where 8% or more residents use public transit to get to work <p>One of the points I used to make wrt transit advocacy is that people needed to recognize that most of the US--92% of all trips involve a car--has no concept that a transit-centric mobility and lifestyle paradigm is even possible. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jrX-sHPFLF3WEyrN5TnvvYtwaHML_d-enr2S9p6_2Zg2IgDW_voIfIhvaPQGxtGg0hdD_G4mVPZzAmRFMDMIZ6wgOxYmxvYsPp8yMOQk543yLqp7Ni1RB_pzRwzp2_kXNqpONw3U9ITm4N7Meox90GyZlnetlFuuAyi1gvjZbHF_a-A-8een5w/s2036/55037208310_c803701b56_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2036" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jrX-sHPFLF3WEyrN5TnvvYtwaHML_d-enr2S9p6_2Zg2IgDW_voIfIhvaPQGxtGg0hdD_G4mVPZzAmRFMDMIZ6wgOxYmxvYsPp8yMOQk543yLqp7Ni1RB_pzRwzp2_kXNqpONw3U9ITm4N7Meox90GyZlnetlFuuAyi1gvjZbHF_a-A-8een5w/w400-h279/55037208310_c803701b56_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>This is why this graphic (via Reddit) is so compelling. Sadly. Because it shows how few areas of the country are at least somewhat transit-centric. </p><p>I always say I was privileged to have lived in DC for 30+ years, where it is possible, practical, and frugal to rely on transit (even better when you add biking, walking, and the occasional car share) rather than having to own a car. Not owning a car at the time supported $100,000 of our mortgage.</p><p>If I were healthy, and maybe with the addition of an electric bike, I probably could live car light, not car free, in Salt Lake. But I am not strong enough yet to be able to use an electric bike, and I have scads of doctors appointments, occasional hospital stays, etc.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDt25IjLuqFvFMeQZOgmi83c6AlecqAY1zUgcZds3XsbB0gqVD2DqZh3u6v37A2p2_U5N2yGvlEgtm3RdANA1Mk_VB8V08OG3xAhfCRDhr8OK9_axiHaHed32enij__JLYhLUSt9A3pyhjSYz6o7o0cAzEVfC9p0lkdUWYrPrQuRv_tm5dy2F-A/s1160/webp.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1160" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDt25IjLuqFvFMeQZOgmi83c6AlecqAY1zUgcZds3XsbB0gqVD2DqZh3u6v37A2p2_U5N2yGvlEgtm3RdANA1Mk_VB8V08OG3xAhfCRDhr8OK9_axiHaHed32enij__JLYhLUSt9A3pyhjSYz6o7o0cAzEVfC9p0lkdUWYrPrQuRv_tm5dy2F-A/s320/webp.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>"<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/04/gasoline-prices-gop-biden-497947">Gasoline is up and GOP sees an easy target: Biden</a>," Politico.</i><p></p><p>Like when President Biden proposed a federal excise tax holiday on gasoline when prices rose, advocates were quick to say, "no, instead make transit free." When comparatively speaking, everyone drives, and they are more concerned about gas prices than transit use.</p><p>What I always argue is that it took 50+ years to build our automobile-centric transportation system, and while it shouldn't take that long to build up a sustainable mobility system, we need to take a variety of steps, including actively helping people take up bicycling and shift trips from the car.</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2024/07/revisiting-assistance-programs-to-get.html">Revisiting assistance programs to get people biking: 26 programs</a>" 2024</p><p>As some people say, "biking is the freedom that car television ads claim to provide."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf85gUr5P3F9_JV9qjJF3c9OOwG1pq4tDaUl2b3638aWs-RQT_knehxM68Cn_FkRZWV7HaTOjBlDsy3FGsl9j60lFtso06VjvcmJXp_3rrYAaZIDELuBMALf5n3EMTQazmSGE_di4F8qOn4Cd5w3LfS60m_etT5uivy-67dlHV2ajgozCcHqG8Vw/s450/9780593850725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf85gUr5P3F9_JV9qjJF3c9OOwG1pq4tDaUl2b3638aWs-RQT_knehxM68Cn_FkRZWV7HaTOjBlDsy3FGsl9j60lFtso06VjvcmJXp_3rrYAaZIDELuBMALf5n3EMTQazmSGE_di4F8qOn4Cd5w3LfS60m_etT5uivy-67dlHV2ajgozCcHqG8Vw/s320/9780593850725.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>This reality is why I didn't bother trying to track down a review copy of the book, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/757609/life-after-cars-by-sarah-goodyear-doug-gordon-and-aaron-naparstek/">Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile</a>, which has received a fair amount of coverage ("<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-10/car-brain-is-making-the-us-unhealthy-and-dangerous-evs-won-t-fix-it">‘Car Brain’ Is Making the US Unhealthy and Dangerous. EVs Won’t Fix It.</a>," Bloomberg). <p></p><p>I think it's great to think of a no car lifestyle as a thought experiment, a way to think about how you get around, and what you can change to do so without a car as much as possible.</p><p>But to argue seriously that it should be the policy of the land, given where we are now, is ludicrous and I would think, for most people is an argument that can't ever be taken seriously.</p><p>Note that I am pleased by recent various pro-sustainable mobility gains:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> electric bikes are successful in shifting trips away from the automobile</li><li>bike sharing systems in DC, New York City, and Toronto are having record years</li><li>each year more and more people take part in Safe Routes to School programs</li><li>coverage within SRTS programming about "bike buses" ("<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08012026/bike-bus-programs-reduce-traffic-and-pollution/">More Children Are Powering Their Own Wheels to School as Part of ‘Bike Buses’</a>," Inside Climate News)</li><li>the expanded use of cargo bikes as alternatives to the car </li><li>winter cycling promotion initiatives including a winter Bike to Work Day in many cities</li><li>and that transit use is rebounding after taking a hit during Covid.</li></ul><p></p><p>Last year's entry, "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/02/20th-anniversary-of-blog-urban_0240069985.html">20th anniversary of the blog| Urban revitalization systems thinking's greatest hits: Part three -- transportation</a>" has links to what I consider to be my best writings on transportation.</p><p>It is possible to shift people away from the car, partly by alternatives, partly by changes to urban form, and the creation of mixed use communities.</p><p>My ability to be mobile waxes and wanes depending on (if any) recent hospitalizations. Before my last trip to the hospital, I was walking two miles per day and doing a variety of exercises. I haven't worked back to that level, but I can walk a mile, better if split half and half.</p><p>Where I live that means I can walk one half mile east to a decent shopping center with a supermarket, Shake Shack, and various other retail in one direction, a little farther from that adds a dry cleaner, shoe repair and copy shop to the range. </p><p>Walking west, another half mile, is a small group of businesses on four corners of a neighborhood intersection with a smaller upscale supermarket, drug store/apparel shop, two restaurants, and salon and light office (for awhile I saw a doctor as my PCP in an office above the direction).</p><p>In yet another direction is another grouping of shops, including where I get my hair cut (sometimes I spring for a razor shave too) where I walked to just last week.</p><p>There's a park in another direction. And if I can walk a bit farther, a neighborhood library (more like 3/4 mile each way).</p><p>Again, it's a privilege to live in a place with access to all those amenities easily reachable by walking or biking. (And by car, two major hospitals within 15 minutes, north and south of where I live, among other amenities.)</p><p>Again/2, if I could bike right now, I'd have access to a great deal more amenities, all in less than a 5 mile radius. </p><p>And that's not even taking advantage of the light rail-based transit shed in the metropolitan area (it's not too proximate for me, the nearest station is almost 3 miles away, on the University of Utah campus). Bus service isn't too bad, but degrades with distance. If you're in the rail transit shed, you can live car light definitely, and depending on where you work, no car.</p><p>My hospital is 5.4 miles away, easily bikeable when I am healthy, not when I am really sick, but takes more than an hour transferring from one bus to another....</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-8463920741394961514 2026-01-16T04:30:00.001-05:00 2026-01-16T04:30:00.114-05:00 Big League City: Big League States | The real advantage is held by the sports teams <p>This is a follow up to "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2026/01/big-league-city-small-cities.html">Big League City: Small Cities</a>."</p><p>========</p><p>Over the decades many teams have left their city and state for locales far away, such as the Indianapolis Colts moving from Baltimore, the Arizona Cardinals from St. Louis, the Houston Oilers to Nashville, and the ur event of the Brooklyn Dodgers to LA and the NY Giants to San Francisco. There are many others, such as the Philadelphia A's to Kansas City to Oakland to Las Vegas.</p><p>But there is a more subtle competition between states that teams can take advantage of when their team is in a metropolitan area that spans state lines. </p><p>A few weeks back there was a blockbuster announcement wrt the Kansas City Chiefs search for a new stadium. A couple years ago, Missouri voters chose not to support a sales tax for the team. Partly this was because it was paired with an underdeveloped proposal for the baseball team too.</p><p>But one advantage a team has on the border with another state is playing the states off each other for the best deal. Sometimes it's a subterfuge, sometimes it's the real thing. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmqSc5DJ5nJd2JN2th9yOw1Sq4PWxXrLqXk4f5FofDk7ufZ7D8rX6G09wbgncoc-C1sKUhK_G22YENLPgDf6Jrqip6D-v1H9TTm6HB83JjB-5_ascAp58Mp1a2M8TTbWuvfXwMSglJzxLi0ee-0QdQBNKJG9K-fRM11dnxq0WD31YkovoaiDZ7Q/s1440/55043424359_c872624ce3_h.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmqSc5DJ5nJd2JN2th9yOw1Sq4PWxXrLqXk4f5FofDk7ufZ7D8rX6G09wbgncoc-C1sKUhK_G22YENLPgDf6Jrqip6D-v1H9TTm6HB83JjB-5_ascAp58Mp1a2M8TTbWuvfXwMSglJzxLi0ee-0QdQBNKJG9K-fRM11dnxq0WD31YkovoaiDZ7Q/s320/55043424359_c872624ce3_h.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Rendering for a new Commanders stadium.</i><p></p><p>The New York Giants and the New York Jets play in New Jersey. </p><p>The New Jersey Nets basketball team moved to Brooklyn and has had some difficulties establishing a new fan base ("<a href="https://www.gq.com/story/brooklyn-nets-fans">Who Are the Brooklyn Nets Fans?</a>," <i>GQ</i>). Although they make it up with international fans ("<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/nets/onsi/news/brooklyn-nets-boast-tremendous-global-fanbase-cavaliers">Brooklyn Nets Boast 'Tremendous' Global Fanbase</a>," <i>Sports Illustrated</i>, "<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/01/09/sports/nets-international-popularity-turned-them-into-nbas-ambassadors/">Nets’ international popularity turned them into NBA’s ambassadors</a>," <i>New York Post</i>).</p><p>he Washington Commanders play in Maryland, not DC, and their headquarters is in Virginia. The team has played Virginia, Maryland, and DC against each other, ending up with a forthcoming stadium in DC. </p><p>Just last year, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin tried to land the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals teams--which were based in Maryland before 1997. </p><p>The Philadelphia 76ers have their arena in Philadelphia and their practice facility in Camden, New Jersey. The Carolina Panthers, based in NC, proposed a practice facility in SC. </p><p><b>Intra-metropolitan area moves can be economically significant</b>. Teams went through a period of leaving the center city and moving to the suburbs, then returning (while some are still moving out to the suburbs like the Atlanta Braves, San Francisco 49ers, and the Buffalo Bills).</p><p>Most economic research, conducted at the metropolitan scale, doesn't find much economic benefit from teams, as households have a budget for entertainment, and what they spend on sports attendance usually comes at the expense of other forms of entertainment.</p><p><b><i>DC</i></b>. As one example, in DC coming out of a multi-decade period of disinvestment in the 1990s, that the basketball and hockey teams moved back to the city was a big deal. It helped speed up development in the east end of the city, brought new businesses to restaurants and retailers, and provided a reason for suburbanites to "re-sample" the city. Something similar happened with the Washington Nationals, although that team moved from Montreal. But there was a proposal for a stadium in Virginia, and the city would have lost out from the push it gave to development in the Navy Yard.</p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrJe5X9MHwjp6wj1ICtlTneTNJDe-dS1IbXecDzle5UrFgHmBtKvYguAusKxVrekS5iJNcmELQBCfZqBZNs0uzfz2_2gen6dJEdlo4JYkEJ7JeRFRHny71sW7_NIgCo4kE9HYkmbiM2Zb8NlCOToDqPF1Nc_JzhzQz768uNzs6cmuh592Ynjsdg/s630/download%20(1).png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="630" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrJe5X9MHwjp6wj1ICtlTneTNJDe-dS1IbXecDzle5UrFgHmBtKvYguAusKxVrekS5iJNcmELQBCfZqBZNs0uzfz2_2gen6dJEdlo4JYkEJ7JeRFRHny71sW7_NIgCo4kE9HYkmbiM2Zb8NlCOToDqPF1Nc_JzhzQz768uNzs6cmuh592Ynjsdg/s320/download%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></i></div><i>The Barclays Center. | AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams</i><p></p><p><b><i>Brooklyn</i></b>. Similarly, the Nets moving from Newark to Brooklyn anchored a new arena in Brooklyn, giving the borough some development energy vis a vis Manhattan ("<a href="https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2016/05/the-barclays-effect-051473">The Barclays Effect</a>,"<i> Politico</i>, "<a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/290600/brooklyn-brings-it-barclays-center-set-to-make-an-instant-impact-as-nyc-entertainment-option-2/">Brooklyn brings it: Barclays Center set to make an instant impact as NYC entertainment option</a>," Global News), home to the Knicks in basketball, Rangers in hockey, and of course the Yankees baseball team, a perennial World Series competitor ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/nyregion/a-nascent-rivalry-for-nets-and-knicks-fans.html">A Nascent Rivalry for the Fans, Too</a>," <i>NYT</i>). </p><p>Still what matters is how that new energy is harnessed. DC doesn't make much in taxes from the teams, but it has reaped a fair amount of development of office, retail, and housing, an undeterminable amount generated by the teams. This is probably true for other similar sited facilities across the country.</p><p><b><i>Intra-city moves</i></b>. Another wrinkle is moves within a city. For example, the Baltimore Orioles from a neighborhood-anchored stadium to a facility within Downtown. It could leverage new development in a manner that the neighborhood site wouldn't support. </p><p>I also think that Philadelphia would have benefited if the 76ers moved Downtown from its car centric location to one well served by transit. Besides the transit benefits, it would have provided new energy to a Downtown that still lags.</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGNJ3vlITP5mVj9KS_GG-2UOXqnwdkX9QHNSwX9jvNRnBiM058ORNLEdu6XchDYVBEZ8XtDOHy-8Khd8UkVKxU423SvIskUDk5vP5y-iHHg1YXqj2igvE9-Jo4rGRADERud7FV8UZcbYapy8ZOY9_GKkm5AxIGiW7SXhl9Ax6Hoj6YFmmfUVb-A/s233/images%20(7).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="216" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGNJ3vlITP5mVj9KS_GG-2UOXqnwdkX9QHNSwX9jvNRnBiM058ORNLEdu6XchDYVBEZ8XtDOHy-8Khd8UkVKxU423SvIskUDk5vP5y-iHHg1YXqj2igvE9-Jo4rGRADERud7FV8UZcbYapy8ZOY9_GKkm5AxIGiW7SXhl9Ax6Hoj6YFmmfUVb-A/s1600/images%20(7).jpg" width="216" /></a><b></b></div><b>Kansas City Chiefs</b>. A few weeks ago there was the earth shattering news that the Kansas City Chiefs will leave Missouri--voters in KC had rejected a sales tax referendum to fund a new stadium--for a blockbuster deal in Kansas, with financial benefits DOUBLE than typically received ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/12/30/kansas-city-chiefs-stadium-proposal/">Kansas still has time to reverse course on an awful stadium subsidy</a>," <i>Washington Post</i>).<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>The state of Kansas is set to smash records for public-financed stadium deals, joining D.C. in that ignominious pantheon. The tentative agreement the state has made with the Chiefs directly provides $2.775 billion in public funding. This is likely far below the final price tag, with one estimate putting the total public cost at $6.3 billion over 30 years.</p>
<p>Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) insists that the agreement includes “no new state taxes” and “no impact on the current state budget.” If it’s true that Kansas can give billions of dollars to the Chiefs without raising anyone’s taxes, that raises the question of why Kansas couldn’t spend this magic money on highways or education — or return it to the taxpayers it was taken from.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Washington DC is prepared to provide about $1 billion in infrastructure and other improvements. The State of New York is paying more than $1 billion for a new Buffalo Bills stadium. </p><p><b>Kansas: now is a Big League State</b>. The <i>Post</i> argues that the team is worth almost $7 billion and the owners over $25 billion so they should be able to pay for it themselves. But Kansas really wanted it, to be a "Big League State" ("<a href="https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-leaders-react-chiefs-moving-new-stadium/69842782">'A game-changer for Kansas': Kansas leaders react to Chiefs' move across state line</a>," KMBC/ABC).</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The Chiefs will build a new, $3 billion stadium in Wyandotte County. The team will also open a new headquarters and training facility in Olathe, Kansas. "Today, Kansas won the Super Bowl," Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson said. "This is a huge win for Kansas."
Masterson said the boost is something Kansas really needed. He said he is excited for the deal and what it means for fans, the team and the state.</p>
<p>"This will create thousands of construction jobs, billions in economic activity and bring millions of new visitors to our state," Masterson said. "Best of all, this incredible deal will not cost Kansas taxpayers one penny.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Besides the price tag, the forthcoming move is seen as a slap in the face of the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area, as well as Missouri more generally. It's not like Missouri wasn't offering a lot of money for them to stay ("<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nfl/article-15407691/chiefs-arrowhead-kansas-stadium-move.html">Chiefs fans blast 'dumb' decision to turn down $1.5billion to stay at Arrowhead for $3b Kansas stadium</a>," <i>Daily Mail</i>), and they didn't believe the team was interested in moving across state lines.</p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5spR_YDFYHhoNvjyLCcSei0NcR8Oh4OApjVoyoANHBhV0S1Vr7wvWQrOtkNgI88HKRcH4OrcZLrBg-x6tzRxLQmtsmROJ6-dDzUYpL2J3jtoWGcVMAoPmVawUbXTIhp7cy_DWkbmvXLK6p5eVBQC0oSiBqpT8aQvLgt74gr2sZZSYY6iHKUMs3g/s1920/a9d143b5-ad10-4ed9-ae00-78cc2be98f95_1920x1080.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5spR_YDFYHhoNvjyLCcSei0NcR8Oh4OApjVoyoANHBhV0S1Vr7wvWQrOtkNgI88HKRcH4OrcZLrBg-x6tzRxLQmtsmROJ6-dDzUYpL2J3jtoWGcVMAoPmVawUbXTIhp7cy_DWkbmvXLK6p5eVBQC0oSiBqpT8aQvLgt74gr2sZZSYY6iHKUMs3g/s320/a9d143b5-ad10-4ed9-ae00-78cc2be98f95_1920x1080.jpg" width="320" /></a><i></i></div><i>St. Louis Cardinals fans offer their thanks for the memories with a sign among the empty seat at Busch Stadium during the St. Louis Cardinals-New York Giants football game in afternoon on Sunday, Dec. 14, 1987 in St. Louis. The sign is in reference to the team’s owner, Bill Bidwill, plans to movie his football team to another city. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)</i><p></p><p><b><i>Missouri is still a Big League State</i></b> with professional baseball in Kansas City, and baseball and hockey teams in St. Louis. </p><p>Although St. Louis' Big League status took a hit when the football Cardinals left in 1988 ("<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/sports/the-end-of-the-big-red-in-st-louis/63-1c6474bf-e6f3-4c00-9919-3978753c1a7a">The end of the 'Big Red' in St. Louis</a>," KSDK-TV). They recovered when the Rams moved to the city from LA--only for the Rams to return to LA 10 years later ("<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/01/12/los-angeles-rams-10-year-anniversary-nfl-return/88139540007/">The LA Rams 10 years after return continue to build something special</a>," USA Today) . Although with this move, St. Louis got a big legal settlement ("<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-business-st-louis-stan-kroenke-5bfcf3c13a895bff1d244beb461992b4">Deal finalized to divide Rams settlement money in St. Louis</a>," AP).</p><p><b>Indiana versus Chicago for the Bears</b>. The Chicago Bears have been working for a couple years for a new stadium deal but the city and state is still on the hook for $550 million in debt on the last renovation. The City wants to keep the team, but the state hasn't been inclined to come up with incentives. </p><p>As part of the process, the Bears bought the old Arlington Race Track in the suburbs with plans to move there. One hang up has been an unwillingness for the local jurisdictions like the school district to give up a lot of tax concessions ("<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/why-bears-arlington-heights-plan-suddenly-looks-real">The Bears' Indiana feint may be paying off — in Arlington Heights</a>," <i>Crain's Chicago Business</i>). The team is asking for $835 million in incentives (<a href="https://cms2.revize.com/revize/arlington/Departments/Planning%20&%20Community%20Development/Developments%20&%20Projects/Arlington%20Park%20Project/Arlington%20Park%202025/HR&A%20Arlington%20Heights%20Economic%20Impact%20July%202025.pdf?t=202509301045420&t=202509301045420">A New Stadium and Mixed-Use District in Arlington Heights: Economic & Fiscal Impact Report</a>, HRA).</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2ctroo-YXB6-LS5juNsh2oD4v2zdAu9EpAfsxlwj9c2st0F0kIpkVuuzMsU6Q2gh-c7fdaPUdZm-s1wOhnRFMFdQV1RTgkey_WcXQT59663u-1FMp_QB8aA2o63bWRTSIyo8dTzwSzzkJSm0gt28kkMCMqPYN1MQAQRsTfuqvTY6St1gKcNrOg/s2511/mbuj01g6ws691.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2061" data-original-width="2511" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2ctroo-YXB6-LS5juNsh2oD4v2zdAu9EpAfsxlwj9c2st0F0kIpkVuuzMsU6Q2gh-c7fdaPUdZm-s1wOhnRFMFdQV1RTgkey_WcXQT59663u-1FMp_QB8aA2o63bWRTSIyo8dTzwSzzkJSm0gt28kkMCMqPYN1MQAQRsTfuqvTY6St1gKcNrOg/s320/mbuj01g6ws691.png" width="320" /></a><b></b></div><b>More dough in Indiana? (The metropolitan area of Chicagoland includes Indiana)</b>. The Bears have electrified the discussion by announcing they're looking at neighboring Indiana, a stretch but still part of "Chicagoland," for a new stadium ("<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/sports/bears-eye-indiana-pritzker-says-illinois-talks-continue">Pritzker keeps door open to Bears as Indiana stadium threat heats up</a>," "<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/indiana-governor-braun-mentions-bears-pursuit-address">Indiana governor name-checks Bears in state of the state address</a>," "<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/sports/bears-eye-indiana-pritzker-says-illinois-talks-continue">Pritzker keeps door open to Bears as Indiana stadium threat heats up</a>," "<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/sports/chicago-bears-news-indiana-lawmakers-mull-stadium-agency">As the Bears mull a move, Indiana lawmakers make way for a new stadium authority</a>," <i>Crain's Chicago Business</i>).<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>Indiana Gov. Mike Braun tonight used his pursuit of the Chicago Bears as an applause line and validation of his state’s appeal to businesses.</p><p>After mentioning recent expansions by U.S. Steel in Gary and BP in Whiting during his annual state of the state address, Braun said: “It’s not surprising that another organization noticed Indiana is open for business: the Chicago Bears.”</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Like the Kansas deal for the Chiefs, this has come as a shock to Chicago-focused stakeholders.</p><p><b>Chicago: Multiple stadium requests add up to a lot of money</b>. One of the problems for Chicago is that it faces multiple demands for sports stadium/arena subsidies. The men's soccer team will self-fund its stadium but probably wants infrastructure and other improvements.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>a new White Sox baseball stadium ("<a href="https://talksport.com/sport/baseball/3403902/mlb-chicago-white-sox-stadium-relocation-takeover-ownership/">MLB team facing relocation after 131 years with $2bn ballpark on rocks and mogul plotting takeover</a>," talkSport, "<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/philrogers/2025/09/22/white-sox-lose-stadium-direction-with-mls-fire-claiming-the-78/">White Sox Lose Stadium Direction With MLS’ Fire Claiming ‘The 78’</a>," <i>Forbes</i>).</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgduAd5GbdBdWsmCu9z_d8lY0C6YAA1fyw_F1vrvHjEzpEioORVF4ZjEf4ok888mJipvOKmz6P2TbnpEfHLCovwBUnassWM4mU5lI60i3vJ_AXC7dMDBzJndlWcEbALV2jGkqgvQAnX5F5en1sVOqie-pHK3cQuI3vWLs97i5ZI2_5KT06ejpNA/s750/image%20(8).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="750" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgduAd5GbdBdWsmCu9z_d8lY0C6YAA1fyw_F1vrvHjEzpEioORVF4ZjEf4ok888mJipvOKmz6P2TbnpEfHLCovwBUnassWM4mU5lI60i3vJ_AXC7dMDBzJndlWcEbALV2jGkqgvQAnX5F5en1sVOqie-pHK3cQuI3vWLs97i5ZI2_5KT06ejpNA/s320/image%20(8).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Owners of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks plan a $7 billion development of the area around the United Center, at center, including a new concert hall, restaurants, retail, hotel rooms and apartments. </i><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>a new arena for the Chicago Bulls basketball team ("<a href="https://www.costar.com/article/2145772015/bulls-blackhawks-owners-plan-7-billion-development-around-chicagos-united-center">Bulls, Blackhawks Owners Plan $7 Billion Development Around Chicago’s United Center</a>," CoStar)</li><li>and soccer stadiums for men ("<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-fire-reveal-plans-for-new-stadium-in-chicagos-south-loop/">Chicago Fire stadium plans revealed for $650 million facility in Chicago</a>," CBS) and women ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6623616/2025/10/31/chicago-stars-nwsl-future/">Chicago Stars are not letting a poor 2025 stop them from dreaming about a stadium and the future</a>," <i>New York Times</i>).</li></ul><div>and the teams each compete with each other for development deals. </div><p></p><p><b>Teams, not the localities, are in charge</b>. As mentioned earlier, a problem for government is that the teams, not the government drive the discussion ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/11/another-example-of-rfps-versus-plans.html">Another example of RFPs versus plans and letting developers set the agenda: stadium projects in Chicago</a>") and in certain situations, there are counterparties like Indiana, that want to play too.</p><p><b>Indiana is already a "Big League State"</b> with the Indianapolis Colts football team and Indiana Hoosiers basketball team. Plus the state university, Indiana University, looks to become a football power, when football had always been a poor relation to basketball.</p><p>But this can be a way for the Indiana side of Chicagoland to play bigger and harder, when certain parts of the area need real help (see the discussion of Gary and Elkart here, "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/11/community-revitalization-initiatives.html">Community revitalization initiatives for smaller communities | marginal attraction of people and commerce even in small amounts makes a difference</a>"). One plus, the South Shore Line, the nation's last interurban transit service, still runs between Chicago and Northern Indiana, and it's about to launch an extension a bit deeper into Indiana. </p><p><b>Conclusion</b>. I think we can look at state competition for teams at two scales. )1) Large scale moves such as the Oakland Raiders move from California to Nevada or the Colts from Maryland to Indiana. (2) And Intra-metropolitan area competition for teams is a subtly different wrinkle on team relocation and subsidy deals.</p><p>===========</p><p>Past entries on professional sports and cities include:</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/03/framework-of-characteristics-that.html">Framework of characteristics that support successful community development in association with the development of professional sports facilities</a>," 2021</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/02/revisiting-framework-of-characteristics.html">Revisiting "Framework of characteristics that support successful community development in association with the development of professional sports facilities" and the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team + Phoenix Coyotes hockey</a>," 2022<bbr>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2014/01/stadiums-and-arenas-as-enabling.html">Stadiums and arenas as the enabling infrastructure for "money-making" platforms</a>," 2014<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2024/04/good-quote-on-arenas-and-stadiums-as.html">Good quote on arenas and stadiums as "performing arts centers" attractions for cities</a>," 2024<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/09/sports-facilities-and-reproduction-of.html">Sports facilities and the reproduction of retail space often doesn't work for the locals</a>," 2025<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/07/you-get-what-you-plan-for-multi-use.html">You get what you plan for: the multi-use Miami Hard Rock Stadium versus typical football stadiums | Washington Commanders</a>," 2025<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/11/another-example-of-rfps-versus-plans.html">Another example of RFPs versus plans and letting developers set the agenda: stadium projects in Chicago</a>," 2025</bbr></p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 2 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-5048601874833412972 2026-01-15T15:59:00.000-05:00 2026-01-15T15:59:59.860-05:00 Former Albuquerque Mayor David Rusk dies at 85 <p> -- "<a href="https://www.abqjournal.com/news/david-rusk-former-albuquerque-mayor-and-son-of-us-secretary-of-state-dies/2958842">David Rusk, former Albuquerque mayor and son of US secretary of state, dies</a>," <i>Albuquerque Journal</i></p><p>Rusk was mayor rom 1977 to 1981 and among his accomplishments was an expansion of public transit hiring women for important positions in government, and investments in arts and culture.</p><p>But his impact was more important nationally, after his term ended. He contributed significantly to the national discourse on urban revitalization, calling attention to suburban sprawl and how it depopulates and defunds center cities.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E2Ve0_glYsRcg3s_MTg4bGEb4jRlphYNC7qYpEvDxCdZnj578zm15rcZApawA-cyculSOLgCMv6iEJU1lmqXRBBgiKLVYR5qrblkickzWFLFlOLHwvAnwgoBVKBsx64JScuHm8vNqRRdRxvV0_SBcKAuqWGaTUYv35zU5E3Aebt-LaDYJkGdAg/s1360/81wxqe2k1TL._SL1360_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E2Ve0_glYsRcg3s_MTg4bGEb4jRlphYNC7qYpEvDxCdZnj578zm15rcZApawA-cyculSOLgCMv6iEJU1lmqXRBBgiKLVYR5qrblkickzWFLFlOLHwvAnwgoBVKBsx64JScuHm8vNqRRdRxvV0_SBcKAuqWGaTUYv35zU5E3Aebt-LaDYJkGdAg/s320/81wxqe2k1TL._SL1360_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Rusk took positions in the federal government, was a consultant, wrote many books on urban problems, especially around sprawl and defunding of center cities.<p></p><p>Two of his books remain important and have for decades.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Game-Outside-Winning-Strategies/dp/0815776519">Inside Game Outside Game: Winning Strategies for Saving Urban America</a> and <a href="https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/10948/cities-without-suburbs">Cities without Suburbs</a>, discussed rebalancing suburban-centric metropolitan areas towards center city revitalization. </p><p>The theses were that cities over focused on anti-poverty programs rather than growth and growth management, which should be facilitated by sharing tax revenues, and planning growth and housing at the regional scale. </p><p>Separately, <a href="https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/1187/baltimore-unbound">Baltimore Unbound</a> attributes the city's problems to concentrated poverty and segregation vis a vis the Metropolitan area.</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-7845983827842924888 2026-01-14T04:00:00.047-05:00 2026-01-14T16:09:17.720-05:00 Big League City: Small Cities <p>Past entries on professional sports and cities include:</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/03/framework-of-characteristics-that.html">Framework of characteristics that support successful community development in association with the development of professional sports facilities</a>," 2021</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/02/revisiting-framework-of-characteristics.html">Revisiting "Framework of characteristics that support successful community development in association with the development of professional sports facilities" and the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team + Phoenix Coyotes hockey</a>," 2022<bbr>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2014/01/stadiums-and-arenas-as-enabling.html">Stadiums and arenas as the enabling infrastructure for "money-making" platforms</a>," 2014<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2024/04/good-quote-on-arenas-and-stadiums-as.html">Good quote on arenas and stadiums as "performing arts centers" attractions for cities</a>," 2024<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/09/sports-facilities-and-reproduction-of.html">Sports facilities and the reproduction of retail space often doesn't work for the locals</a>," 2025<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/07/you-get-what-you-plan-for-multi-use.html">You get what you plan for: the multi-use Miami Hard Rock Stadium versus typical football stadiums | Washington Commanders</a>," 2025<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/11/another-example-of-rfps-versus-plans.html">Another example of RFPs versus plans and letting developers set the agenda: stadium projects in Chicago</a>," 2025</bbr></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl55_z7BthQY1bB-wB5py_ocic52TZwalYVaB4OZbuyKWdJoMomqrIg-MfncPCMqg3cCho00aw_AYZQcZEPQil8F1oF9duT5EkaIOi_XZuqbJ4IIR2p7zJihCWLClq-1vnTHL44nnn-z9Enc4KFAWjC3aRDCI-0r9sTIMqByDQsBz0J1PiGfdi3Q/s425/91lb--fmlFL._SY425_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl55_z7BthQY1bB-wB5py_ocic52TZwalYVaB4OZbuyKWdJoMomqrIg-MfncPCMqg3cCho00aw_AYZQcZEPQil8F1oF9duT5EkaIOi_XZuqbJ4IIR2p7zJihCWLClq-1vnTHL44nnn-z9Enc4KFAWjC3aRDCI-0r9sTIMqByDQsBz0J1PiGfdi3Q/s320/91lb--fmlFL._SY425_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>While I write a lot about government and how it makes decisions, it's been very rare that I've ever been an insider on specific acts. (It happens but not very much.) <p></p><p>The book <i>Big League City</i> by David Holt, formerly chief of staff to then Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, is an insiders tale of how Oklahoma City entered "the Big Leagues" by having the Seattle SuperSonics team move to OKC, renamed as the Thunder. </p><p>(Unfortunately, the book is out of print. I paid a lot for my copy. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-League-City-Oklahoma-Paperback/dp/B011MBC4EU">Now I'm p*** there is a much cheaper copy available today on Amazon!</a>)</p><p>Note that as of 2018, Holt has been serving as the Mayor of OKC.</p><p>While reading it, I was struck by a couple points I identified in the culture-based revitalization series I wrote in association with a project that the EU National Institutes of Culture Washington Chapter did in Baltimore ("<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170626010106/https://europeinbaltimore.org/richard-layman-reflects-on-eu-in-baltimore-and-blog/">Richard Layman Reflects on EU in Baltimore and Blog</a>").</p><p><b>Liverpool and setting bold goals</b>. Writing about Liverpool, I noted that they were bold and visionary in their master plan by declaring their aim to be named a <a href="https://culture.ec.europa.eu/policies/culture-in-cities-and-regions/about-european-capitals-of-culture">European Capital of Culture</a> in that EU program, years before the UK was even slated to host the event ("<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150919155549/https://europeinbaltimore.org/liverpool-regeneration-as-a-process-for-regaining-relevance-at-the-regional-national-and-global-scales/">Liverpool regeneration as a process for regaining relevance at the regional, national, and global scales</a>"). </p><p>That gave them years of additional preparation time over cities that only answered the call once it became official and so Liverpool had a big advantage. They held the event in 2008.</p><p><b>Bilbao and action in the face of unplanned opportunities</b>. Similarly, I wrote about the value of being open to serendipity, having a plan and framework in place, but the flexibility to respond to new opportunities as they are presented. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBaqmT2Tp41FXNBFj4Qqch7QImEoXHsX5Zve0jcPgeYs_fT9tqh5XOuZ0au2yuwExerWS05xOfmqhj5M5wuXita_7RtNXt7dzPnvinp69Mhx7ReFrilQN8fBzyOCYvd2a-SntIerWPVbjnKVeS92gpNdR44E9uqJd3gLX6jH5i6a__GJG49MW9A/s1024/MGB_5-002-1024x769.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBaqmT2Tp41FXNBFj4Qqch7QImEoXHsX5Zve0jcPgeYs_fT9tqh5XOuZ0au2yuwExerWS05xOfmqhj5M5wuXita_7RtNXt7dzPnvinp69Mhx7ReFrilQN8fBzyOCYvd2a-SntIerWPVbjnKVeS92gpNdR44E9uqJd3gLX6jH5i6a__GJG49MW9A/s320/MGB_5-002-1024x769.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The example I used was Bilbao and its recruitment of the first international location of the Guggenheim Museum. Graz, Austria was the city that the Guggenheim approached, and the citizens said no. <p></p><p>Bilbao leapt to action, having a broader plan, implementation organization and financing mechanisms already in place.</p><p>Getting the Museum repositioned Bilbao as an international destination for architourism--but it was a lot more than that, see "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/10/why-cant-bilbao-effect-be-reproduced.html">Why can't the "Bilbao Effect" be reproduced? | Bilbao as an example of Transformational Projects Action Planning</a>."</p><p><b>Oklahoma City: Metropolitan Area Projects</b>. <b><i>OKC is no less bold than Liverpool and Bilbao</i></b> in having created and is continuing to implement a robust plan for building its core. </p><p>I've mentioned a bunch of times that OKC is one of the most innovative cities in the US because of how it continues to invest in big infrastructure projects through a program called Metropolitan Area Projects, funded as pay as you go with sales taxes ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/07/change-isnt-usually-that-simple.html">Change isn't usually that simple: The repatterning of Oklahoma City's Downtown Streetscape</a>"). </p><p>Former Mayor Mick Cornett has written a book, partly on MAPS, called <i>The Next American City</i> about investing in the nation's smaller cities. I highly recommend it.</p><p>MAPS has been through four cycles formally, but they have used the same process for arena investments, and they don't call it MAPS. </p><p><b>Oklahoma City: determined to get a professional sports team</b></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbAOSgxqSWVYPlcUGMSOzK72SImT6sU_m4LOfQunjRohUiYbIpt2DjOliansyR6URHfshPHjTrxdWecSJsMjKC_M5_qEnh9Ozj74WI0rMrdYrCSGFYSHtZwHFUJdplRZFQAE5c-0A8ODsW0xTxUJrWNfD4eGwAvsvPTxJwOggU7YqW-918KvtDg/s500/unnamed%20(20).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="500" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbAOSgxqSWVYPlcUGMSOzK72SImT6sU_m4LOfQunjRohUiYbIpt2DjOliansyR6URHfshPHjTrxdWecSJsMjKC_M5_qEnh9Ozj74WI0rMrdYrCSGFYSHtZwHFUJdplRZFQAE5c-0A8ODsW0xTxUJrWNfD4eGwAvsvPTxJwOggU7YqW-918KvtDg/s320/unnamed%20(20).jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i>Chesapeake Arena: Ready for action.</i><p></p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Building relationships with the leagues. </i>Mayor Cornett leveraged his participation in the US Conference of Mayors to set up appointments with the leaders of the NBA and NHL, and was able to do it without drawing publicity.</p><p><b><i>Building an arena.</i></b> Hoping to land a pro team, one of the MAPS initiatives was building a suitable arena. The city's hired consultant said maybe they could land a hockey team, but basketball was out of the question, due to OKC's small media market.</p><p><b><i>Building a reputable ownership group</i></b>. While Cornett had been a tv sports reporter, he knew little about ownership circles. To make a credible effort to land a team, a group of well monied people with connections to sports had to be constructed. </p><p>(Note that this is why Nashville's efforts to land an MLB team are likely to fail. They don't have money behind them. They are pushing their bid based on sentiment, when dollars and cents are what matters. See: "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4085693/2023/01/16/nashville-mlb-expansion-team/">MLB expansion: Nashville group led by Dave Stewart makes a pitch for Music City</a>," <i>NYT</i>.)</p><p>It turned out that a member of the Gaylord Family--they owned the <i>Daily Oklahoman</i> and hospitality interests including the Grand Ole' Opry in Nashville and convention hotels around the county--had been a part owner of the San Antonio Spurs. When meeting, the NBA Commissioner suggested that Cornett meet with him, Clay Bennett.</p><p><b><i>The arena as an available venue | demonstrating the potential for success</i></b>. Then, in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina made it impossible for the pro basketball team the New Orleans Hornets to play in their city, OKC was able to jump in and offer an already outfitted arena to host--and the minor league hockey team there had few conflicts when it came to the already set 2005 basketball schedule. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zi4hU64-W28plHpNjBcPifcs9IfpYBjlx5mtq6lGckA42B4mp-_HVTXitQKs60eSgMnja4E_YyIP63RQbXG_mrTK2127sccP4vmBCJBqRE188X7DrIbpumnd613cHG5GNDAaIyUom0kIZ8Ui79Dwl240uNPYq78gdCnWHbpFHNQctcE_W9UohA/s914/GzsUe2hXsAMWCDE.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="914" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zi4hU64-W28plHpNjBcPifcs9IfpYBjlx5mtq6lGckA42B4mp-_HVTXitQKs60eSgMnja4E_YyIP63RQbXG_mrTK2127sccP4vmBCJBqRE188X7DrIbpumnd613cHG5GNDAaIyUom0kIZ8Ui79Dwl240uNPYq78gdCnWHbpFHNQctcE_W9UohA/s320/GzsUe2hXsAMWCDE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Hornets ended up in OKC for two seasons, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. <p></p><p>It was very successful, the arena mostly was sold out and the team had better attendance than most of the league. So the Hornets owner wanted to stay in OKC but couldn't because of other commitments. The 2007-2008 season was dark in Ford Arena ("<a href="https://www.oklahoman.com/picture-gallery/sports/nba/thunder/2014/02/22/looking-back-the-oklahoma-city-hornets/8952754007/">Looking Back: the Oklahoma City Hornets</a>," <i>Daily Oklahoman</i>),</p><p><b><i>Hockey as the next step after the Hornets?</i></b> Even after the great success of the Hornets, OKC's Mayor didn't think the city had a strong enough case based on the local market size and the potential for television revenues to host an NBA team permanently. </p><p>Therefore they were prepared to settle for a hockey team. But by the time the Hornets returned to New Orleans, the window for hockey expansion had closed.</p><p><b><i>Seattle SuperSonics wanted a new arena, were rebuffed</i></b>. While OKC had an arena capable of hosting a team, owners in Seattle needed a new "platform" as the KeyArena was aging, and the city and state weren't willing to subsidize it. </p><p>Disappointed, the Seattle-based owners sold the team to a group of OKC businesspeople that had been constructed to buy a team. They agreed to continue to make the case for a new arena in Seattle, and then only after rejection, could they move the team. Subsequently the city and state didn't offer subsidies, and despite a strong effort by fans to keep the team, and later, lawsuits, the team was free to move ("<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/10-years-ago-today-the-sonics-moved-from-seattle-to-oklahoma-city/">10 years ago today, the Sonics moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City</a>," <i>Seattle Times</i>).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHHoGLD0gUcLQmN9KsY5mAMja6cwWcJpDYJivQOQfAKJ4EXD7D19nhZOuFYl-1p6vUzm8l5bsSCkpoA41IJ7MVSjwPMWnfweqRzZidZJAezykjuWBp_RvJe2rhr45vweW0cdCk58ew-WlxCTLnMB2Cr_vO8kFGPh91sZwo2nL0OkKgluC0ZR_Xw/s1024/DhHV8d-UYAEG7oW.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="558" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHHoGLD0gUcLQmN9KsY5mAMja6cwWcJpDYJivQOQfAKJ4EXD7D19nhZOuFYl-1p6vUzm8l5bsSCkpoA41IJ7MVSjwPMWnfweqRzZidZJAezykjuWBp_RvJe2rhr45vweW0cdCk58ew-WlxCTLnMB2Cr_vO8kFGPh91sZwo2nL0OkKgluC0ZR_Xw/w217-h400/DhHV8d-UYAEG7oW.webp" width="217" /></a></div><p>FWIW, 12 years later the Seattle Kraken hockey team began play, after a new arena was constructed under the old KeyArena roof ("<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2021/07/22/seattle-kraken-bring-hockey-hope-back-city-post-pandemic/8039376002/">Seattle Kraken put community first, hockey second in lead-up to inaugural season</a>," <i>USA Today</i>).</p><p><b><i>In the mean time: more improvements to the OKC arena</i></b>. In the meantime, OKC used the MAPS process to put more improvements into the arena and to build a standalone practice facility. (More recently the city has voted to tax itself again for yet <a href="https://okcthunder.com/arena/">a newer arena</a>.)</p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5xmirUYBH_FKqW51Xv02paVz2ndzaJhjVgtbAt036NI-A_8anqx1ksJjptAfJOm0DSXrOFIBEmQui5mwTKeYq2jA8D57s02y39ibylkr2AAkk5LKG6uh2h-GfMM_oUZuQhExJTkHJsrWMUCo9OSRgmfiphUQ9g8CWto997M6TvJ0gkQCu1YKOA/s759/84274595007-screenshot-1962025-113248.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5xmirUYBH_FKqW51Xv02paVz2ndzaJhjVgtbAt036NI-A_8anqx1ksJjptAfJOm0DSXrOFIBEmQui5mwTKeYq2jA8D57s02y39ibylkr2AAkk5LKG6uh2h-GfMM_oUZuQhExJTkHJsrWMUCo9OSRgmfiphUQ9g8CWto997M6TvJ0gkQCu1YKOA/s320/84274595007-screenshot-1962025-113248.webp" width="169" /></a><b><i></i></b></div><b><i>We know how it turned out: OKC got the team</i></b>. With sound leadership, since their launch in the 2008-2009 season, they made the NBA Championship Finals once while losing, made it into the playoffs a number of times.<div><br /></div><div>In 2025, after 16 years, the team won the NBA Championships for the first time, with analysts saying they will continue to contend for years to come.<p></p><p><b>Becoming a big(ger) league city</b>. <b><i>Sports as popular culture</i></b>. Holt's thesis is that in the post-industrial economy, culture is key, athletes and teams and the fanfare around teams keeps sports top of mind, and therefore having professional sports teams helps to define, position, and bring attention to your community.</p><p>No question that since the NBA is increasingly a worldwide phenomenon, people all over the world are aware of Oklahoma City and they likely wouldn't have otherwise but for the team.</p><p>He admits that perhaps pride in having city "membership" in the "guild" of cities with professional teams matters more to cities originally without a team or with a limited number of teams. That in the case of OKC and Seattle, the latter wasn't as motivated to come up with public funds for an arena, because they already had professional football and baseball teams, for which they already provided hundreds of millions of dollars, and that OKC, without any professional team at all, was highly motivated.</p><p><b>How much does a professional sports shape local identity and national positioning? Does a pro team matter more to smaller cities?</b> I just don't know. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdqNNjeJ_S4jry-1JHVTENsWQ6IOs8C4JohwO71K3f6e5vprr5uQvY5wcEGc1iO8bP6Jm815_vvqSkJ3QpcFOiTIx_KUuqHhOBqr4h3dyVwFNIL2CJ7lFb1zTk93xt02KmYQNYyI-dm6HPaWXJqkunDDKtjXcBJANxp6OSoVMqqOQgJgHuFEWHg/s1600/memorial-service-Alfred-P-Murrah-Federal-Building-Oklahoma-City-1995-after-Oklahoma-City-Bombing.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdqNNjeJ_S4jry-1JHVTENsWQ6IOs8C4JohwO71K3f6e5vprr5uQvY5wcEGc1iO8bP6Jm815_vvqSkJ3QpcFOiTIx_KUuqHhOBqr4h3dyVwFNIL2CJ7lFb1zTk93xt02KmYQNYyI-dm6HPaWXJqkunDDKtjXcBJANxp6OSoVMqqOQgJgHuFEWHg/s320/memorial-service-Alfred-P-Murrah-Federal-Building-Oklahoma-City-1995-after-Oklahoma-City-Bombing.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p>Partly the city is a massive suburb because of wanton annexation. By the 1980s, it no longer had a strongly defined Downtown core.</p>MAPS was a response to United Airlines rejecting the OKC airport as a site for a major maintenance facility, because executives couldn't see wanting to live there because of the lack of amenities. <p></p><p>The city definitely was shattered moreso in 1995 when the Murrah Federal Building was blown up by a domestic terrorist. </p><p>Such an act would have a major effect on any city and its self-confidence and sense of worth. OKC was no exception.</p><p>Yet the city continued to push forward and overall, MAPS changed the reality and the narrative, and provided a multitude of reasons for locals and visitors to go Downtown--a watercourse on the Oklahoma River, a revitalized Bricktown neighborhood--or to live in the city--MAPS2, called MAPS4Kids rebuilt schools across the city, attracting new residents to the core. Etc. </p><p>From a community pride and self-worth perspective, despite those setbacks, because of its place in the natural gas and oil industries, the city was already a major economic player. Although the fossil fuel industry is known for its peaks and valleys ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/06/oklahoma-city-aubrey-mcclendon-and.html">Oklahoma City, Aubrey McClendon and Chesapeake Energy (now in bankruptcy)</a>"). People from those industries were key investors in the Thunder and other civic ventures.</p><p>Nonetheless, many people didn't consider OKC a city in the same way as a place like Boston because of the swath of suburbs. In fact, So there was definitely a lack of self-confidence, which to the city's credit, resulted in self-investment.</p><p><b>As metropolitan areas grow, economic acknowledgement comes from professional sports teams</b>. Charlotte has football and basketball ("<a href="https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/04/10/charlotte-sports-foundation-2024-economic-impact">Sports pumped millions into Charlotte's economy in 2024</a>," Axios), although the first basketball team moved to New Orleans and was replaced, while Raleigh has pro hockey. Jacksonville landed a football team. Tampa Bay baseball and hockey, with the hockey team being especially successful. In Nashville, the Titans football team moved from Houston and the Predators hockey team. </p><p>Earlier rounds brought teams to cities like Atlanta, Dallas. Denver, and Houston. Some owners even founded their own leagues, later merging with the established leagues in basketball and hockey, to form teams.</p><p>While the Denver Broncos were born in 1959 and Nuggets basketball team in 1973, the MLB didn't join the city until 1993.</p><p>Many say the Colorado Rockies baseball team sparked the revitalization of the LoDo district, but the reality is that it was more about accelerating what was already happening (maybe like with the Wizards and Capitals in DC ("S"). The Rockies merely took advantage of and credit for its success ("<a href="https://coloradosun.com/2023/08/21/colorado-rockies-coors-field-lodo-history/">Is LoDo still thriving? Here’s how Coors Field helped shape a developing Denver neighborhood</a>," Colorado Sun).</p><p>Of course, speaking to the veracity of Holt's points, Denver has received a great amount of national and international publicity as a result of its championship in 2023, and then and continued dominance of Nikola Jokić, winner of multiple MVP awards. </p><p><b>DC: The arena and revitalization of the East End</b>. Even though I argued for years that the move by the teams to DC from the suburbs weren't the reason that the Downtown East End began revitalization, eventually I conceded that the move was a vote of confidence in urban living and commerce, and it helped reposition DC's image vis a vis the suburbs, just before residential choice trends began revaluing center cities after many decades of denigration ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/general/mciarticles/launch/pollin1.htm">Pollin: With Opening of MCI Center, 'I've Got Everything I've Ever Done in My Life on the Line'</a>," <i>Post</i>, 1997, "<a href="https://archive.ph/CAhPm">Without Verizon Center, does Chinatown still thrive?</a>," <i>Washington Business Journal</i>, 2016). Like in Denver with the Rockies, no question it accelerated improvements.</p><p>Same with the Washington Nationals stadium in SE DC. It didn't spark the revitalization there, it was already happening. But it accelerated it, and like the basketball and hockey teams, provided another reason for suburbanites to visit and sample the city.</p><p><b>Not all small cities landing teams get a major boost to identity<i>. </i></b>On the other hand, smaller cities like Salt Lake haven't been redefined because of pro basketball and hockey teams, nor Memphis and Portland with their basketball teams. Memphis has its identity around music, Portland around its "weird" identity, and Salt Lake is branded by it being the home of the LDS Church. Did Raleigh, NC, part of a cluster of universities and research institutions, change significantly because of the arrival of the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team?</p><p>But yes, the cities have more recognition worldwide because of the teams being based there. How and if it pays off is the question.</p><p><b>Losing teams is often a blow</b>. As Baltimore shrunk relative to other cities, its Colts football team moved to Indianapolis, and in St. Louis, the Cardinals football team moved to Arizona. Communities do express angst when teams leave, and often endeavor greatly to keep them. Back in the day, even NYC suffered a blow to city identity and pride as the Giants moved from the Bronx to SF and the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ70ochT5PitweGkpxH3zyRpnf4MxWhTLVPwRIP4dRALH3HzG5rmMTjeTCdYhkh8rjI15deYYHjOOXSszI5IR8UrXvZ3qSDMo9duXoXrbN9I5hXbzun4l1tu0W8NF-JNmmTXkejPY5026kMauIlqUIPq3A1Os9Jt8QLl5jm0hYhQQoO2mbUGXqMQ/s600/BxM3bsYIMAA_BIT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ70ochT5PitweGkpxH3zyRpnf4MxWhTLVPwRIP4dRALH3HzG5rmMTjeTCdYhkh8rjI15deYYHjOOXSszI5IR8UrXvZ3qSDMo9duXoXrbN9I5hXbzun4l1tu0W8NF-JNmmTXkejPY5026kMauIlqUIPq3A1Os9Jt8QLl5jm0hYhQQoO2mbUGXqMQ/w400-h284/BxM3bsYIMAA_BIT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXq2G4ppciaU21AGVrrsBce81AZRcxS9ijd7llroeV07TlEAewnODQmCop6phvXQnkg3wrpZ_PRuhSccfb4hhKPy2IedRQsWKTQZp_6JOYdtPgxEJqBojjaoD27_1Upb7D7BkVeUiURILDqD0_-QVXG2nE5qwuNV_idYA1OoHjQx_SrMZlJBMGw/s253/images%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="253" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXq2G4ppciaU21AGVrrsBce81AZRcxS9ijd7llroeV07TlEAewnODQmCop6phvXQnkg3wrpZ_PRuhSccfb4hhKPy2IedRQsWKTQZp_6JOYdtPgxEJqBojjaoD27_1Upb7D7BkVeUiURILDqD0_-QVXG2nE5qwuNV_idYA1OoHjQx_SrMZlJBMGw/s1600/images%20(7).jpg" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b>My position on smaller cities and teams, and smaller cities and minor league teams has changed</b>. Because I have long been against subsidy of big league teams by cities, I've downplayed the value of those teams in terms of "community pride" and positioning. </p><p>Definitely, All Star Games and Super Bowls don't make the localities much money ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2023/01/nba-all-star-game-in-salt-lake-economic.html">NBA All Star Game in Salt Lake, economic development hype | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the Pirates baseball team economics</a>") and the overall economic contribution of team is minimal, because households set a certain amount aside for entertainment spending, and dollars spent on sports events just mean less spending on other options.</p><p>Unless teams experience a large number of fans visiting from out of town ("<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/01/12/steelers-texans-nfl-playoffs-pittsburgh-economy/stories/202601090096">Win or lose, Steelers playoff game scores millions for Pittsburgh’s economy</a>," <i>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</i>),</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG-_YUKy0o_vjKMl3GmH_AGFlWKljw5jWmnWNQEX3PaS4eDs3T_HtojltMwIhyphenhyphenJbUcQIM2dWtw8M2AqGNUnSdb1_3AH8NbgSZCImv7Kcnl2-pAFWZUMl4tae7URyKXLI2Rz-bqoPq3ePBp-YuIyhmZkcdBQQbC8FQ3tpDaFspGEIFvuqP0DOMsg/s1536/erqhmdov77iitnfhkib2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1536" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG-_YUKy0o_vjKMl3GmH_AGFlWKljw5jWmnWNQEX3PaS4eDs3T_HtojltMwIhyphenhyphenJbUcQIM2dWtw8M2AqGNUnSdb1_3AH8NbgSZCImv7Kcnl2-pAFWZUMl4tae7URyKXLI2Rz-bqoPq3ePBp-YuIyhmZkcdBQQbC8FQ3tpDaFspGEIFvuqP0DOMsg/s320/erqhmdov77iitnfhkib2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>OTOH, when you're Greensboro, NC or Louisville, KY, having a minor league baseball team downtown can be a big deal, and in those cities and many others, minor league teams have helped to spark downtown reinvestment and visitation in important ways ("<a href="https://www.richmondfed.org/-/media/richmondfedorg/publications/research/econ_focus/2009/winter/pdf/feature3.pdf">Ballpark Boom: New minor league stadiums spring up across the region</a>," Federal Reserve of Richmond, "<a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/mccormick-field-renovations-building-a-minor-league-ballpark-without-taxpayer-money">Funding ballfields: Some cities build minor league ballparks without using taxpayer money</a>," ABC13, "<a href="https://www.temeritycap.com/2022/01/836/">How Baseball Revitalized a Venerable Mill Town</a>," Temerity Capital Partners).</div><div><br /></div><div>Note though that like the revitalization and investment framework deployed by Liverpool, Bilbao, and Oklahoma City, the most successful cities with minor league teams have developed those facilities as but one element of a broader program. <br /><p></p><p>More recently, the move of the minor league Red Sox team from Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Worcester, Massachusetts has been an issue ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/12/sports/baseball/pawtucket-worcester-red-sox.html">The PawSox Moved, but Pawtucket Has Yet to Move On</a>," <i>New York Times</i>).</p><p>Maybe in those cases, subsidy is more warranted because of actual revitalization impact, when it is much more ethereal when it comes to the big pro teams, which aim to capture as much of the revenue stream that is possible deriving from their presence and presentation of events. Although, sometimes like in Greensboro, public funds aren't used, instead local foundations step in.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZQ9m2EUEFldnCwdgZEDclze5nZ6YvO6fxL03M48QV8MMZXVbg1z9i4a0ub4YLRk7V9t5Irg-pFGrxDYeOWIcgWNuPjAD7CVT9m1vQmDeoomQEaSnnc-ghe9_2RQfeoYvXf_Z0ZCvAEmFF7v0c6hLVeC7p9npgt2_YGMJw9f1b7aOOq3HFrh_3g/s660/76708073007-slugger-2.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="660" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZQ9m2EUEFldnCwdgZEDclze5nZ6YvO6fxL03M48QV8MMZXVbg1z9i4a0ub4YLRk7V9t5Irg-pFGrxDYeOWIcgWNuPjAD7CVT9m1vQmDeoomQEaSnnc-ghe9_2RQfeoYvXf_Z0ZCvAEmFF7v0c6hLVeC7p9npgt2_YGMJw9f1b7aOOq3HFrh_3g/s320/76708073007-slugger-2.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>An aerial rendering shows a proposed $250 million mixed-use development that would bring housing, a boutique hotel, retail, restaurants and more to the area around Slugger Field in downtown Louisville</i><p></p><p>Interestingly, as private equity becomes a greater force in minor league baseball, with firms owning multiple teams ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5408834/2024/04/15/minor-league-baseball-team-ownership-diamond-baseball-holdings/">A new group is buying up minor league baseball teams at a feverish pace. What’s the end game?</a>," <i>NYT</i>), the firms are developing "sports and entertainment district" proposals comparable to those of professional teams ("<a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2024/12/02/250m-development-proposed-near-slugger-field-see-whats-planned/76702864007/">$250M+ redevelopment would bring housing, retail near Slugger Field in downtown Louisville</a>," <i>Louisville Courier-Journal</i>).</p><p><b>Maybe the difference is between small cities and really small cities. Compared to Greensboro or Louisville, OKC is a metropolis</b>. </p><p><b><i>Hagerstown Boxcars</i></b> ("<a href="https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/story/news/local/2025/08/18/downtown-hagerstown-sees-new-life-with-90m-meritus-park/85673458007/">Downtown ballpark reshaping Hagerstown’s image, draws fans and new development</a>," <a href="https://archive.ph/DIHAV">Hagerstown Herald-Mail</a>)</p><p></p><blockquote>More than a decade in the making, the prospect of a downtown ballpark surprised many. A year and a half later, the roughly $90 million project draws rave reviews for its amenities and for reshaping perceptions of downtown Hagerstown. New businesses opened and housing proposals are surfacing, though many long-time owners and managers say the game-night effect on existing shops remains mixed.</blockquote><p></p><p><b><i>Fort Myers, Florida</i></b>. After the Boston Red Sox moved its pre-season facilities out of the city and after failed efforts to land soccer teams, the city is tearing down the stadium ("<a href="https://espnswfl.com/2025/12/10/fort-myers-to-demolish-city-of-palms-stadium-salvage-historical-elements-for-new-development/">Fort Myers To Demolish City of Palms Stadium, Salvage Historical Elements for New Development</a>," ESPN).</p><p><b><i>Noblesville, Indiana,</i></b> 27miles outside of Indianapolis, opened an arena with a capacity of 3,400 that hosts an NBA G Team ("<a href="https://youarecurrent.com/2025/07/31/a-boom-for-noblesville-the-arena-at-innovation-mile-to-open-aug-8/">A ‘Boom’ for Noblesville: The Arena at Innovation Mile to open Aug. 8</a>," <i>Current</i>).</p><p></p><blockquote></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">The facility is part of Innovation Mile, a 600-acre business and technology hub in Noblesville. The first public music event at The Arena at Innovation Mile will be a free concert Aug. 23 featuring Signs of Life: The American Pink Floyd. The group is a Pink Floyd tribute band.</p>
<p>Jensen said the Arena at Innovation Mile at 14157 CJ Way will create a $2 billion revenue stream for Indiana over the next 30 years.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>The city has 75,000 residents and the arena cost $93 million. That level of economic impact seems high. Or another way, $2 billion over 30 years isn't that much on an annual basis. Even $67 million per year seems like a high estimate.</p><p><b>Kalamazoo, Michigan</b>. Is building a new arena for the Kalamazoo Wings minor league hockey team and the hockey team from the local university ("<a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2025/09/a-once-in-100-year-opportunity-ground-broken-on-515m-kalamazoo-event-center.html">‘A once-in-100-year opportunity’: Ground broken on $515M Kalamazoo Event Center</a>," <i>Kalamazoo Gazette</i>). </p><p></p><blockquote>The new space will show off both the Western Michigan University brand and a true Kalamazoo identity, Johnston said.</blockquote></div>
<p></p><blockquote><p>“Today isn’t just about turning over a shovel of dirt or ice. It’s about turning a page in our city’s story,” said K-Wings GM Toni Will. “This groundbreaking represents the culmination of years of vision, dedication and most importantly teamwork across our entire community from city leaders and business partners to fans, families and volunteers.</p>
<p>“This project exists because so many people chose to roll up their sleeves and work together. … We are laying the foundation for a stronger, more vibrant Kalamazoo together.”</p></blockquote><p></p><p></p><p>With double the capacity of the Noblesville arena, they are forecasting "only" $52 million per year in new economic activity</p><p></p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-4657579628990413370 2026-01-13T06:30:00.001-05:00 2026-01-13T06:30:00.121-05:00 A blast from the past <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFdPSjdM94pRtiQvUFIP2F1CDRh4PG3pfxqrPRAdKAEGlop_2oZYiMSKC8Sm49h5X8J7yYR_Ny8B3jVWEhg2u1mri78-nle51mm7HLA-8YcHBYZnD-VnQtfpu4TnmEuiSrBwy6M8qr436qbNtg7otg1Fkzz_1J9igB0zODmwKneK-D7d8dt0ntQ/s1408/IMG_3967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1408" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFdPSjdM94pRtiQvUFIP2F1CDRh4PG3pfxqrPRAdKAEGlop_2oZYiMSKC8Sm49h5X8J7yYR_Ny8B3jVWEhg2u1mri78-nle51mm7HLA-8YcHBYZnD-VnQtfpu4TnmEuiSrBwy6M8qr436qbNtg7otg1Fkzz_1J9igB0zODmwKneK-D7d8dt0ntQ/s320/IMG_3967.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Blog reader Will sent me a 15-20 year old photo featuring me on the far left, when I was younger and healthier. <p></p><p>I don't remember the after party, but he says it was after he and I led a Capitol Hill alley tour for Cultural Tourism DC.W</p><p>We finished at <a href="https://www.cafeberlin-dc.com/">Cafe Berlin</a> on Massachusetts Avenue NE but I don't think we went to a couple of the nearby alleys there on the northeast side.</p><p>I sure remember that event. At the start there were 125-150 people. It was massive. I never led a tour that big. </p><p>I'm sorry I didn't have a portable microphone, nor a photo of the original group--which kept slimming down as the tour proceeded.</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-7588660390017445910 2026-01-13T05:00:00.121-05:00 2026-01-13T05:00:00.112-05:00 Trump's F****** with Culture and Civil Society Harms the Nation and Washington DC <p>Normally government moves pretty slow. The pace at which President Trump is destroying institutions and enriching his family, while spending much of his time playing golf, staying up late, and tweeting, is unprecedented. It's almost impossible to keep track.</p><p>Good thing he had the Heritage Foundation's <a href="https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf">Project 2025</a> blueprint to destroy progressive leaning government! ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2025/trump-federal-government-workers-doge">The year Trump broke the federal government</a>," <i>Washington Post).</i></p><p>Including attacking nonprofit, progressive leaning organizations ("<a href="https://afj.org/article/trumps-secret-war-against-vital-nonprofits/">Trump's Secret War Against Vital Nonprofits</a>," Alliance for Justice, "<a href="https://www.devex.com/news/what-is-trump-doing-to-us-nonprofits-and-philanthropies-111164">What is Trump doing to US nonprofits and philanthropies?</a>," Devex. "<a href="https://archive.ph/Md7pF">Progressive Nonprofits Condemn Trump’s Targeting of George Soros and His Foundations</a>," <i>Chronicle of Philanthropy</i>, "<a href="https://nonprofitquarterly.org/senate-gop-ramps-up-attacks-on-left-wing-nonprofits/">Senate GOP Ramps Up Attacks on Left-Wing Nonprofits</a>," NonProfit Quarterly).</p><p>MAGA-fying civic education ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/us/politics/trump-civics-education-maga.html">Trump Administration Announces New Civics Effort With MAGA-Aligned Groups</a>," <i>NYT</i>) plus prayer in schools ("<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/08/magazine/trump-prayer-boston-school">Trump wants prayer back in schools. Boston has a cautionary tale</a>," <i>Boston Globe</i>).</p><p>And specific attacks on "blue" states although not limited to culture ("<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/10/metro/trump-immigration-campaign-violence-against-citizens">Trump is waging war on Democrat-led states</a>," <i>Globe</i>).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3izjSQHGaYp4XSh9kPLDpJuZwqTTFUyQ7jFR2HWQXioG_eYiiox2L1t3jsfn7VBBb60EblsI-BOofFFmysmmt18goRQiNA_lPWv5m9TSHXtrInRtiAGTMxxWQjtjR4hC2oir_yL9f6n_AIR32x4X-tElAo8Ar4gONJSIQ4tbtbRWo6_NrVkszQ/s650/TRUMP-KENNEDY-CENTER.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="650" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3izjSQHGaYp4XSh9kPLDpJuZwqTTFUyQ7jFR2HWQXioG_eYiiox2L1t3jsfn7VBBb60EblsI-BOofFFmysmmt18goRQiNA_lPWv5m9TSHXtrInRtiAGTMxxWQjtjR4hC2oir_yL9f6n_AIR32x4X-tElAo8Ar4gONJSIQ4tbtbRWo6_NrVkszQ/s320/TRUMP-KENNEDY-CENTER.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Banner at the Kennedy Center calling it the "Nation's Cultural Center." Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI.</i><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpefD-q2QUIYXHrFPaDlHMFuONS44K0sbIOUWG1JCWBDf-_73Hmok_q9mj5kfiryOCRYYmeaGCZSmxAjwR3M5zAcU6TahT9h30UdCNN4I1dbzORoASB8uUtFGR_F4k8s5TjiOFA0OB6g5VkIUdgL9oA1IroUPF59LelYgY0fQSNxEB2qZrbS0JbA/s620/5735-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpefD-q2QUIYXHrFPaDlHMFuONS44K0sbIOUWG1JCWBDf-_73Hmok_q9mj5kfiryOCRYYmeaGCZSmxAjwR3M5zAcU6TahT9h30UdCNN4I1dbzORoASB8uUtFGR_F4k8s5TjiOFA0OB6g5VkIUdgL9oA1IroUPF59LelYgY0fQSNxEB2qZrbS0JbA/s320/5735-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a>Because the arts and education are seen as dominated "by the left" the Trump Administration has been militant about defunding organizations that support or practice these disciplines.<p></p><p>The same goes for nonprofit organizations involved in human services, agriculture and other fields.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House on 9 December in Washington DC, where the East Wing once stood. Photograph: Pablo Martínez Monsiváis/AP</i></p><p>Here's a line up of some of the destruction.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Kennedy Center</b> ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/12/07/trump-kennedy-center/">Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center is showier, emptier and more political</a>" <i>Washington Post</i>). Each week it gets worse as the KC gives free space to FIFA, discounts rentals for conservative conferences, sees artists continuing to cancel scheduled performances, adds his name to the Kennedy Center and last week, the National Opera leaving the facility and ending its co-management agreement ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/arts/music/washington-national-opera-kennedy-center.html">Washington National Opera Is Leaving the Kennedy Center</a>," <i>NYT</i>).</li><li><b>Smithsonian Institution</b> ("<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/08/donald-trump-smithsonian-reframe-entire-culture-united-states">Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’</a>," <i>Guardian</i>. "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2025/12/20/trump-smithsonian-funding-withhold-content-review/">White House threatens Smithsonian funds in sweeping content review</a>," <i>Post</i>) which started by targeting the National Museum of African American History and Culture ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/us/politics/trump-smithsonian-black-history.html">Trump Once Praised the Black History Museum That He Is Now Attacking</a>," <i>New York Times</i>) and the National Portrait Gallery ("<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/10/kim-sajet-trump-national-portrait-gallery-director">Smithsonian rejects Trump’s attempt to fire National Portrait Gallery director</a>," <i>Guardian</i>, "<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/national-portrait-gallery-makes-changes-trump-portion-americas-preside-rcna253354">National Portrait Gallery makes changes to Trump part of 'America's Presidents' exhibit</a>, NBC). </li><li>This has a <b>chilling effect on museums</b> more generally ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/23/arts/design/trump-targets-smithsonian-museums-chilling-effect.html">As Trump Targets the Smithsonian, Museums Across the U.S. Feel a Chill</a>,"<i> NYT</i>).</li><li>Defunding "left leaning" public media: the <b>Corporation for Public Broadcasting</b>, <b>PBS</b> and <b>NPR</b> ("<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/07/18/nx-s1-5469912/npr-congress-rescission-funding-trump">Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid</a>," NPR, "<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/06/media/cpb-shut-itself-after-funding-cuts-hnk">Corporation for Public Broadcasting votes to shut itself after funding cuts</a>," CNN).</li><li>Defunding the <b>National Endowment of the Humanities</b> ("<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/congress-funding-bill-nea-neh-2735600">Congress Moves to Protect NEA and NEH Funding</a>," Artnet), <b>National Endowment of the Arts</b> ("<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/03/nx-s1-5385888/sweeping-cuts-hit-nea-after-trump-administration-calls-to-eliminate-the-agency">Sweeping cuts hit NEA after Trump administration calls to eliminate the agency</a>," NPR) and the <b>Institute for Museum and Library Studies</b> ("<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/12/04/nx-s1-5633347/libraries-museums-federal-funding-imls-trump-cuts">Libraries and museums get federal funding back after Trump cuts</a>," NPR).</li><li><b>Museums more generally</b> According to the NYT, one-third of the nation's museums have lost some government funding since Trump's second term ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/arts/design/museums-trump-funding-cuts.html">Facing Funding Cuts and Censorship Threats, Museums Band Together</a>," <i>NYT</i>).</li><li><b>K-12 Education</b> including the dismantling of the Department of Education without Congressional approval, and the defunding of a wide variety of programs including foreign languages ("<a href="https://progressive.org/op-eds/trump%E2%80%99s-threat-to-bilingual-education-saxton-20250722/">Trump's Threat to Bilingual Education</a>," <i>Progressive</i>), the support of charter schools and private school vouchers wreaking havoc on traditional public education systems ("<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/improving-education-outcomes-by-empowering-parents-states-and-communities/">Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities</a>," White House, "<a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/public-education-under-threat-4-trump-administration-actions-to-watch-in-the-2025-26-school-year">Public Education Under Threat: 4 Trump Administration Actions To Watch in the 2025-26 School Year</a>," <i>American Progress</i>. "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/us/hbcus-trump-administration-funding.html">Trump Redirects Millions to Historically Black Colleges, Charter Schools</a>," <i>NYT</i>), and encouraging changes to curricula, especially wrt ethnic studies (don't forget the 1776 Curriculum from his first term), ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/us/history-lessons-ethnic-studies-retreat.html">How Politics Is Changing the Way History Is Taught</a>," <i>NYT</i>).</li><li><b>Universities</b> are being attacked, using the playbook of Hungary's Orban ("<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/3DD83EDB9BA4D3DA72DC4F77A8F0686A/S1537592721001924a.pdf/forging-bending-and-breaking-enacting-the-illiberal-playbook-in-hungary-and-poland.pdf">Forging, Bending, and Breaking: Enacting the “Illiberal Playbook” in Hungary and Poland</a>," <i>Perspectives on Politics</i>, "<a href="https://apps.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/metro/war-on-harvard/harvard-and-higher-ed-whats-next">What the Republican ‘siege’ on New College means for the future of Harvard</a>," "<a href="https://apps.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/metro/war-on-harvard/decade-harvard-trump-target/">How Harvard became Trump’s perfect target</a>," <i>Boston Globe</i>) attacking "diversity, equity, and inclusion" initiatives, advocating for conservative classes, claiming anti-semitism ("<a href="https://apps.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/metro/war-on-harvard/year-inside-trump-maga-war-room/">‘Attack the universities’: Inside the Trump and MAGA war on Harvard</a>," <i>Boston Globe</i>, "<a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/universities-need-a-new-defense">Universities Need a New Defense</a>," <i>Chronicle of Higher Education</i>), severely cutting back on scientific and general research ("<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/14/metro/harvard-trump-judge-allison-burroughs-first-amendment">Harvard says majority of research funding canceled by Trump has been restored</a>," <i>Boston Globe</i>), seeking payoffs ("<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/executive-leadership/2025/10/10/mit-rejects-proposed-federal-compact">MIT Rejects Proposed Federal Compact</a>," <i>Inside Higher Education</i>), and reducing the matriculation of international students, forcing some universities to make major cuts ("<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/30/international-student-enrollment-decline.html">nternational student enrollment decline could cost $1 billion</a>," CNN).</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SBNDLm96_VT3qCxEOPMn4PSF_hy1tSNjp9yubp6Z7JaHUsC5FS0uGNyWTqxpUFlubZ4fXFkWq4v2N9NUilGyHFaewKTP3C0fvLwT7_fB_rPxlmYi8Y-DVJakOX2SxOI-QHQ2XPclQjq-31Zc7l9nRMBHvVfigKq11pevc2cDsBMyUYKh7HNdeQ/s1600/07372d58-987a-4f5b-9c7e-b79b65616cd7-banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SBNDLm96_VT3qCxEOPMn4PSF_hy1tSNjp9yubp6Z7JaHUsC5FS0uGNyWTqxpUFlubZ4fXFkWq4v2N9NUilGyHFaewKTP3C0fvLwT7_fB_rPxlmYi8Y-DVJakOX2SxOI-QHQ2XPclQjq-31Zc7l9nRMBHvVfigKq11pevc2cDsBMyUYKh7HNdeQ/s320/07372d58-987a-4f5b-9c7e-b79b65616cd7-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>National Park Service cultural interpretation</b> aimed at not fully explaining negative elements of US history like slavery or extermination of Native Americans ("<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/5318223-national-park-visitors-to-be-encouraged-to-report-negative-depictions-under-new-order/">National park visitors to be encouraged to report ‘negative’ depictions under new order</a>," NextStar). Plus <b>aiming to defund and privatize national parks and other public lands.</b></li></ul><p></p><p>And building grandiose monuments to his ego</p><ul><li><b>Tearing down and rebuilding the East Wing of the White House</b> ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/arts/design/east-wing-ballroom-trump.html">Trump’s Vision of a Mar-a-Lago on the Potomac Upends an American Ideal</a>," <i>NYT</i>, "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/31/trump-ballroom-timeline-reviews/">White House lays out nine-week timeline to win approval for Trump’s ballroom</a>," <i>Washington Post</i>), counter to the historic preservation legal process. To facilitate this he fired all the members of the oversight body that reviews federal projects in the city ("<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/10/29/nx-s1-5589793/white-house-fired-arts-commission">White House fires entire commission that reviews designs for federal buildings</a>," NPR).</li><li>It gets worse, <b>he has plans for the West Wing too</b> ("<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ballroom-architect-reveals-trump-is-plotting-to-destroy-west-wing/ar-AA1TQUmv">Ballroom architect reveals Trump is plotting to destroy West Wing</a>," Daily Beast)</li><li>He wants to build an <b>Arc de Triomphe/Triumphal Arch in Washington, </b>"in honor of the 250th Anniversary of the United States" ("<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/14/trump-arch-washington-dc-policy-chief">Trump says building DC triumphal arch is domestic policy chief’s ‘primary thing’</a>," <i>Guardian, </i>"<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/31/trump-arch-washington-dc-america-250-00708590">Trump says construction of the ‘Triumphal Arch’ to begin in ‘2 months’</a>," <i>Politico</i>)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHm7TdMxEIvM2HJ7f8CqRSKZ2a_KrVmlOzB7Bl59roPiIxvbWSHeS86xqHlzH6OHZGr7xKZJF5LeWXgzIjOfxCKfjUOdl5E6PpX2L3JnCGqhueLs_cfzgQiLkbzF-a7TeCsojiCL1i96-ZC4Ueihbrm0mj4hL4sfcZCQewFJjEw1wjdkABoFpDQ/s630/webp.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="630" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHm7TdMxEIvM2HJ7f8CqRSKZ2a_KrVmlOzB7Bl59roPiIxvbWSHeS86xqHlzH6OHZGr7xKZJF5LeWXgzIjOfxCKfjUOdl5E6PpX2L3JnCGqhueLs_cfzgQiLkbzF-a7TeCsojiCL1i96-ZC4Ueihbrm0mj4hL4sfcZCQewFJjEw1wjdkABoFpDQ/s320/webp.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>President Donald Trump addresses a dinner for donors who have contributed to build the new ballroom at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Washington. | John McDonnell/AP Photo</i><ul><li><b>Renaming</b> the Institute of Peace ("<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp39qx4ledeo">US Institute of Peace renamed after Trump</a>," BBC) and the Kennedy Center ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/01/05/kennedy-center-cancellations-name-change/">All the Kennedy Center cancellations since Trump’s name was added</a>," <i>Post</i>).</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8iydHpo-CEGQbd0OUoaSCZitYYTZAVu0P-jnqFm2QYT0hOtqJ6f0Z0_AOfJi3QxeMbHuf6kZPDxMRqs2SxponvNjNZSrG3xQvzbUIktj8Z8QNXSRGDTfUmL3Hlr6zDCrgmfWo7K6MV_wMSYNZL6m-CTL_-jWoW7h4UFBUnJ1cWO9GXY3qG4Vzw/s1024/55032890718_2922a76370_b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1024" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8iydHpo-CEGQbd0OUoaSCZitYYTZAVu0P-jnqFm2QYT0hOtqJ6f0Z0_AOfJi3QxeMbHuf6kZPDxMRqs2SxponvNjNZSrG3xQvzbUIktj8Z8QNXSRGDTfUmL3Hlr6zDCrgmfWo7K6MV_wMSYNZL6m-CTL_-jWoW7h4UFBUnJ1cWO9GXY3qG4Vzw/w400-h272/55032890718_2922a76370_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: Nathan Howard, Reuters.</i></div></i><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>He's put <b>his face on banners affixed to federal buildings</b> ("<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/20/politics/trump-banners-schiff">Massive banners with Trump’s face are adorning some federal buildings in DC. Democrats are crying foul</a>," CNN), changed the dates of free access to National Parks to include his birthday, and put his mug on the National Parks annual pass ("<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/09/nx-s1-5672341/national-park-updates-guidelines-stop-visitors-defacing-trump-picture-pass">National Park Service will void passes with stickers over Trump's face</a>," NPR).</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDX68t7hwdy2cxP0mDK9K9XLzvra99SnMPE_yO19940Arqe_m7GpZQSvHDsZxsW-sQhe7wUwn4V_KUKaKEvu6ufDKT-baxDQRHb_n727mZE7tMO6EdVdC8btGdhrA54MOzytomJlOwajR_VRE5GgFXkTVmO1wYnIWik-hpBzGiMvlImYxDvYS7sQ/s800/download%20(35).webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDX68t7hwdy2cxP0mDK9K9XLzvra99SnMPE_yO19940Arqe_m7GpZQSvHDsZxsW-sQhe7wUwn4V_KUKaKEvu6ufDKT-baxDQRHb_n727mZE7tMO6EdVdC8btGdhrA54MOzytomJlOwajR_VRE5GgFXkTVmO1wYnIWik-hpBzGiMvlImYxDvYS7sQ/s320/download%20(35).webp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKs2xL9-c70RC_KFbbeAacOfWtwTweMk-omfz4E1pd3Adu4MO-gGTBs9mKveI9UCacKIxUNIPJOcgz4XKX8BJlXiHhTvn4s3X4RQHliEKrTYkfddaDaI1FqWXLqbs_wrPY-oKHQvG-tqZBVj4aPsF8W9D2pXQa75DO3S7w-5XkOEi84jBn8_FNUg/s1202/gettyimages-2231685489-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1202" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKs2xL9-c70RC_KFbbeAacOfWtwTweMk-omfz4E1pd3Adu4MO-gGTBs9mKveI9UCacKIxUNIPJOcgz4XKX8BJlXiHhTvn4s3X4RQHliEKrTYkfddaDaI1FqWXLqbs_wrPY-oKHQvG-tqZBVj4aPsF8W9D2pXQa75DO3S7w-5XkOEi84jBn8_FNUg/s320/gettyimages-2231685489-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Massive banners with Trump’s face are adorning some federal buildings in DC. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Democrats are crying foul. CNN photo.</i></div></i><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Last year, he had <b>a war parade</b> for himself ("<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/06/15/nx-s1-5433765/3-takeaways-from-the-military-parade-and-no-kings-protests-on-trumps-birthday">3 takeaways from the military parade and No Kings protests on Trump's birthday</a>," NPR) and he keeps whining that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize--although maybe that's not a cultural issue.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Cl7PdjSpNbQUTyUconcsDKfbXR41T-AWZPKI3aZvZm9rO5mM_CgVkmobN3xDNMpdDkz6X5KoWXUT-6Ak04ZCgYdd0gWpSkKe8SGOa3wjYuXPWen_P7CVDNaQDJCvS4AOURTTIuFKRGhlJNg5TzgfKUwMWC52Hl3lBRaosLba5bK6wNF-MtSLmQ/s1200/download%20(36).webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Cl7PdjSpNbQUTyUconcsDKfbXR41T-AWZPKI3aZvZm9rO5mM_CgVkmobN3xDNMpdDkz6X5KoWXUT-6Ak04ZCgYdd0gWpSkKe8SGOa3wjYuXPWen_P7CVDNaQDJCvS4AOURTTIuFKRGhlJNg5TzgfKUwMWC52Hl3lBRaosLba5bK6wNF-MtSLmQ/w400-h266/download%20(36).webp" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Armored vehicles drive during the Army's 250th anniversary parade in Washington, D.C. </i></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images</i></div></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>And <b>he wants his face on coins</b> even though the law says living people can't be so honored.</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRG4g6OGyaVq3bNVnytL0rEbVE1HF5doRnmbgygIWOjqN6RLRIcQ61qhl1CRLYv4_6oYPdyHFKilfZKZ3EmkVVrETy9L9lsYb9jRO-ynvRezMJlnVejTW2fnJe1H8ayws65Bw9r_wLnULe69YINJpN3cWvUGSCVGUX1D9Ng8KgYxRyX-q8yno00Q/s1200/55032166217_12400d1a2c_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="1200" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRG4g6OGyaVq3bNVnytL0rEbVE1HF5doRnmbgygIWOjqN6RLRIcQ61qhl1CRLYv4_6oYPdyHFKilfZKZ3EmkVVrETy9L9lsYb9jRO-ynvRezMJlnVejTW2fnJe1H8ayws65Bw9r_wLnULe69YINJpN3cWvUGSCVGUX1D9Ng8KgYxRyX-q8yno00Q/s320/55032166217_12400d1a2c_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The U.S. Mint released three prototype designs for a $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary this year. </i></div></span><p>====</p><p>In DC, he also wants to take over the public golf courses ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6951686/2026/01/08/trump-seizes-dc-golf-courses-national-links-trust/">Trump’s self-serving takeover of D.C. public golf is bad news for all</a>," <i>The Athletic/NYT</i>).</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-9021200520983275260 2026-01-13T03:30:00.003-05:00 2026-01-16T13:08:24.414-05:00 A wrinkle on corporate headquarters: leaving the city as buildings age <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGThfBVjyHTsFnkZWrRf_KkappGQP82FRbjXrcbbPAYe_D-pcwWA_UWfLwpItcACYeQcxtp6tq9ahMkx5gxtXOX1E0j-QJFV7kU0x_7FLNfYT5PE-zG4Kpo8tcEHhSRe4P-DNo9p6FFnPsrr2Rr9pFv7XCMU3oNmYClRBSXzlQ9C_gCjAYD2Z_A/s830/BTBNZYOQNZCNMXOMGB5PE76BAY-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="830" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGThfBVjyHTsFnkZWrRf_KkappGQP82FRbjXrcbbPAYe_D-pcwWA_UWfLwpItcACYeQcxtp6tq9ahMkx5gxtXOX1E0j-QJFV7kU0x_7FLNfYT5PE-zG4Kpo8tcEHhSRe4P-DNo9p6FFnPsrr2Rr9pFv7XCMU3oNmYClRBSXzlQ9C_gCjAYD2Z_A/s320/BTBNZYOQNZCNMXOMGB5PE76BAY-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>State Farm four building complex in Richardson, Texas. Dallas Morning News photo.</i><p></p><p>In the late 1990s and 2000s there was for a time the move of corporate headquarters from the suburbs to the city such as Compuware and Quicken Loans in Detroit, Panasonic in Newark, etc. </p><p>Plus Amazon's HQ2 quest focused on places well connected by transit, even if Arlington County, just outside of DC, is a suburb. GE to Boston ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2016/01/corporate-headquarters-relocating-to.html">Corporate headquarters relocating to the center city: GE chooses Boston</a>," 2016), etc.</p><p>At the same time, firms still moved out of the city. </p><p>For example, the wage tax in Philadelphia makes it hard to attract large businesses, although Comcast stays committed. Plus, suburbs often lure city-based businesses with incentives ("<a href="https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2024/Global-Real-Estate-Giant-CoStar-Group-Chooses-Arlington-for-its-Headquarters-Location">Real Estate Giant CoStar Group Chooses Arlington for its Headquarters</a>" Arlington County).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3coGN68epC-xBkjPXsK9-Kq_dosZPm7EAjReEUc_rOEX6gmbXUlA1MvGTyaVBjWSJljwPV_MBcWRaa8luKQT1aVxJ6vIyzf89ikFGW_PIS6qthd0vve3Nfza_9CGvWSTS2Pag4ZY43rOdggfE8bGxJkg-pvsf9IAXaXxNhVk9Wny6xtXi9oIJg/s1140/State%20Farm%20lead%20.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="1140" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3coGN68epC-xBkjPXsK9-Kq_dosZPm7EAjReEUc_rOEX6gmbXUlA1MvGTyaVBjWSJljwPV_MBcWRaa8luKQT1aVxJ6vIyzf89ikFGW_PIS6qthd0vve3Nfza_9CGvWSTS2Pag4ZY43rOdggfE8bGxJkg-pvsf9IAXaXxNhVk9Wny6xtXi9oIJg/s320/State%20Farm%20lead%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>State Farm's suburban Dunwoody complex does have a subway connection, but most people get there by car.</i><div><br />And while Amazon was looking for an urban location, State Farm in Dallas and Atlanta built new complexes that were road-centric, given the small footprint of transit in those cities ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2015/09/businesses-moving-back-to-center-not.html">Businesses moving back to the center: not a universal trend</a>," 2015).<p></p><p>Plus headquarters moving to city areas, but not directly in the city ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/05/boeing-to-move-headquarters-to-northern.html">Boeing to move "headquarters" to Northern Virginia</a>," ) but close to airports ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/02/do-tax-incentives-pay-off-illinois.html">Do tax incentives pay off? : Illinois; Tennessee; Rosslyn + "The Airport Access Factor"</a>").</p><p>In 2015, Mercedes-Benz moved to a suburban location in Atlanta--makes sense as they are a car company, but they still have a bus division (which isn't super active in the US compared to Europe). They are further consolidating operations from around the country to Atlanta as well ("<a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/05/mercedes-benz-relocating-500-jobs-to-sandy-springs-hq-plus-new-rd-facility/">Mercedes-Benz relocating 500 jobs to Sandy Springs HQ, plus new R&D facility</a>," Atlanta Journal-Constitution).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaISxHXz2VpyH7ybQ2HPfRNQdXOwNWi7M_N-8xv_wayYCfSmJTBQifUQhEXaLToV5SfuGZL4Y_D-qClJhS2o9sZvZLP0MB62s71U2SPswYs_II-YaWC7-hUcX3ApN49rWoLrihObUL4AJcGalI_UcQAMIl3hnhyphenhypheniKDi8mmj0_21dTyQV9z3HX0kQ/s1280/im-50003745-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaISxHXz2VpyH7ybQ2HPfRNQdXOwNWi7M_N-8xv_wayYCfSmJTBQifUQhEXaLToV5SfuGZL4Y_D-qClJhS2o9sZvZLP0MB62s71U2SPswYs_II-YaWC7-hUcX3ApN49rWoLrihObUL4AJcGalI_UcQAMIl3hnhyphenhypheniKDi8mmj0_21dTyQV9z3HX0kQ/s320/im-50003745-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>Downtown Dallas, with the Fountain Place building shown in the background, has the second-highest office vacancy rate of any downtown in the nation.</i><p></p><p>Dallas is seeing firms move to the suburbs to new buildings ("<a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2026/01/09/atts-exodus-brings-reckoning-with-downtown-dallas-future/">The reckoning: Downtown Dallas must wrestle with future after AT&T exodus</a>," <i>Dallas Morning News</i>, "<a href="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/dallas-texas-downtown-struggle-e66ce96b">Dallas Is Booming—Except for Its Downtown</a>," <i>Wall Street Journal</i>).</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Companies are abandoning this neighborhood and its aging office towers. They are heading to the Uptown district or the thriving suburbs, often over concerns about crime and homelessness. Left behind are defaulted loans, foreclosures and deeply discounted property sales.</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfLXvndMwxMqVU40W-XHBi3IlruETzkao0mzJTLfrUyKH1wA3S2F__J8vW26zYyg_XKnr4hyphenhyphenxuh_Y3n2sKzH4ZVKcK-ywHyJNYIooGWYcoajPvST5fyzcdAGWD60jp9zbZqjYmB0oJ-S_fOqpxcKxiPdI1cgcdn6VKB8RmWNUQrKVlSUtTeDZ6g/s1500/One-ATT-Plaza2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfLXvndMwxMqVU40W-XHBi3IlruETzkao0mzJTLfrUyKH1wA3S2F__J8vW26zYyg_XKnr4hyphenhyphenxuh_Y3n2sKzH4ZVKcK-ywHyJNYIooGWYcoajPvST5fyzcdAGWD60jp9zbZqjYmB0oJ-S_fOqpxcKxiPdI1cgcdn6VKB8RmWNUQrKVlSUtTeDZ6g/s320/One-ATT-Plaza2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The building ATT is in today.</i> </p><blockquote>
<p>Real-estate investors purchased $51.7 million worth of office property in downtown Dallas in the first three quarters of this year, compared with $1.8 billion in Dallas’s suburban markets, according to data firm MSCI.</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wotrUQIeD6IbswRRbKdZzIZNbEkzugcPKmbQmtC7k_oNMG1GBwpY66ug238pUcu1f_AKA561aa_JOA5T7xEI5KPJJIZPdX9h7ZABMpD9XB_-vWzF-OjZE7x2o_XPO6MdfaHBDo5S9rPNYWY_JOyz5sMdZJy0GdaNNOZbRKcXmyc76K3Hob42hQ/s750/image%20(8).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wotrUQIeD6IbswRRbKdZzIZNbEkzugcPKmbQmtC7k_oNMG1GBwpY66ug238pUcu1f_AKA561aa_JOA5T7xEI5KPJJIZPdX9h7ZABMpD9XB_-vWzF-OjZE7x2o_XPO6MdfaHBDo5S9rPNYWY_JOyz5sMdZJy0GdaNNOZbRKcXmyc76K3Hob42hQ/w400-h266/image%20(8).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The building ATT will be moving to is the former HQ campus of Electronic Data Systems. A</i><i>lthough they may tear it down and build new. </i></p><p></p><blockquote>... Many of the forces weighing on downtown Dallas—from remote work to homelessness—are afflicting other urban core neighborhoods. Businesses and investors have fled the downtown districts of <a href="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/doom-loop-st-louis-44505465">St. Louis</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/a-real-estate-tycoons-san-diego-exit-is-turning-the-city-upside-down-84d0d678">San Diego</a> and Portland, Ore., for the relative tranquility of neighboring suburbs. </blockquote><p></p><p></p><p>Also see "<a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2026/01/09/atts-exodus-brings-reckoning-with-downtown-dallas-future/">The reckoning: Downtown Dallas must wrestle with future after AT&T exodus</a>," <i>Dallas Morning News</i>.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>“If you look at the average large building, like something over 50,000 square feet, the median age is roughly 45 years old,” Triolet said. “The problem is in the (Central Business District) in the ’80s — people wanted the biggest and most glamorous. So, they made the floor plates bigger, and they wanted to make it a contest of who could build the tallest buildings.”</p><p>Corporate trends have swung another way. Toyota, American Airlines and now AT&T are examples. Companies want shorter and more horizontal buildings. Skyscrapers give way to campuses. It’s easier to sell smaller separate buildings than large high-rises, Triolet said.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Downtown buildings have aged, and more recently there hasn't been a lot of new construction, especially on a speculative basis, because of high interest rates and the discombobulation of the commercial office real estate market as a result of covid and the rise of work from home--although this is changing some, as more businesses are requiring workers to come back to the office, at least for a few days each week.</p><p>Cities have always had to deal with suburbanites fear of the city when it comes to working and visiting. Covid related declines in quality of life and an increase in crime has also led firms to the suburbs, such as in Portland ("<a href="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/a-fire-sale-of-portlands-largest-office-tower-shows-how-far-the-city-has-fallen-322e0f2d">A Fire Sale of Portland’s Largest Office Tower Shows How Far the City Has Fallen</a>," <i>WSJ</i>). </p><p></p><blockquote><p>After Digital Trends moved out of the U.S. Bancorp Tower in Portland, Ore., the technology publisher didn’t hold back about why it left. The property, once a premier address in the city, was afflicted with “vagrants sleeping in hallways of vacant office floors.” They were “starting fires in stairwells, smoking fentanyl and defecating in common areas,” according to papers the company filed in a lease-termination lawsuit.</p>
<p>Two years later, the city’s biggest office tower stands more than half empty. U.S. Bank, the largest tenant whose parent company’s name is on the building, pulled most of its employees out last year after more than a century in the city. The 42-story tower was recently put up for sale. The building affectionately known as Big Pink because of its pink-hued Spanish granite and pink glazed glass has an asking price of about $70 million, according to brokers. That is more than 80% below what the owners paid for it a decade ago.</p></blockquote><p>Interestingly, the suburban office market still has problems, even though it doesn't in Dallas and certain other cities. Large complexes, like the State Farm in Dallas, with the rise of work from home during and after covid, don't need so much space ("<a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2023/04/05/state-farm-insurance-tops-d-fw-list-of-unused-office-space/">This company is trying to sublease over 400,000 square feet of office space in D-FW</a>," <i>Dallas Morning News</i>). </p><p>DC's office market is weaker because of the shrinkage of the federal government, so many buildings are being looked at for conversion to residential ("<a href="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/dc-real-estate-office-housing-conversion-69d5b257">Washington D.C.’s Stockpile of Old Offices Makes It a Mecca for Housing Conversions</a>," <i>WSJ</i>). Could this be an option for cities like Dallas, St. Louis, and San Diego? Salt Lake has one such building just opened ("<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/01/13/slcs-university-club-office/">A 1960s SLC office tower reopens as luxury apartments, showcasing reuse as path to new housing</a>," <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i>).</p><p></p></div> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 1 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-6964119786823276255 2026-01-12T08:00:00.011-05:00 2026-01-14T18:16:34.091-05:00 Cities, sustainable mobility users, and snow <p>Snow clearance is hard, requires planning, and is maddening when you're trying to get around ("<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/why-cant-toronto-remove-snow-like-montreal-the-answers-may-surprise-you/article_b3cfbbbe-f007-11ef-a5a0-f7f98bbe3601.html">Why can’t Toronto remove snow like Montreal? The answers may surprise you</a>," "<a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/no-wonder-its-taking-so-long-to-clear-the-snow-we-planned-it-that-way/article_dd481d28-f06c-11ef-a279-e707c7d68c4d.html">No wonder it's taking so long to clear the snow, we planned it that way</a>," <i>Toronto Star</i>).</p><p>For many years, around December and later I've written entries about snow clearance as the walking-biking-transit city. Rather than recap them, here's a list:</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/01/winter-snow-clearance-in-walking-city.html">Winter snow clearance in the Walking CIty</a>," 2025</p><div>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2019/11/snow-winter-and-sustainable-mobility.html">Snow, winter and the "Sustainable Mobility City"</a>," 2019</div><div><br /></div><div>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2010/02/maintenance-of-way-agenda-for-walking.html">A "maintenance of way" agenda for the walking and transit city</a>," 2010<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2013/01/snow-reminds-us-of-necessity-of.html">Snow reminds us of the necessity of a "maintenance of way" agenda</a>," 2013<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2011/02/testimony-on-winter-sidewalk-safety.html">Testimony on the Winter Sidewalk Safety Amendment Act of 2011</a>," 2011<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2012/12/level-of-service-and-maintenance.html">Level of service and maintenance requirements in planning #2: winter maintenance of bike paths</a>," 2012<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2014/01/night-time-safety-rethinking-lighting.html">Night-time safety: rethinking lighting in the context of a walking community</a>," 2014<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2015/12/planning-for-winter-weather.html">Planning for Winter Weather</a>," 2015<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2015/01/this-weeks-snow-wasnt-all-that-although.html">Cataloging the various failures to remove snow in the walking/transit/bicycling city</a>," 2015<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2015/09/who-knew-there-is-winter-cycling.html">Who knew?: there is a Winter Cycling Federation and annual conference</a>," 2015 <br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2016/02/focusing-on-whats-most-important-snow.html">Focusing on what's most important: snow on sidewalks or snow on cars?</a>," 2016<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2019/01/winter-preparedness-planning-and.html">Winter preparedness, planning and the Walking/Biking/Transit City</a>," 2019<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2019/02/walking-city-wintertime-snow-and.html">Walking City Wintertime: Snow and strollers in Toronto</a>," 2019</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF85YItyNvqyjTu3n8_plKDlKQnksy9EgcbcPzSsC0q8r1hrsJLnq1HfW83nqJRi7WuqXZ4LuFLQ4WpkUFjdmtyY9CMuEzhZENEzfS4g0Ja-5pKh-sBDaFvQ8-LUOTTuSy2N7J68xJHx6VM3GKR_rdnDxMTqUBAcOK7qnLMPj9seARckEUoGdmQ/s1440/imrs2-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1440" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF85YItyNvqyjTu3n8_plKDlKQnksy9EgcbcPzSsC0q8r1hrsJLnq1HfW83nqJRi7WuqXZ4LuFLQ4WpkUFjdmtyY9CMuEzhZENEzfS4g0Ja-5pKh-sBDaFvQ8-LUOTTuSy2N7J68xJHx6VM3GKR_rdnDxMTqUBAcOK7qnLMPj9seARckEUoGdmQ/s320/imrs2-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>People stand at a bus stop near Logan Circle in Washington in 2022. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post)</i><p></p><p>I haven't been motivated to do so much this year because Salt Lake's Valley, and even the mountains although that's changing, has gotten so little snow that a shovel has been unnecessary. </p><p>Although this photo from the <i>Washington Post</i> keeps reminding me. </p><p>Many of Salt Lake's bus stops are just uncovered benches while <a href="https://www.calgarytransit.com/rider-information/traveling-in-winter.html">Calgary</a> and other cities like Winnipeg ("<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/heated-bus-shelters-winnipeg-1.4996452">'If you're waiting for a bus, it is brutal' but should the city invest in heated shelters or service?</a>," CBC) have enclosed bus shelters that are heated in the winter. </p><p>Montreal has a special network of winter cycle paths that they commit to keeping clear after snow storms. Arlington Virginia has <a href="https://www.freezingsaddles.org">a program promoting winter cycling</a>. Many communities, including DC and Montgomery County for the Capital Crescent Trail, have snow clearance programs. Minneapolis was one of the first cities to include maintenance of way as an element of its bicycle master plan. Salt Lake and many cities have a winter Bike to Work Day.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDulnTmOV-oqA859zAuJqPFyiTC4LW1eKyw0-1znDDzqCRZ0l59d_wUqQkKJnBNfchz4Vtx-vReR440eFquC_XkgONAJUVqtk6GEhjn8MBQjBXiPfUlBSUqC24fhYTJMHtZmonyHP9yEI4JqaX-T_GBiS3bB6NUkwFqjqCiqFVRgkCP-kNfIcu6g/s1200/6471cb479b19f.image.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1200" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDulnTmOV-oqA859zAuJqPFyiTC4LW1eKyw0-1znDDzqCRZ0l59d_wUqQkKJnBNfchz4Vtx-vReR440eFquC_XkgONAJUVqtk6GEhjn8MBQjBXiPfUlBSUqC24fhYTJMHtZmonyHP9yEI4JqaX-T_GBiS3bB6NUkwFqjqCiqFVRgkCP-kNfIcu6g/s320/6471cb479b19f.image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>An enclosed shelter at Overlea Boulevard and Thorncliffe Park Drive. Like other aspects of the system, there’s concern that using the new facilities could pose a risk if COVID-19 case peak again in the fall and winter.
Steve Russell / Toronto Star.</i><p></p><p>Toronto has introduced some heated shelters, with the justification that they make it easier for disabled users to use regular transit ("<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc-installs-16-new-heated-and-enclosed-bus-shelters/article_f2da790b-14b7-54f0-b08c-92521b3d932e.html">TTC installs 16 new heated and enclosed bus shelters</a>," <i>Toronto Star</i>).</p><p>Apparently, Pittsburgh isn't getting a lot of snow, but like my blog entries, the mayor is trying to plan ahead after clearance failures ("<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2026/01/09/pittsburgh-snow-plow-response/stories/202601090080">Mayor outlines snow removal concerns</a>," "<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/news/weather-news/2025/12/15/pittsburgh-snow-plows/stories/202512150106">One-third of Pittsburgh's plows were unavailable during weekend snowstorm: 'We have to invest in our fleet'</a>," <i>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</i>). </p><p>Similarly, the Boston Globe editorializes, "<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/24/opinion/snowplow-drivers-massachusetts">The disappearing snowplow</a>," in support of state legislation providing financial incentives for snowplow operators so that they continue to operate. </p><p>Toronto failed spectacularly with snow clearance last year, and this year doesn't look to be better ("<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/toronto-could-make-snow-clearing-significantly-better-report-finds-but-the-city-says-it-cant/article_413c1cc6-8e74-4008-81c2-ec274b6062cc.html">Toronto could make snow clearing significantly better, report finds. But the city says it can’t afford to</a>," <i>Toronto Star</i>, <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-259738.pdf">2025 Winter Storm Response and Winter Maintenance Program Review: Recommendations and Implementation Plan</a>).</p><p></p><blockquote>According to the new report from Oakville-based consultants Municipal VU Consulting Inc., a system that offers “the fastest cleanup and the highest level of service reliability” would be the most expensive, at $130 million a year, $94.4 million of which accounts for having extra staff and equipment on standby.</blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUqJTA-PE6jN-P3cxd7SKrGqGTh1d_O-juPdgf2jn4kIiB_hT5h3Ui_5frTlOca1mMOcCZsNmB6zSZrfTKTz7_p3XAIFMp1gmxG-vokrPDPwP5Zmwt_zaak9uPi46Z1bmF4Sn9X3TIPQXkhWjjuWutFXPRCedqKYZiZk5PWQ5bYJCXeHtYWpwdQ/s1200/67c037b37096a.image.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUqJTA-PE6jN-P3cxd7SKrGqGTh1d_O-juPdgf2jn4kIiB_hT5h3Ui_5frTlOca1mMOcCZsNmB6zSZrfTKTz7_p3XAIFMp1gmxG-vokrPDPwP5Zmwt_zaak9uPi46Z1bmF4Sn9X3TIPQXkhWjjuWutFXPRCedqKYZiZk5PWQ5bYJCXeHtYWpwdQ/s320/67c037b37096a.image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Liisa Nisula, an East York resident, struggles with snow-covered sidewalks in the Danforth-Coxwell area in Toronto, Thursday, February 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima</i><p></p><p>A lot of the coverage on last year's problems in Toronto focused on how inadequate snow clearance makes it especially hard for the disabled and those with children to get around ("<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/people-with-mobility-issues-struggle-to-navigate-sidewalks-as-cities-rush-to-clear-snow/article_0feecb00-90e1-5680-a8b8-3781220ca34e.html">People with mobility issues struggle to navigate sidewalks as cities rush to clear snow</a>," "<a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/the-magic-of-the-snow-is-gone-now-were-left-with-unplowed-streets-dog-yellowed/article_9268841a-f39f-11ef-ac2d-3beabb322a79.html">The magic of the snow is gone. Now we’re left with unplowed streets, dog-yellowed piles and road salt in our hair</a>," <i>Toronto Star</i>). </p><p>Other reports that schools stay closed "longer than they need to" partly because lack of snow clearance makes it hard for kids to walk to school ("<a href="https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/students-choice-walk-in-the-road-or-walk-on-the-snow-covered-sidewalk">Students' choice: Walk in the road or walk on the snow-covered sidewalk</a>," Fox13).</p><p></p><p>This year, I hope the cities to the east of Utah are doing better on snow clearance for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users.</p><p>=======</p><p>Dealing with blizzards can be more than a matter of sustainable mobility, it can be about emergency management more generally and physical safety ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/02/nyregion/buffalo-blizzard-emergency-response.html">Buffalo Leaders Weren’t Ready for Blizzard That Killed 31, Report Says</a>,"<i> NYT</i>).</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Five months after a blizzard devastated western New York, killing 31 residents of Buffalo, a <a href="https://wagner.nyu.edu/impact/research/publications/lessons-learned-buffalo-blizzard-recommendations-for-strengthening">report</a> released on Friday cited multiple failures in the ci</p><p>
Emergency warnings from city officials did not adequately convey how life-threatening the storm would be, the report said. City officials didn’t spread the word about the county’s travel ban for cars quickly enough and didn’t adequately stress the dangers of walking outside. And as the storm raged on, coordination between city, county and state officials became strained.</p><p>... The city’s response did not take into account the economic disparities that have existed in Buffalo for decades, they said. Those inequities meant, for instance, that many low-income residents could not afford to stock up on extra food before the blizzard, and as a result, risked driving or even walking out into the snow to get supplies for Christmas dinner.</p></blockquote><p></p><p></p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 5 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-8034837572594498215 2026-01-12T04:30:00.034-05:00 2026-01-12T18:34:30.629-05:00 What gets measured gets done: Annual Report on the Conditions of Children | County initiatives on poverty, from Orange County to Salt Lake County <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZEXKBKlQQcY1DRDMLsAiNyWao8XS_lpEKmB2tFIgNG0U32DYuIsUBTyvN3s2RNYuoNeUfZjqN3J8y3OU4d03UEGaxB6pfgeTndwsNfkhFLqdVdOSB0rMCHCAHMPKExI-LEPuRAyhNz6pINUNoBXsY3YJUyEV77ssTiiTOHmm2BJUmXeN0oaVmA/s500/51kqhn9ojgL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZEXKBKlQQcY1DRDMLsAiNyWao8XS_lpEKmB2tFIgNG0U32DYuIsUBTyvN3s2RNYuoNeUfZjqN3J8y3OU4d03UEGaxB6pfgeTndwsNfkhFLqdVdOSB0rMCHCAHMPKExI-LEPuRAyhNz6pINUNoBXsY3YJUyEV77ssTiiTOHmm2BJUmXeN0oaVmA/s320/51kqhn9ojgL.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>In college I thought I was gonna end up in the business world. One of the books big back then was <a href="https://tompeters.com/columns/what-gets-measured-gets-done/"><i>In Search of Excellence</i></a> (published in 1982), about high performing organizations. <p></p><p>It turns out I was more interested in organizations per se and how they operate than whether or not they were for or non profit. And in high and continued performance.</p><p>One of the key points in the book is "<a href="https://tompeters.com/columns/what-gets-measured-gets-done/">What gets measured gets done</a>," making the point that "making the numbers" is the focus when you're asking for measurable results.</p><p>Separately, I opine that everyone says kids are important, but too often money nor solid programs fails to follow the concern. That being said childhood poverty has dropped significantly over the past 30 years due to a broader safety net ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/11/us/politics/child-poverty-analysis-safety-net.html">Expanded Safety Net Drives Sharp Drop in Child Poverty</a>," "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/12/us/politics/child-poverty-families-west-virginia.html">How Poverty Programs Aided Children From One Generation to the Next</a>," <i>New York Times</i>).</p><p>I expect that there is serious backsliding starting this year given cuts to Medicaid, food security programs, and schools more generally.</p><p>So the fact that Orange County California publishes a report, <a href="https://www.ssa.ocgov.com/sites/ssa/files/2025-12/2025_12_31st_Annual_Conditions_Children_Report.pdf">Annual Report on the Conditions of Children</a>, to focus in on interdicting poverty at the county level is pretty interesting ("<a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2026/01/04/win-some-lose-some-its-not-always-easy-being-a-kid-in-the-o-c/">Win some, lose some: It’s not always easy being a kid in the O.C.</a>," <i>Orange County Register</i>). </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Childhood is measured by poverty, health outcomes, academic achievement in annual snapshot</p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p>... There are several positive signs. More than 90% of all pregnancies include prenatal care; vaccination rates are high; kids have more access to emotional support; lower income students are doing better in math and language; foster kids are getting more timely permanent placements, and local kids are less likely than their peers around the state to get arrested, with fewer local cases leading to serious legal outcomes.</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlKz9_9am6XzKciWg8zu7azHMxuCfnInOH7a5Up2NMdT3Auf31iCLpvm_rAmQolhV7M6rlm1ULg_QD18Ykf8vUMgF-wy8F7klCav0-3miWXJYO4O2JldKTP5XSOtz01YbJUpSfOyy1pvAU18ZsAs7xFH0BDvrftsWYqcUPWAadwuZRlPYbUzVPw/s1372/coc-child-poverty-map.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="1372" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlKz9_9am6XzKciWg8zu7azHMxuCfnInOH7a5Up2NMdT3Auf31iCLpvm_rAmQolhV7M6rlm1ULg_QD18Ykf8vUMgF-wy8F7klCav0-3miWXJYO4O2JldKTP5XSOtz01YbJUpSfOyy1pvAU18ZsAs7xFH0BDvrftsWYqcUPWAadwuZRlPYbUzVPw/w400-h211/coc-child-poverty-map.webp" width="400" /></a></div><blockquote>
<p>The negative signs, though, are blinking red. Child poverty is rising, as seen by increases in food assistance and free lunch programs. A higher percentage of local kids face “insecure housing” (read: homelessness). There are more preterm births and low birth weight babies. Teen pregnancies and dropout rates are both rising. There are, among children and teens, more “accidental deaths” — which include drug overdoses. More kids born drug-exposed and more are reporting that they suffer from depression. And child abuse, locally, remains a serious concern, with the county posting a higher rate of abuse than the state average.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Measurement is the first step. Action planning, implementation, review and continuous improvement is the second, and its hard. Especially in the face of too often limited funds.</p><p>In my writings on equity planning and social urbanism, I've never gotten into the weeds, recommending metrics and specific programs and initiatives for addressing it. </p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/12/an-outline-for-integrated-equity.html">An outline for integrated equity planning: concepts and programs</a>," 2017<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/07/equity-planning-update.html">Equity planning: an update</a>," 2020<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/10/social-urbanism-and-equity-planning-as.html">Social urbanism and equity planning as a way to address crime, violence, and persistent poverty: (not in) DC</a>," 2021 <br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/12/black-community-economic-and-social.html">Black community, economic and social capital: the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago/Chicago</a>," 2021</p><p>That's a necessary step for making public officials accountable for improvements in their communities.</p><p><b>Counties and areas of extreme poverty</b>. A number of cities like Richmond, Chicago (Invest SouthWest) and Dallas (Grow South) have developed anti-poverty revitalization initiatives. I think some have gone by the wayside as administrations turned over. </p><p>In Toronto, rather than provide financial support to all kinds of organization, the United Way focuses its efforts on a set number of impoverished neighborhoods.</p><p>I am not so familiar with county initiatives specific to poverty, although I mention all the time the Hennepin County Works program, which focused on reinvesting in Minneapolis to stop population leakage and rebuild ("<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171230060832/https://www.hennepin.us/-/media/hennepinus/your-government/projects-initiatives/documents/2008-03-martin-jacobson-article.pdf?la=en">A COUNTY AND ITS CITIES: THE IMPACT OF HENNEPIN COMMUNITY WORKS</a>," <i>Journal of Urban Affairs</i>), because the County feared it was at risk from property tax declines. It wasn't so much an anti-poverty measure as much as it was about being pro-center city.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLXJo80Cj8fmT69MeDh0VEiR4U0wiyLHdFCU9ktaRQftBk8wPIsbOcxODb4pSCfSBD3T5UCIJqhRaXx_I5F6ih7n6nDreklX2Tgy9cFe8EDcMyfsGnrj_RqhLFdKgSPCMBjcnMTuybQMi3tGuwLTYIBvndnqiQt_C7BwrHlYtFBzHAcA2ETahSw/s2000/AIOA6Z2MMYCLMCEXAPYOMZ5TE4-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1676" data-original-width="2000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLXJo80Cj8fmT69MeDh0VEiR4U0wiyLHdFCU9ktaRQftBk8wPIsbOcxODb4pSCfSBD3T5UCIJqhRaXx_I5F6ih7n6nDreklX2Tgy9cFe8EDcMyfsGnrj_RqhLFdKgSPCMBjcnMTuybQMi3tGuwLTYIBvndnqiQt_C7BwrHlYtFBzHAcA2ETahSw/s320/AIOA6Z2MMYCLMCEXAPYOMZ5TE4-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></div>Many <b><i>school systems</i></b> have related initiatives ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2019/03/schools-2-school-programs-in-low-income.html">Schools #2: Successful school programs in low income communities and the failure of DC to respond similarly</a>," 2019). <p></p><p>Dayton, Ohio has is a major initiative focusing on "neighborhood schools" and adding human services functions, ("<a href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/plus-ways-you-can-help-dayton-schools-thousands-students/yEo32DmaIVUPNakrTeGXZN/">50-plus ways you can help 6 Dayton schools, thousands of students</a>," <i>Dayton Daily News</i>, "<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/yd.307">Dayton's neighborhood school centers</a>," <i>New Directions in Youth Development</i>). </p><p>Roy Utah has boosted high school graduation by better linking elementary and middle school outcomes to high school, with mentors and other services ("<a href="https://ksltv.com/education-schools/how-roy-high-boosted-graduation-rates-from-70-to-92/649449/">How Roy High boosted graduation rates from 70% to 92%</a>," KSL-TV).</p><p><b>Pontiac/Oakland County, Michigan</b>. But I think the Hennepin County model is extendable, an apt model for more places, especially as a way to address poverty. I wrote about this in terms of Pontiac, ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/01/pontiac-michigan-lagging-african.html">Pontiac Michigan: a lagging African American city in one of the nation's wealthiest counties</a>") where I admitted I was embarrassed for not thinking this long before when I was a resident of wealthy Oakland County in middle and high school and a couple summers once I started college. For a time I even went to Pontiac Schools in 6th and 7th Grades.</p><p><b>East County/Montgomery County, Maryland</b>. For Montgomery County Maryland too ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/11/east-county-montgomery-county-maryland.html">East County, Montgomery County, Maryland: Council redistricting spurs ideas for revitalization</a>"). I just wrote about Long Branch ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2026/01/long-branch-montgomery-county-main.html">Long Branch, Montgomery County: Main Street manager job | Purple Line</a>").</p><p>Separately, Montgomery County Public Schools puts more money towards Title I schools serving impoverished areas ("<a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/when-unequal-is-fair-treatment/2008/02?qs=montgomery%20county%20maryland">When Unequal is Fair Treatment</a>," <i>Education Week</i>) although outcomes continue to lag ("<a href="https://www.thesentinel.com/communities/educational-inequality-in-montgomery-county-public-schools/article_8ad9307c-54cd-11ee-aba4-3b19165af141.html">Educational Inequality in Montgomery County Public Schools</a>," <i>Montgomery County Sentinel</i>).</p><p><b>Equity planning/social urbanism</b>. Another way to think about such programs is through the concepts of equity planning and social urbanism. The programs above have influenced my thinking about this definitely.</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/12/an-outline-for-integrated-equity.html">An outline for integrated equity planning: concepts and programs</a>," 2017<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/07/equity-planning-update.html">Equity planning: an update</a>," 2020<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/10/social-urbanism-and-equity-planning-as.html">Social urbanism and equity planning as a way to address crime, violence, and persistent poverty: (not in) DC</a>," 2021 <br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/12/black-community-economic-and-social.html">Black community, economic and social capital: the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago/Chicago</a>," 2021</p><p><b>Salt Lake City</b>. There are tons of reports about economic disparities between the East and West sides of Salt Lake. The west side is more Hispanic, more people of color, more poverty (series: "<a href="https://ksltv.com/politics-elections/roads-to-understanding/roads-to-understanding-salt-lake-citys-west-side/688860/">Roads to Understanding: Salt Lake City’s west side</a>," KSL-TV. "s," <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i>). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68ZrKBebN1qlYQoSKS8vGSdyOrIBjKtgUq1x4ynQiyzMfxeB7UnbUyYmwFVGfIqQeQLJqHCVniHg1jJ0nuoPBFMUdLmS-9mLxHqbNZMgBv9IgXnD-3TqE6yOA4dJHNSwyiUN519PtT1_EInhRQTWcterC9s0UkB4lufdF48ryBtVuY3-uiUv9vQ/s2070/aerial-view-of-salt-lake-city-oil-refineries-burning-coal-producing-energy-photo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="2070" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68ZrKBebN1qlYQoSKS8vGSdyOrIBjKtgUq1x4ynQiyzMfxeB7UnbUyYmwFVGfIqQeQLJqHCVniHg1jJ0nuoPBFMUdLmS-9mLxHqbNZMgBv9IgXnD-3TqE6yOA4dJHNSwyiUN519PtT1_EInhRQTWcterC9s0UkB4lufdF48ryBtVuY3-uiUv9vQ/s320/aerial-view-of-salt-lake-city-oil-refineries-burning-coal-producing-energy-photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The west side is where the city's industrial district lies, including the state's five oil refineries, so air quality is a particular concern ("<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/07/27/epa-confirms-environmental/">West-siders, at last, may have the proof they need to fix air pollution</a>," <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i>).<p></p><p>Meanwhile the east side pretty much thrives as it's closer to and abuts the Wasatch Front mountain range so people haven't been inclined to move "west" as is more typical in most metropolitan regions, as they grow, they grow west. </p><p>Even so there is population shrinkage or at least shrinkage of households and fewer children so schools on the east side of the county marked by closing schools in the adjacent Granite School District ("<a href="https://www.kuer.org/education/2024-11-13/granite-schools-is-looking-to-close-3-more-elementary-schools">Granite Schools is looking to close 3 more elementary schools</a>," KUER/NPR).</p><p>Salt Lake has closed west side schools because of low enrollments, while Salt Lake's stay open because the east side still has a preponderance of large Mormon families ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2023/06/school-closure-and-consolidation.html">School closure and consolidation planning needs to focus on integration planning at the outset as a separate process</a>," "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2023/10/equity-versus-efficiency.html">Equity/"Equity" versus efficiency and the school closure debate</a>").</p><p>The school system does have a number of Title I initiatives and a couple of schools more like the Dayton model, with community health clinics and community centers as part of the school grounds.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Acx5OGB6PcEJn96hd2pPFzoBH2slXZUFBBqRD9kq1OuwrgBMwy-UMhnoDdZLmngCYsMuYTzSHt2I5XrJsvBsLn3DoNyjI9t6UUMu12Yp8-yjJ-hh3sh6zqWeAUxC87Qg815WcsjpOIXTWbPi3akcGB2Egyi6zC9LM6oLJTVUxwBPyN9TNhyphenhyphenM9w/s1200/780-bnsf-salt-lake-city-intermodal-yard.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Acx5OGB6PcEJn96hd2pPFzoBH2slXZUFBBqRD9kq1OuwrgBMwy-UMhnoDdZLmngCYsMuYTzSHt2I5XrJsvBsLn3DoNyjI9t6UUMu12Yp8-yjJ-hh3sh6zqWeAUxC87Qg815WcsjpOIXTWbPi3akcGB2Egyi6zC9LM6oLJTVUxwBPyN9TNhyphenhyphenM9w/s320/780-bnsf-salt-lake-city-intermodal-yard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The physical divide between East and West is created by railroad tracks and a massive train yard as well as I-15, which follows the route of the railroads ("<a href="https://buildingsaltlake.com/will-salt-lake-heal-its-historic-east-west-divide-or-exacerbate-it/">Will Salt Lake Heal its Historic East-West Divide, or Exacerbate it?</a>," Building Salt Lake, "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2024/02/15/theres-another-plan-heal-slcs-east/">Utah and SLC wanted to punch a hole through I-15. West-siders fought back</a>," <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i>).<p></p><p>So the city has plenty of initiatives promoting growth on the west side, prioritizing funding projects there over the East Side. </p><p>To me, the biggest problem of development on the west side is lack of town centers, but I've grappled with how to write about it and haven't yet ("<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/09/04/new-9th-9th-salt-lake-citys/">A new 9th and 9th? Salt Lake City’s Marmalade neighborhood becoming a ‘destination.’</a>,"<i> "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2023/11/12/why-there-are-no-bars-rose-park-or/">Why there are no bars in Rose Park or Fairpark — and why that could finally change</a>," SLT</i>).</p><p>It makes it hard to develop commercial districts and small businesses ("<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/food/2026/01/08/utah-eats-buzzed-coffee-truck/">A coffee truck, known on Salt Lake City’s west side and at farmers markets, opens a brick-and-mortar cafe</a>," "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/food/2025/09/04/mestizo-coffeehouse-part-beautiful/">Mestizo Coffeehouse, part of a ‘beautiful community’ on SLC’s west side, is closing</a>," <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i>). (There is a redeveloping district along North Temple, but in terms of the east-west divide, it's more of an extension of the Central Business District.) </p><p>There is also a citizen-initiated proposal, the <a href="https://riograndeplansaltlakecity.org/">Rio Grande Plan</a>, which would revive the Rio Grande Station for long distance and commuter railroad sand light rail service, which may also involve undergrounding railroad tracks outside of the rail yard, making it easier to get between the east and west sides ("<a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51411103/study-highlights-salt-lake-citys-east-west-struggles-what-will-be-done-about-it">Study highlights Salt Lake City's east-west struggles. What will be done about it?</a>," KSL-TV). (I was the first person at the public launch of the proposal to say publicly that the RGP should be implemented in association with the coming of the 2034 Winter Olympics.)</p><p>The University of Utah runs an interesting community program there called University Neighborhood Partners ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/07/university-of-utah-university.html">University of Utah University Neighborhood Partners program and community revitalization in West side Salt Lake City/County</a>," "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/09/12/how-university/">How University Neighborhood Partners helps west side leaders</a>," <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i>) and is investing in a small version of its hospital in West Valley City ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2023/03/hospitals-as-urban-anchorsrevitalizatio.html">Hospitals as urban anchors/revitalization levers, not usually, but with great potential to serve communities in important ways: Examples are two forthcoming projects by Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health</a>") which abuts Salt Lake, and is even more Hispanic demographically. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FCzZVZ23P0Tb9kPGD1UncZbli0mbH8wKfTYDcfVS_Eq3Oq3xXIweuzKpGCzs9TFO-rp82aBDFVeNbWjmqVfwvIYO2mY4bNiCFbtuZdFdB_v0mKN8LLlgL0rxIbwbrmtKyfY0kcL1zZPZjsBgtBD2vDkId2EjVByU2kYAnC3kBVa5SJYTIHwY6Q/s1920/1681770185290.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FCzZVZ23P0Tb9kPGD1UncZbli0mbH8wKfTYDcfVS_Eq3Oq3xXIweuzKpGCzs9TFO-rp82aBDFVeNbWjmqVfwvIYO2mY4bNiCFbtuZdFdB_v0mKN8LLlgL0rxIbwbrmtKyfY0kcL1zZPZjsBgtBD2vDkId2EjVByU2kYAnC3kBVa5SJYTIHwY6Q/s320/1681770185290.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>A new restaurant opens in the 9th and 9th district.</i><p></p><p>By contrast, East Side has thriving residential-commercial districts like 9th and 9th ("<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2013/11/21/salt-lake-city-an-easy-pedestrian-friendly-trip-from-denver/">In Salt Lake City, a dynamic neighborhood with small businesses and room to stroll in</a>," <i>Washington Post</i>, 2013), Sugar House, and 15th and 15th ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/12/thinking-about-opportunities-for.html">Thinking about the opportunities for success with neighborhood commercial districts: comparing Manor Park in DC to 15th and 15th in Salt Lake</a>").</p><p><b>Salt Lake County. </b>Salt Lake County has its issues. The County is mostly economically successful, but the west side and certain other pockets of the county lag the wealthier areas. </p><p>While the County is majority Democrat, the way County Council districts are organized, the County Council currently is majority Republican. Some of the members are seriously conservative and focused on "reducing the size of government" even though as a growing place, demands for infrastructure and other programs are greater, not reduced.</p><p>The County faces budget issues because of that growth. It voted to raise the property tax, not much all in all, but there is opposition ("<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/01/03/sl-county-tax-referendum-could/">There’s a new referendum push underway. This one targets Salt Lake County taxes</a>," <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i>). </p><p>The County is cutting back investment in many areas--I know this because I am on the Board of Sugar House Park which is half owned by the County, and we just got a big push back on our capital planning efforts because of this--pushing back some projects as much as 6 years.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-8lxPphFo7J3X4J9gdDMz1iqa5sXq9tzlL3Qi1jbzT5j17grwduDVwKetVnqdrTSQ7xv0Lqrr_sq8F5ir5L45fAnP0A417_4rviadk3htsrLd6d49J2w069D1b7YVXvtzISLea2ZoNfmB1ZUIzuelTMOBxuZhlhuQGcrs5u_BmMS3tVj4pbH2Q/s1228/31231405.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="1228" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-8lxPphFo7J3X4J9gdDMz1iqa5sXq9tzlL3Qi1jbzT5j17grwduDVwKetVnqdrTSQ7xv0Lqrr_sq8F5ir5L45fAnP0A417_4rviadk3htsrLd6d49J2w069D1b7YVXvtzISLea2ZoNfmB1ZUIzuelTMOBxuZhlhuQGcrs5u_BmMS3tVj4pbH2Q/s320/31231405.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Salt Lake Deseret News photo.</i><p></p><p>The Republican majority voted to close some day care centers ("<a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51417645/families-brace-for-challenges-as-salt-lake-county-child-care-centers-are-set-to-close">Families brace for challenges as Salt Lake County child care centers are set to close</a>," KSL-TV) and a senior center to reduce costs. </p><p>Even when offered money by a prominent foundation to keep the day care centers open, leading Councilmembers said no ("<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/12/24/miller-foundation-proposed-paying/">A famous Utah family’s foundation offered to pay for S.L. County day cares, public records reveal</a>," <i>Salt Lake Tribune</i>).</p><p>To be fair, I don't think the County's wanting to close day care centers is necessarily "bad." It does have to measure spending and outcomes, and how many people programs serve. And they argued spending $2 million on 247 people (children) wasn't the best use of funds.</p><p>But instead of just voting to summarily cut the program, it could have looked at alternatives that were cheaper, such as supporting "seats" at other for profit and nonprofit centers.</p><p>I'm hardly an expert on all the programs in the county and nonprofit and philanthropic initiatives that focus on ameliorating poverty. </p><p>I do know that Granite School District has a number of Title I initiatives (<a href="https://d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Comm-Approach-Oct2025.pdf">Educational Achievement and Workforce Development: A Review of Community Based Approaches</a>, Gardner Institute, University of Utah). </p><p><a href="https://sslc.gov/193/Promise-South-Salt-Lake"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ5d4FzYukVyNZeyZxRkhprVrejPmQnYNO7HDZFhbEzAm6tgweImSg2LifsnU-T4f6hTify3hME30qRTgDbSPOVp3y_gxb5D2mYJ-jEf7uVemxbspB3UZQDUIVRLoPFP1IfLXlE7hmrSpUkZklXRgj_84oIWiYxlrWSBf_B6DvUL0ACgeKJw53w/s1024/2E6OZV5P6VA4FPAGDHH6EQS2QU.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ5d4FzYukVyNZeyZxRkhprVrejPmQnYNO7HDZFhbEzAm6tgweImSg2LifsnU-T4f6hTify3hME30qRTgDbSPOVp3y_gxb5D2mYJ-jEf7uVemxbspB3UZQDUIVRLoPFP1IfLXlE7hmrSpUkZklXRgj_84oIWiYxlrWSBf_B6DvUL0ACgeKJw53w/s320/2E6OZV5P6VA4FPAGDHH6EQS2QU.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>(Chris Detrick | Tribune file photo) Promise South Salt Lake Site Coordinator Susie Estrada shows children pictures of the staff members at the Hser Ner Moo Community Center in South Salt Lake City Tuesday, July 18, 2017.</i> <div><p><a href="https://sslc.gov/193/Promise-South-Salt-Lake">South Salt Lake</a> ("<a href="https://www.abc4.com/gtu/gtu-featured-guest/how-promise-south-salt-lake-is-creating-safe-spaces-for-youth-and-families/">How “Promise South Salt Lake” is creating safe spaces for youth and families</a>," ABC4, "<a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/35517020/south-salt-lake-promise-program-helps-youths-thrive-in-community-centers">South Salt Lake Promise program helps youths thrive in community centers</a>," KSL-TV) and <a href="https://www.millcreekut.gov/221/Promise-Program">Millcreek</a> have created "Promise" initiatives which function comparably to the University Neighborhood Partners, bringing a variety of resources together to help people who can use the boost. The <a href="https://promisepartnership.org/promise-communities/">Promise Partnership Utah</a> organization supports such groups across the state. </p><p></p><p>(Ironically, in the area, they call South Salt Lake "sketchy," urban and impoverished. People here have little experience with true urban poverty! "<a href="https://robertlawgroup.com/blog/what-are-the-safest-neighborhoods-in-salt-lake-city/">Areas to Avoid: Salt Lake City’s Danger Zones</a>," RLG, "<a href="https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2023/11/19/refugees-industry-arts-beer-how-do/">South Salt Lake is turning 85. What is it known for?</a>," <i>SLT</i>)</p><p><b>Conclusion: Why not a Salt Lake County Community Works Program, focused on poverty reduction?</b> But mostly my response is that like Oakland and Montgomery Counties, very wealthy counties, Salt Lake County has a lot of wealth too, and rather than offer programs in a piecemeal basis or none at all, could a "Hennepin Community Works" program be developed to address the county's economic lagging areas in a more systematic way.</p><p>Could the Promise Programs and the University Neighborhood Partners initiative become the foundation of a more focused, overarching and branded County program serving impoverished areas in more systematic ways than the county is doing presently?</p></div> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-2781321355004043180 2026-01-09T18:04:00.002-05:00 2026-01-09T18:13:51.389-05:00 Washington City Paper community media project <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJImCKEx29i9S2ezLR07rOpjl-rYPS7TJaMOR2D6uikesoA7FrJt2KYLQYT5mO2VzdrAcJDyVVkChbssd_7l4juCtIZPR1bfZFn4YMTvC17GZuugJZSJHhgIxrqMDPU7xDQSQ1qqlBakNjSSB6n1qa6vC5JhbTjxPd9vHi7nS1S6k0fMDXmS57Vg/s259/images%20(5).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJImCKEx29i9S2ezLR07rOpjl-rYPS7TJaMOR2D6uikesoA7FrJt2KYLQYT5mO2VzdrAcJDyVVkChbssd_7l4juCtIZPR1bfZFn4YMTvC17GZuugJZSJHhgIxrqMDPU7xDQSQ1qqlBakNjSSB6n1qa6vC5JhbTjxPd9vHi7nS1S6k0fMDXmS57Vg/s1600/images%20(5).jpg" width="259" /></a></div>The <a href="https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com">Washington City Paper</a>, the area's alternative weekly, stopped publishing in print in 2022 ("<a href="https://dcist.com/story/22/04/04/washington-city-paper-ends-print-edition/">Staff And Locals React To End Of Washington City Paper Print Edition</a>," DCist), but is still active online. <p></p><p>(Many alternative papers across the country have shut down post covid, because during covid they weren't able to get entertainment-related advertising because people couldn't go out, and the financial impact was too much.)</p><p>Working with <a href="https://humanitiesdc.org">Humanities DC</a>, the WCP sponsors a <a href="https://humanitiesdc.org/community-journalism">Community Journalism Program</a>, "a 14-week course that teaches D.C. residents journalistic knowledge and skills as they report a local story." Finished stories are often run by the "paper" albeit online. Applications are due Sunday, Jan. 11.</p><p>I think this is a great program that more newspapers, "regular ones" and alternative weeklies, should do.</p><p>I never had an article run in the WCP, but I did get a few letters to the editor published, and was mentioned from time to time in articles about historic preservation and transportation.</p><p>======</p><p>I consider the <i>Washington City Paper</i> one of my key teachers about urbanism and city governance. When I first moved to the city in 1987, they ran a column by Mark Jenkins and Bill Rice called "Cityscapes," about urban architecture and urbanism. I read it avidly (along with the "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/roger-k-lewis/">Shaping the City</a>" column in the <i>Washington Post, "</i><a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2024/10/death-of-former-washington-post.html">Death of former Washington Post columnist Roger Lewis</a>").</p><p>A Jenkins cover story in December 1987 was the first time I read about the concept of the "Purple Line" circumferential transit line--at the time it was proposed it was to be heavy rail--connecting all the end points of the various legs of the Metrorail lines--running through suburban Maryland and Virginia.</p><p>The current Purple Line under construction is light rail, not heavy rail, and will serve a small part of the proposed full line, from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George's County.</p><p>The paper ran so many cover stories that taught me so much about local politics. I can think of stories on the schools, maintenance versus capital funding for key systems in DC buildings like heating and cooling systems, how the "Growth Machine" manipulated the zoning process, crony capitalism and using nonprofits as personal piggybanks by John Ray, a former Councilmember and his cronies, etc.</p><p>Plus the Loose Lips weekly column about the ins and outs of DC Government.</p><p>Note that much of the <i>City Paper</i> has been digitized and is available within the Washingtonia Collection on local history at the MLK Library in Downtown CD.</p><p>============</p><p>The paper was bought a few years ago by local private equity maven Mark Ein as a community spirited venture ("<a href="https://washingtonian.com/2017/12/21/mark-ein-buys-washington-city-paper/">Mark Ein Talks About Buying Washington City Paper</a>," ) without a focus on profits. </p><p></p><blockquote><p>Ein, who will not have a daily role at the paper, is the paper’s fifth owner in the last decade and has taken steps to make his stewardship of the long-troubled weekly* as benevolent as possible.</p><p>... In fact, Ein counts City Paper as one of what he calls his “community investments,” not his “day job, for-profit” investments. That said, he plans to assemble a team that can help the paper solve the revenue shortfalls caused by collapses in classified and display advertising. Untethered optimism, I note to him, has been a problem with some of City Paper‘s recent owners. “We’re all going into this with our eyes wide open,” he says. All his advisers “have a lot of ideas about alternative revenue sources. We’re not expecting it to be profitable in the short term.”</p></blockquote><p></p><p>The dude is rich. So to me, rather than get all the messages on articles about donations, I wonder why he can't put a little more money in. Although I'm glad the media outlet still exists.</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-2474990706617075644 2026-01-09T16:16:00.004-05:00 2026-01-09T17:13:47.265-05:00 Another media tragedy: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is shutting down <p><a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/pittsburgh-post-gazette-closing-block-communications-20260107.html"> So reports the Philadelphia Inquirer</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNlHVIK3-VnQ47IQsa6xrN2lj0pkj0ZDk3Iy9ETjxF5dwn2QTn5md283xZ_UIMPqTfmH3suewvEtYbBmOh1n6uq7OOL4K_2NalfuYpc6NRSvZa7b9At2I7htzv4yhkasH5GNmpyvGvJJGCtzdpNrsV9CnEZbZFzCRv2GDlpDawbBTmc7tU1R_qg/s2944/front-page-large.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2944" data-original-width="1542" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNlHVIK3-VnQ47IQsa6xrN2lj0pkj0ZDk3Iy9ETjxF5dwn2QTn5md283xZ_UIMPqTfmH3suewvEtYbBmOh1n6uq7OOL4K_2NalfuYpc6NRSvZa7b9At2I7htzv4yhkasH5GNmpyvGvJJGCtzdpNrsV9CnEZbZFzCRv2GDlpDawbBTmc7tU1R_qg/w210-h400/front-page-large.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>I wrote to the Heinz Endowment, and the PBS and NPR affiliates in Pittsburgh, suggesting that the work together to acquire and continue to operate the paper.<div><br /></div><div>Comparable to how WBEZ-FM/NPR took over the <i>Chicago Sun-Times</i> ("<a href="https://www.wbez.org/pressroom/chicago-public-media-announces-its-acquisition-of-the-chicago-sun-times">Chicago Public Media Announces Its Acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times</a>,").</div><div><br /></div><div>And when the Kresge Foundation led a funding round during the City of Detroit's bankruptcy, to keep the collections of the city museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, intact ("<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/14/charities-commit-330m-save-detroits-art-pensions">Charities commit $330m to help save Detroit's art from being sold in bailout</a>," <i>Guardian</i>).<p>The Kresge initiative was necessary because the DIA had never been incorporated as an organization separate from the City of Detroit. </p><p>Instead, the Museum was a department/agency of the city, like the police department. So its assets were at play during the bankruptcy.</p><p>Also a couple weeks ago, the <i>Atlanta Journal-Constitution</i> stopped printing a paper (the <i>Newark Star-Ledger</i> did this a year ago or so), going to online only.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpz7fmZiNmMfm01DFLNLLEe6tmN-OlwzCzmsiGDGUOQ5xr5CWfemYjyHYZPoP0Cw5RP6-ESRyEvco7WnNcu7m6LX52A_3SmZJncfiEkOa7SIcKhAFPz_HgQKFTCMPKaY1jUV5WWEv0jIAuI_D6HWX1eIP0BOdHjzrfbOpQi3lF6iiR9-KJEGW6A/s264/9781108834773.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="180" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpz7fmZiNmMfm01DFLNLLEe6tmN-OlwzCzmsiGDGUOQ5xr5CWfemYjyHYZPoP0Cw5RP6-ESRyEvco7WnNcu7m6LX52A_3SmZJncfiEkOa7SIcKhAFPz_HgQKFTCMPKaY1jUV5WWEv0jIAuI_D6HWX1eIP0BOdHjzrfbOpQi3lF6iiR9-KJEGW6A/s1600/9781108834773.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i>The book <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/news-hole/86C7B8933122EB6EC229E4B05BBAA27C">“News Hole: The Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement</a>, discusses how enhancing local news media strengthens public involvement.</i><p></p><p>Newspapers are key to awareness about local happenings and are a key element in whether or not people participate in local civic affairs. </p><p>In my opinion, the <i>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</i> is a very good local paper, with strong coverage on land use issues, the arts, public health, etc. I try to go through the back file of local news articles at least once/month.</p><p>And I frequently write entries in response to <i>PPG</i> articles such as:</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/10/its-not-age-of-housing-stock-but.html">Wednesday, October 19, 2022 It's not the age of the housing stock, but the ability of property owners to maintain it: Disinvestment in Pittsburgh</a>," 2022<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/08/big-ideas-for-better-pittsburgh-and.html">Big Ideas for a Better Pittsburgh | and a point about world class cities</a>," 2025<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2023/01/pittsburgh-developer-backs-down-on.html">Pittsburgh developer backs down on opposition to ticket fee for concerts, to be used for area improvements</a>," 2023<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2023/01/nba-all-star-game-in-salt-lake-economic.html">NBA All Star Game in Salt Lake, economic development hype | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the Pirates baseball team economics</a>," 2023</p><p><b>Newspapers and community engagement</b></p><p>-- "<a href="https://thehornetonline.com/newspapers-support-public-awareness/">How Local Newspapers Support Public Awareness and Community Engagement</a>," Hornet Newspaper<br />-- <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2016/11/03/civic-engagement-strongly-tied-to-local-news-habits/">Civic Engagement Strongly Tied to Local News Habits</a>, Pew Research Center<br />-- "<a href="https://www.theajp.org/news-insights/insights/rebuilding-local-news-fosters-civic-engagement/">Rebuilding local news fosters civic engagement</a>," American Journalism Project</p><p>According to the Hornet, newspapers:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Provide access to information</li><li>Hold public officials and corporations accountable</li><li>Provide a voice for the local community</li><li>Strengthen community identity</li><li>Improve community life by fostering participation</li></ul><div>=====</div></div><div>The recent history of the paper is interesting. It's owned by a small company, Block Communications, with papers in Toledo and Pittsburgh. I think the original Block used to be an agent for the Hearst Newspapers Group back in the day, buying newspapers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pittsburgh used to have two papers, the <i>Press</i> owned by E.W. Scripps, and the <i>PPG</i>. They ran together on a joint operating group basis, where the Press ran the business operations and printing, with two separate editorial staffs. But then there was a strike in 1992.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scripps decided to scrap their paper. And Block Communications took over the business operations and kept the paper running.</div><div><br /></div><div>The paper was seen as liberal, but then John Block took over as publisher and he is conservative. This created problems and the newspaper has been under a strike by journalists for more than a year ("<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/19/media/pittsburgh-post-gazette-john-block">A newsroom tirade and a controversial hire: tension rises at Pittsburgh newspaper</a>," CNN, 2019, "<a href="https://dankennedy.net/2026/01/08/the-pittsburgh-post-gazette-says-it-will-close-race-and-politics-have-been-tearing-it-apart-for-years/">The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says it will close. Race and politics have been tearing it apart for years</a>," MediaNation).</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite its recent turmoil, they've been putting out a quality, informative product.</div> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 1 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-8692455947406952611 2026-01-08T06:00:00.012-05:00 2026-01-12T19:54:50.780-05:00 WMATA Metrorail 50th anniversary in 2026 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAv07F2X2518qv5i4Cli634Si-j7VR20Lv7nQmBHepU2cXT7ZG2KxHNPX2GdV2NQs_VdnTaoVH_rK7WlWoZUhUolLZMH_-uJx6dq2ehcZ04Hv5swcAMWB3l43fShtyuiK1Tc_4TZN8hHq-jNIk7xv33bZG1mW4NyR71PGh5oJzXw-qx1HuVL_SpA/s1200/56af1fff9cea59bf5d55f2af9a1efa18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAv07F2X2518qv5i4Cli634Si-j7VR20Lv7nQmBHepU2cXT7ZG2KxHNPX2GdV2NQs_VdnTaoVH_rK7WlWoZUhUolLZMH_-uJx6dq2ehcZ04Hv5swcAMWB3l43fShtyuiK1Tc_4TZN8hHq-jNIk7xv33bZG1mW4NyR71PGh5oJzXw-qx1HuVL_SpA/s320/56af1fff9cea59bf5d55f2af9a1efa18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I started this piece in late fall, spurred probably by "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/11/streetcars-transit-economic-development.html">Streetcars: transit, economic development levers, source for discontent in local politics | Milwaukee HOP streetcar</a>." Because of the issues raised about transit as a lever of economic development, urban revitalization and the repositioning of cities.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxar-By9q93mHcS_xvcnSqoqQvDydqOi756LZXZOvqABR4IMimegT760c2IeSU5M-a1UV12eRkjVVwHzXgdSCWonMfFqzyC5UYGIwkmqpPbZTNbFJ5lXfg2ksn5MaiozQZGxTQMr7A0NndqbFmQlCwL-au27Eb586jhDQHJcD3kpHK63JlXTGPog/s578/3701554251_550a512309_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="578" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxar-By9q93mHcS_xvcnSqoqQvDydqOi756LZXZOvqABR4IMimegT760c2IeSU5M-a1UV12eRkjVVwHzXgdSCWonMfFqzyC5UYGIwkmqpPbZTNbFJ5lXfg2ksn5MaiozQZGxTQMr7A0NndqbFmQlCwL-au27Eb586jhDQHJcD3kpHK63JlXTGPog/s320/3701554251_550a512309_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>A Red Line train heading toward Glenmont arrives at Metro Center. A track-switching problem apparently delayed the train -- and worsened the backup.
Photo Credit: By Linda Davidson -- The Washington Post Photo</i><p></p><p>It reminded me that <b>2026 is the 50th Anniversary of WMATA's opening of the first leg of the Metrorail system; </b><b>On March 27th, 2026</b>, the red line from Rhode Island Station to Downtown's Farragut North Station. </p><p>At that time there was a regional consensus about the value of building the subway that had been built up over many years of planning and promotion.</p><p><b>Post-2009: the transit consensus denigrates further</b>. In 2009, I argued that this consensus needed to be rebuilt as the region and population grew, with many new residents unfamiliar with the history of the system ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2009/11/st-louis-regional-transit-planning.html">St. Louis regional transit planning process as a model for what needs to be done in the DC Metropolitan region</a>"). (I also made the same argument for 2016, the system's 40th anniversary, "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2014/02/wmata-40th-anniversary-in-2016-as.html">WMATA 40th anniversary in 2016 as an opportunity for assessment</a>").</p><p>During this period, DC and Arlington had been planning streetcars. Arlington shut down their effort in 2014, while DC, as a great example of planning failure managed to open the streetcar in 2014--after starting planning in 2003--but now plans to shut it down.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5PL2qf0D6ymBRECUUPSZD9wU7pdk5dQcg2NxSWA3nJYCX7bQVM5LbwKUlUqmYt9bmoGA66RosG75iI6I_WZqZpydc194xNgBTpQdvD_Waob_BC0ga0riGB6b3r2x1QuWe_MdIThliKdZg699EY54H5CwlBLcPLsBprWdaO4UClACtYVsGg50wA/s725/84535069_26f8374bd3_o%20(1).gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="725" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5PL2qf0D6ymBRECUUPSZD9wU7pdk5dQcg2NxSWA3nJYCX7bQVM5LbwKUlUqmYt9bmoGA66RosG75iI6I_WZqZpydc194xNgBTpQdvD_Waob_BC0ga0riGB6b3r2x1QuWe_MdIThliKdZg699EY54H5CwlBLcPLsBprWdaO4UClACtYVsGg50wA/s320/84535069_26f8374bd3_o%20(1).gif" width="320" /></a></div>And then there's the Purple Line light rail program. Proposed in the late 1980s as a circular line connecting all the Metrorail lines, the Maryland program aimed to develop a leg of it, from Bethesda to New Carrollton. <div><br /></div><div>Planning was stopped by Republican Governor Ehrlich, resuscitated by his Democratic successor Martin O'Malley, and then threatened with cancellation by his Republican successor Larry Hogan. </div><div><br /></div><div>There's been lots of opposition by people in the monied areas of Montgomery County, but the system will finally open by January 2028--40+ years after it was first proposed.<p></p><p>I used to comment that the opposition to the streetcar and light rail implied a total lack of knowledge and history of Metrorail, back when the system was serving more than 750,000 riders per day (plus another 500,000 trips by bus).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6g0QsCrcrcDH6LGsSaYR-C_EDB7dQDroWE2kxwQxJ2ndq0TP9K07OF2FDtyMSveNVkVgo-pSE4mtvK16Hj21dgTIiFnag0KLcdjWPAB_eJNY-I1zdU1Em08-p3vrjhf4eDFWmE9zC3wOjGDjuZR5ljWp-0eK0-QyIvfxA9WWdEj6PdpwGCKLZgg/s960/June_22,_2009_WMATA_Collision_-_NTSB_accident_photo_422857.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="960" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6g0QsCrcrcDH6LGsSaYR-C_EDB7dQDroWE2kxwQxJ2ndq0TP9K07OF2FDtyMSveNVkVgo-pSE4mtvK16Hj21dgTIiFnag0KLcdjWPAB_eJNY-I1zdU1Em08-p3vrjhf4eDFWmE9zC3wOjGDjuZR5ljWp-0eK0-QyIvfxA9WWdEj6PdpwGCKLZgg/s320/June_22,_2009_WMATA_Collision_-_NTSB_accident_photo_422857.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And that the consensus in favor of a transit-centric land use and transportation planning paradigm, especially after the Metrorail crash killed eight people and the system degraded significantly afterwards, needed to be recreated.<p></p><p><b>Covid as another catastrophic event</b>. Alongside the years of reinvestment and poor service, another key event is the decline of ridership during covid because of the shift of work from the office to remote work at home.</p><p><b>Downtown as a business center and transit destination further diminished by Trump Administration firings of federal workers</b>. Fewer federal employees and moving agencies out of DC reduces ridership.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFe50AtbxOv67O5THkVZHVM69dlfO2lSHGAx2JOFo0OCB02wkCt1ufYiX0F07ARfYIySPuPsdY1Qv4AI1UbjvlEW_nY4oK5xyw4U7mYrfqAthTnw5pzaaC883cz20T6i8pt3nq_GYVx4tMpC8pfQj3wTTld7YG7nw9qslSI1aXxB_8h40A7AXyA/s1342/5586014256_9e7172bd95_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1342" data-original-width="1066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFe50AtbxOv67O5THkVZHVM69dlfO2lSHGAx2JOFo0OCB02wkCt1ufYiX0F07ARfYIySPuPsdY1Qv4AI1UbjvlEW_nY4oK5xyw4U7mYrfqAthTnw5pzaaC883cz20T6i8pt3nq_GYVx4tMpC8pfQj3wTTld7YG7nw9qslSI1aXxB_8h40A7AXyA/s320/5586014256_9e7172bd95_o.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><i>Advertising supplement to the Washington Star, 3/21/1976.</i><p></p><p>The system has half the ridership from 2019, although WMATA is rebounding better than a lot of its peers ("<a href="https://www.governing.com/transportation/can-washington-dc-keep-its-transit-comeback-rolling-wmata">Can Washington DC keep its transit comeback rolling?</a>" <i>Governing</i>). Funding, with the fall of farebox revenue, has also been a problem.</p><p><b>Definitely needed are sessions on "lessons learned</b>." Even to compare DC to SF's BART ("<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/BART-history-anniversary-17420942.php">BART has carried riders for 50 years. It also changed how the Bay Area lives</a>," San Francisco Chronicle), Atlanta's MARTA, and Miami's Metro.</p><p>For example, DC's streetcar is the textbook example of poor planning, yet it has sparked more than $1 billion in new or planned development ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2015/12/dc-and-streetcars-4-from-standpoint-of.html">DC and streetcars #4: from the standpoint of stoking real estate development, the line is incredibly successful and it isn't even in service yet, and now that development is extending eastward past 15th Street</a>," "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2016/10/updaterevision-of-h-street-transit.html">Update/revision of H Street transit oriented real estate development table</a>"). </p><p><b>Transit infrastructure can have speedy returns on public investment</b>. For example, a key lesson for me was the revitalization impact of the New York Avenue Metrorail station on the H Street neighborhood. </p><p>The station made people with choices choosing the neighborhood as a place to live, and play. The commercial district and subsequent building of housing was speeded up by the presence of the station (which also provided positive development impact on the Union Market district and in the NoMa area as well).</p><p>It made me a believer that done right, transit infrastructure was the fastest return on investment for urban revitalization.</p><p>Plus, besides lessons for good, We need lessons for bad. And for recommendations and an action plan for improving and integrating transit modes into a true system.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Urban and Transportation Planning Lessons from DC Metrorail</span></b></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtH7uvoujU9p-Ln138g4xjxAjRQRefaRf2uTKLZDTyuYGAz5MoE_ZtUsJc7_BUHNXVNjyXsazR6U7Zqa-z3cAoCumzpM0QnPHK3vFDdW_EW95lyQ4Nb7z3TTGKt-ZeDXyhijZjKAY8wG0cBjsjiddaq5CFtqBmSBW8jguQLe73WqorlQJlyWAPyg/s406/776014020_87ec008e1d_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtH7uvoujU9p-Ln138g4xjxAjRQRefaRf2uTKLZDTyuYGAz5MoE_ZtUsJc7_BUHNXVNjyXsazR6U7Zqa-z3cAoCumzpM0QnPHK3vFDdW_EW95lyQ4Nb7z3TTGKt-ZeDXyhijZjKAY8wG0cBjsjiddaq5CFtqBmSBW8jguQLe73WqorlQJlyWAPyg/s320/776014020_87ec008e1d_o.jpg" width="255" /></a><div><b style="font-weight: bold;">-- </b><a href="https://www.tod.org/">Transit Oriented Development Institute</a></div><div>-- <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080512054600/https://planning.dc.gov/planning/cwp/view,a,1282,q,569523.asp">Trans-Formation: Recreating Transit-Oriented Neighborhood Centers in Washington, DC</a>, DC Office of Planning (2002)</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></div><b>Economic revitalization</b>. For the first 30 years of the system, academic research didn't find a lot of economic impact. <p></p><p>I think that's the result of metropolitan area studies which spreads results out, when transit economic effects are more localized. But it's also because seeing results takes a long time. It takes a long time to build one building, let alone hundreds.</p><p>Although later studies found significant impact (<a href="https://wmata.com/about/news/New-research-highlights-the-incredible-benefits-of-transit-to-the-Capital-Region.cfm">When we invest in transit, our community thrives: 2024 Benefits of Transit Report</a>, WMATA), which makes sense because it covered a longer period of time.</p><p>E.g., the region versus Downtown DC, DC neighborhoods ("<a href="https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/14/cities-can-have-abundant-housing-if-theyre-willing-to-work-for-it/">To Create Abundant Housing, Ignore the YIMBY Playbook</a>," <i>Washington Monthly</i>), or the Wilson Boulevard corridor in Arlington County ("<a href="https://jaredalves.com/2017/01/08/the-effect-of-transit-oriented-development-in-arlington-virginia-on-transport-choices/">The Effect of Transit-Oriented Development in Arlington, Virginia on Transportation Choices</a>").</p><p>DC, Arlington, Alexandria, and Montgomery Counties have benefited more from Metrorail than Prince George's County. Unlike the others, PGC has fewer conurbations served by the Metro and it hasn't been focused on shifting development to those places served by Metrorail. </p><p>For example, for years I've thought the County should move its place of government to New Carrollton, which is served by Metrorail, from Upper Marlboro, which is not ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2014/11/go-big-or-go-home-prince-georges-county.html">Go big or go home: Prince George's County needs to think big and consider better revitalization examples for New Carrollton</a>"). Recently, more agencies have moved to Largo, which is served by Metrorail, but the development in the area is disjoint, very much not like stations in DC.</p><p>Arlington has been particularly successful in repositioning Wilson Boulevard as an office district, competitive with DC because of lower rents, although this is changing as the Silver Line presents new development further out with even cheaper rents ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-state-of-arlington-county-virginias.html">The state of Arlington County Virginia's commercial real estate market: 2012 and the future</a>").</p><p>It's also important to look at the differential impact on the suburbs ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2014/09/inner-ring-suburban-community.html">Inner ring suburban community improvement</a>," "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2018/05/metrorail-as-revival-mechanism-for.html">Metrorail as a revival mechanism for the inner suburbs: Takoma Park</a>," and "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2013/01/tysons-white-flint-and-continued.html">Tysons, White Flint and the continued "maturation" of the suburbs</a>").</p><p>2. Still, perhaps the biggest lesson is that transit focused revitalization takes a long time. Although it can be incredibly fast if done right, additive, within an existing system ("<a href="https://urbanland.uli.org/infrastructure-transit/noma-the-neighborhood-that-transit-built">NoMA: the neighborhood transit built</a>." <i>Urban Land,</i> "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/09/17/three-new-metro-stations-to-open-before-years-end/11d54678-1e91-4f93-bfbd-8b207986e87e/">Three New Metro Stations To Open Before Year's End</a>," <i>Washington Post). </i>This aligns with the finding of the UMN Center for Transportation Studies that the greatest value from additions to transit infrastructure come within the first 10 miles of the core system.</p><p>3. Especially when you aren't guided by good planning, financing and high quality implementation organizations. Which should be done at the system, line, and station area scale ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/03/revisiting-creating-public-improvement.html">Revisiting creating Public Improvement Districts in transit station catchment areas</a>," 2020).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2p5P_luqzF8RC25nfBvJ2J_CkHSrm0KnLepgZHd67FiUxDWpGr6XUz7BzADVVd56mryUxcBG2tTE9nU6beAodMt-c12AdWQyKzsv7t23iP2VFc3CQkd7s2D0jKTIO5u_2WBoqy_7f4mnUX7mMVbP4ajF4s9jN9ncNCrAbm9FZwVkKSVuJ7uERmQ/s3300/Station%20Area%20Planning1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2p5P_luqzF8RC25nfBvJ2J_CkHSrm0KnLepgZHd67FiUxDWpGr6XUz7BzADVVd56mryUxcBG2tTE9nU6beAodMt-c12AdWQyKzsv7t23iP2VFc3CQkd7s2D0jKTIO5u_2WBoqy_7f4mnUX7mMVbP4ajF4s9jN9ncNCrAbm9FZwVkKSVuJ7uERmQ/w309-h400/Station%20Area%20Planning1.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p>When I first got involved, I thought DC didn't do station area planning. </p><p>It did, but it didn't have an implementation organization or financing ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2024/01/updating-best-practice-elements-of.html">Updating the best practice elements of revitalization to include elements 7 and 8 | Transformational Projects Action Planning at a large scale</a>," 2024), and actually that was a benefit because the plans took on the urban renewal architectural brutalism of the time. Later transit oriented developments tend to be much better than the original planning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrAWbC9YycJFxszhQzJoz5c3AkYxLZeUIt0nDSXPJqa1EtDpSAFk8O6ZruTEKHOOV2eYA9IhUEkiyngN2KDcUids9QUiNfuyeibmFA_KFjShJUwvHvOewHf9dOoNQYzIm3L6Fi_BGxvGlAgl_awQhX4045kqXcxZdK8KdHz6-4FJxZAcSB16J_A/s726/3788734291_da4cfd3aeb_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="726" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrAWbC9YycJFxszhQzJoz5c3AkYxLZeUIt0nDSXPJqa1EtDpSAFk8O6ZruTEKHOOV2eYA9IhUEkiyngN2KDcUids9QUiNfuyeibmFA_KFjShJUwvHvOewHf9dOoNQYzIm3L6Fi_BGxvGlAgl_awQhX4045kqXcxZdK8KdHz6-4FJxZAcSB16J_A/w400-h220/3788734291_da4cfd3aeb_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>Images of a protest flyer and the cover of a station area plan for the Takoma subway station from the article "Call to Arms: Activists defend a community under siege" by Diana Kohn, in the May 2009 issue of the Takoma Voice.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p>More should have been invested in stations as neighborhood gateways ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2013/09/transit-stations-and-placemaking.html">Transit, stations, and placemaking: stations as entrypoints into neighborhoods</a>"). Because the DC area is much less dense compared to NYC, it's been difficult to have stations serve as neighborhood hubs in the way that they do in NYC or Chicago.</p><p>4. Relatedly, <b><i>Sometimes development can be too soon</i></b>. A lot of early development such as at Silver Spring, was low density residential, because that was a building type financial institutions were familiar with. Waiting until market understanding caught up with ground reality was important. In short, building what you can build today can impose opportunity costs.</p><p>A good example is Fort Totten in DC. Early development on site is three and four story garden apartments. Second phase development off site is 6 story mixed use buildings. But post-covid, much of the later proposed greater density projects are on hold.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSggP9HTk2KIg4-twekhV36AdUKXzqGy7pd66FeEEecew7F89LkRhLtfovnCdTd8YzawYtIVIORfxDuE6NeCDArD_dBVFGqTjkYQWRlg7bxeqGfFCLiM0pzJkdRWNocwNLInVCEspg7ojOBbd-WzLDCr2cz4oK5LQ86CLecYlEAb9IKp_AuRKlQ/s1122/490043146_33eae022ab_o.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSggP9HTk2KIg4-twekhV36AdUKXzqGy7pd66FeEEecew7F89LkRhLtfovnCdTd8YzawYtIVIORfxDuE6NeCDArD_dBVFGqTjkYQWRlg7bxeqGfFCLiM0pzJkdRWNocwNLInVCEspg7ojOBbd-WzLDCr2cz4oK5LQ86CLecYlEAb9IKp_AuRKlQ/s320/490043146_33eae022ab_o.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><i>Diagram of the WMATA system from Cities in Full.</i><p></p><p>5. <b><i>Polycentric versus monocentric development</i></b>. Metrorail was set up to move suburbanites to and from jobs in the city. Thinking about revitalizing DC, the way that Arlington thought about shifting the Orange Line to an in-county rather than in-freeway alignment wasn't a huge part of the discussion.</p><p>While the system is spread out--polycentric--the reality is that in certain sections, like the core of DC or the Wilson Boulevard corridor, it functions monocentrically. </p><p>DC has about 42 stations. At the core of the city there are 30, many serve neighborhoods. For the most part, all of those neighborhoods have revitalized.</p><p>6. Relatedly, <b><i>Centers are key</i></b>. Stations outside of already even somewhat developed centers take much longer to bring about substantive development, let alone TOD ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2024/12/transit-oriented-development-station.html">Transit oriented development station typology revisited</a>," 2024) This problem was accentuated because a lot of transit systems are built along existing rail corridors, which are usually more industrially focused, and not well placed in terms of population and employment centers.</p><p>7. <b><i>Trickle down development versus purposive planning</i>.</b> It took 20-25 years to see Downtown DC reasonably well built out in response to Metrorail. Separately, it took 25-30 years to see the effect on DC neighborhoods. Arlington and Montgomery County also benefited, and Alexandria, all with their own timeframes. </p><p>It's fair to say that DC had a trickle down approach to development, in that it was expected that transit was enough to move the city forward. But augurs would have speeded up progress.</p><p>Arlington County did it a little differently. They provided a special upzone of the transit shed along Wilson Boulevard, served by four Orange Line stations. It wasn't an upzone per se, but a planned unit development process that allowed for significant height bonuses, in part in return for community benefits. That process was faster and more purposeful than DC's. Note that Rosslyn, the main office business district of Arlington at the time, has lagged Wilson Boulevard.</p><p>(Note: later, very successfully, DC provided incentives for housing development at the Columbia Heights and Petworth stations, among others, when the areas still lagged the core of the city.)</p><p>8. <b><i>Equity</i></b>. It was believed that transit would increase economic activity and property values. At the time, people didn't think too much about the impact on low income populations, and the potential for displacement as neighborhoods changed as higher income residents were attracted to transit connections and other previously unappreciated amenities.</p><p>The light rail systems in Minneapolis ("<a href="https://www.hennepin.us/en/housing/hennepin-county-housing-stories/affordable-housing-along-transit-corridors">Affordable housing along transit corridors</a>," Hennepin County, "<a href="https://metrocouncil.org/News-Events/Housing/Newsletters/Met-Council-awards-$15-75-million-for-transit-conn.aspx">15 development projects will create and preserve nearly 2,000 affordable homes</a>," Met Council) and Phoenix (<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/CatherineReagor/2014/02/25/light-rail-housing-fund-spurs-15-projects-in-metro-phoenix/5842505/">"Light rail housing fund spurs 15 projects in metro Phoenix</a>" and "<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/real-estate/catherine-reagor/2015/08/28/phoenix-light-rail-route-projects/71275354/">Why you don't see more vacant lots along light-rail route</a>," <i>Arizona Republic)</i> have been better at creating community development initiatives to build affordable housing in association with the new transit lines, reducing negative effects. </p><p>This has driven a lot of organizing around the Purple Line especially in the Takoma-Langley area ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/30/purple-line-maryland-gentrification/">As Purple Line construction resumes, the fight against gentrification is on</a>," <i>Washington Post</i>) but they haven't moved in a substantive way towards implementation ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/01/op-ed-in-washington-post-about.html">Op-Ed in Washington Post about preserving affordable housing in the Purple Line corridor (Department of Duh)</a>," "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/01/follow-up-washington-post-op-ed-on.html">Follow up: Washington Post op-ed on affordable housing, the priming role of foundations and Washington's weak philanthropic community | Enterprise Community Partners could be a leader</a>").</p><p>To its credit, Amazon, having entered the region with its HQ2 development in Arlington, has invested a lot of money in affordable housing projects, as part of <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/impact/community/housing-equity">its national initiative</a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMUxGUrEL2oqB7ZLHf7-GbwReQYVZeDTMdxsynLbUOCeJ-rjaKAaDX9pu910DlsSlfy-OASTzFuIHNtrFqGhezyjbgOTwA9IeCbV8Yb1RUwiNWdrAtMKp8laUTJmou2snxkORe8fR8GbQwTKwfoLaEPm3lgYKSXHrOBG03uN1zJl1l_kz1Otbjg/s2048/New_Carrollton,_Maryland.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMUxGUrEL2oqB7ZLHf7-GbwReQYVZeDTMdxsynLbUOCeJ-rjaKAaDX9pu910DlsSlfy-OASTzFuIHNtrFqGhezyjbgOTwA9IeCbV8Yb1RUwiNWdrAtMKp8laUTJmou2snxkORe8fR8GbQwTKwfoLaEPm3lgYKSXHrOBG03uN1zJl1l_kz1Otbjg/s320/New_Carrollton,_Maryland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>New Carrollton in Prince George's County has Metrorail, Amtrak, and MARC service now, and a connection to the Purple Line is forthcoming.</i><p></p><p>9. <b><i>Are suburban conditions different from the center city?</i></b> Sometimes, not always. Arlington took on a more urban orientation with the addition of Metrorail. </p><p>While Fairfax County's initial stations were more outposts along I-66. </p><p>I came up with a station typology of development opportunity based on some WMATA planning work--they came up with the original, and I expanded it.</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2024/12/transit-oriented-development-station.html">Transit oriented development station typology revisited</a>," 2024</p><p>A key difference, and this is especially true of the Silver Line, is that pods of development in automobile-dominated communities aren't likely to be transformational in terms of promoting sustainable mobility or even transit use. </p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/03/setting-stage-for-purple-line-light_24.html">Setting the stage for the Purple Line light rail line to be an overwhelming success: Part 4 | Making over New Carrollton as a transit-centric urban center and Prince George's County's "New Downtown"</a>," 2017/2014<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/10/suburban-virginias-silver-line.html">Suburban Virginia's Silver Line Metrorail after 10 years</a>," 2025</p><p><b>Transit infrastructure planning lessons from DC Metrorail</b>.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2QDZUxmEbQS98Xp79F0ufa_LCzuJtROsNStFQtV3pjxVlFYkdjV8YNnpnXlGOgEkwJpvJUq59lmfXRJ8EM0I1f81gqRl5IOL7yRX5547R6uUC0fZ7lupMfgZThqVVD5UUy1TXZAT84_aIHzw3kZsMvnq4Hho9KSE4CUe2qNQkIn0GmVSAse2mQ/s1000/6056748266_b9ce1f0010_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1000" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2QDZUxmEbQS98Xp79F0ufa_LCzuJtROsNStFQtV3pjxVlFYkdjV8YNnpnXlGOgEkwJpvJUq59lmfXRJ8EM0I1f81gqRl5IOL7yRX5547R6uUC0fZ7lupMfgZThqVVD5UUy1TXZAT84_aIHzw3kZsMvnq4Hho9KSE4CUe2qNQkIn0GmVSAse2mQ/s320/6056748266_b9ce1f0010_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>To me, conceptually the best example is Portland, in that they made quantum scale tough decisions, and continued to do so, as far as transit, urban design, compact development and quality of life planning was concerned. ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2007/03/summary-of-my-impressions-of-portland.html">A summary of my impressions of Portland, Oregon and planning</a>," 2007). </p>1. While the early system was expensive and seemed extensive, it missed areas that would have been good to have included, and <b><i>WMATA didn't continue to work for expansion beyond the original system program</i></b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p></p><p>Two stations were paid for by Maryland, extending the Blue Line to Largo. And two infill stations have been built, in NoMA DC, and Potomac Yards in Virginia. All were locally-driven projects, rather than pushed by WMATA.</p><p>WMATA kept saying, not until we finish the original system, that meant substantive expansions were decades out. </p><p>As the Purple Line light rail program proves, it takes decades to build rail. If you do it in fits and starts it takes a lifetime.</p><p>2. <b><i>Vibes: a transit city has to invest in transit improvement and expansion</i></b>. As David Miller, former mayor of Toronto said, "you can't have a <a href="https://cancelledtoronto.ca/2000/transit-city">transit city</a> if you don't continue to build transit." </p><p>He wasn't re-elected and the program was dropped ("<a href="https://www.theethnicaisle.com/transit-issue/2017/3/6/david-miller">The transit city that could’ve been</a>," <i>Ethnic Aisle</i>, "<a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/transit-citys-not-dead-yet-david-miller/article4180952/">Transit city's not dead yet: David Miller</a>," <i>Toronto Globe &Mail</i></p><p>From <i>EA:</i></p><p></p><blockquote>Well, Toronto has to build rapid transit. It needs to build rapid transit that helps the city direct the growth that’s come into the city appropriately. It needs to build rapid transit that serves people from all walks of life. It needs that from a transportation perspective, from an environmental perspective. Which is why it should be rail and electric based, no emissions or close to zero emissions. That rapid transit network will not only address transportation issues, it will address economic issues, so it’s good socially, economically, environmentally, and for transportation. We need that, the city’s not going to thrive without it.</blockquote><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2j6aavLx3WountMlGRNsmrxI5NWxwqdzufl2INJP5XvOUPCTSrxzT4FgCEk50G2gnTjPWSL8RwLjgImMYcvZTk07zBuQWpThVZnVKl1yaBSz_3kN2OwAaRqxVd8pf94fgn71WMAMWjhzD1ajHKuXNVpbXIDXW9TzIbDceMzUpD5NQ-EHqV-1bg/s2048/514439169_1156407109864605_1658709253866493020_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="2048" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2j6aavLx3WountMlGRNsmrxI5NWxwqdzufl2INJP5XvOUPCTSrxzT4FgCEk50G2gnTjPWSL8RwLjgImMYcvZTk07zBuQWpThVZnVKl1yaBSz_3kN2OwAaRqxVd8pf94fgn71WMAMWjhzD1ajHKuXNVpbXIDXW9TzIbDceMzUpD5NQ-EHqV-1bg/s320/514439169_1156407109864605_1658709253866493020_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The DC area built Metrorail and it is an incredible achievement. Of the fully funded "new transit systems"--BART, Atlanta, and Miami--Metrorail has been the most successful.<p></p><p>OTOH, I don't think the region ever tried to build a transit city or transit metro where a transit first agenda is the foundation of the regional land use and transportation planning paradigm. SF has a "Transit First" approach within the city and its MUNI system ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2006/10/comments-on-proposed-eya-development.html">Comments on Proposed EYA Development at Takoma Metro Station, Washington DC</a>," 2006).</p><p><br /></p><p>Paris is the best example over all ("<a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/paris-15-minute-city">Paris’ Vision for a ‘15-Minute City’ Sparks a Global Movement</a>," World Resources Institute, "<a href="https://www.vinci.com/en/emag/ambitions-behind-greater-paris-project">Ambitions behind Greater Paris Project</a>," "<a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/paris-new-metro-network">Paris is getting a whole new Metro network. And it's huge</a>," CNN). New York City some of it on placemaking, without the massive expansion of transit.</p><p>London and Paris are the preeminent transit cities in the Western Hemisphere, continuing to make investments in transit expansion, although London like New York City, lags comparatively due to budget constraints.</p><p>3. Relatedly, <b><i>Transit is cheapest to build "RIGHT NOW."</i></b> Similarly, a former BART (SF) chairman used to say "the cheapest time to build transit is right now" because costs only go up. (I can't find the cite.) E.g., I think the Purple Line has doubled in cost over its timeframe for planning and construction.</p><p>4. <b><i>A transit city/transit region should integrate railroad commuter service with subway and other modes like light rail or streetcar/tram, alongside deep bus networks</i></b>. And be focused on improving service and expanding where it makes sense ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2018/07/brandings-not-all-you-need-for-transit.html">Branding's (NOT) all you need for transit</a>"). Paris just added a gondola to serve a section of the city difficult to serve by traditional transit.</p><p>5. <b><i>WMATA saw itself not as the metropolitan area's primary transit operator, but the manager of a subway</i></b>. By default it was the primary transit planner, but not so committed to transit other than Metrorail as the golden child and a less favored regional bus network.</p><p>Two examples include how it refused to run the Takoma Langley bus station, forcing the Maryland MTA to run it. Same with the Purple Line. MTA expected WMATA would want to run it. They didn't. The same goes with planning a gondola service in Georgetown.</p><p>By contrast LA MTA figured it was to its advantage to lend its planning expertise to proposed transit projects outside its current purview (mostly that's a potential gondola service for Dodgers Stadium).</p><p>6. <b><i>The region should have (and still can) adopted a German style "transport association" where most elements of the transit system are part of one association</i></b>, with a clear distinction between planning and system and route operation</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-answer-is-create-single-multi.html">The answer is: Create a single multi-state/regional multi-modal transit planning, management, and operations authority association</a>," 2017<br />-- "<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323497427_Verkehrsverbund_The_evolution_and_spread_of_fully_integrated_regional_public_transport_in_Germany_Austria_and_Switzerland">Verkehrsverbund: The evolution and spread of fully integrated regional public transport in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland</a>," <i>International Journal of Sustainable Transportation</i>, 2018<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2015/05/one-big-idea-getting-marc-and-metrorail.html">One big idea: Getting MARC and Metrorail to integrate fares, stations, and marketing systems, using London Overground as an example</a>," 2015 [I did ignore the VRE and Virginia which was an oversight]<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/03/a-new-backbone-for-regional-transit.html">A new backbone for the regional transit system: merging the MARC Penn and VRE Fredericksburg Lines</a>," 2015<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2015/09/new-state-rail-planning-initiative-in.html">DC State rail planning initiative</a>," 2015<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2016/04/route-7-brt-proposal-communicates.html">Route 7 BRT proposal communicates the reality that the DC area doesn't adequately conduct transportation planning at the metropolitan-sca</a><a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2016/04/route-7-brt-proposal-communicates.html">le</a>," 2016</p><p>7. <b><i>Additions to transit infrastructure should be used to drive complementary improvements across the transit system</i></b>. Both to increase the success of the new infrastructure, and to build ridership overall. Like DC's streetcar or the Purple Line or the Silver Line (some station upgrades compared to the legacy system, have occurred with the Silver Line, in particular public restrooms and enhanced bike parking), </p><p>Past blog entries illustrating this concept include:</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/02/codifying-complementary-transit-network.html">Codifying the complementary transit network improvements and planning initiatives recommended in the Purple Line writings</a>," 2022/2017<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/04/using-silver-line-as-priming-event-what.html">Using the Silver Line as the priming event, what would a transit network improvement program look like for NoVA?</a>," 2017<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-transformational-projects-action-plan.html">A "Transformational Projects Action Plan" for the Metrorail Blue Line</a>," 2020</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLjQIoTEcJTxEjuZXap1XCQkIaVLkIXk7ka852bjA3tbzs-CFo8TCS_9pX6wBebQbShYU7bPtf2JAWsDD5gwbywfmYizVhBE4uWKGirD0fyyF9VxPr_IdsbjD2K-g7xMI8Pa2z5gYv0NydM7mVOzY7io4liX_n-8gHZrOYydSBTO33LfN5tkR3Q/s900/ride-on-reimagined.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="900" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLjQIoTEcJTxEjuZXap1XCQkIaVLkIXk7ka852bjA3tbzs-CFo8TCS_9pX6wBebQbShYU7bPtf2JAWsDD5gwbywfmYizVhBE4uWKGirD0fyyF9VxPr_IdsbjD2K-g7xMI8Pa2z5gYv0NydM7mVOzY7io4liX_n-8gHZrOYydSBTO33LfN5tkR3Q/s320/ride-on-reimagined.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><i>Bus</i></b>. The counties have done this around bus transit. For example, Montgomery County leveraged the Metrorail system to develop a national best practice suburban bus system. </p><p></p><p>It didn't have one before Metrorail, and its bus system aims to servie neighborhoods conveying residents to and from transit stations.</p><p>The County continues to invest in transit, and has made the riding the system free as of this year (<a href="https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/Resources/Files/reimagined/Service-Implementation-Plan-Final.pdf">Ride On Reimagined: Montgomery County’s Comprehensive Bus Network Study: Service and Implementation</a>). </p><p>Alexandria is also a suburban leader in bus transit ("<a href="https://buslinemag.com/features/transit-bus-systems/alexandria-va-transit-riders-enjoying-the-dash-difference/#">Alexandria, VA, Transit Riders Enjoying ‘The DASH Difference’</a>," <i>Busline</i>), and of course Arlington, which also is the area leader in promoting biking and walking--one of their promotions now focuses on <a href="https://freezingsaddles.org/">encouraging winter cycling</a>. PG County is a laggard but is improving their bus system and investing in trails.</p><p>8. <b><i>Fare media integration</i></b>. One good thing is that WMATA's MetroCard fare card is usable across the metropolitan area on WMATA and local bus systems. It took awhile for this to happen. Also because the Maryland Transit Administration funds Metrorail, it uses the same fare card system for local transit in Baltimore. So the same cards work in either metropolitan area (but not on railroad passenger services).</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycnCFYcDGCnyqzV7llmk7hqJeqzSS5Sn9X0kGmRghcFdutfXFFXw5r7YNlIX8AsrXpo2iCixVZhWG4aznWl-Ma6v3x-luKzQV_mYg6JBwnCSjdNYcmLTnfwN-gScSeIcsbxGgnXsh6Dy7KPt6TfQAeeZRaHjEUoxqAwoArMzzHxbV4mfaVGANiQ/s640/DSC02254.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycnCFYcDGCnyqzV7llmk7hqJeqzSS5Sn9X0kGmRghcFdutfXFFXw5r7YNlIX8AsrXpo2iCixVZhWG4aznWl-Ma6v3x-luKzQV_mYg6JBwnCSjdNYcmLTnfwN-gScSeIcsbxGgnXsh6Dy7KPt6TfQAeeZRaHjEUoxqAwoArMzzHxbV4mfaVGANiQ/s320/DSC02254.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>Funding lessons from DC Metrorail: ask for money when you're doing well and everyone loves you.</b><p></p><p>Since I became involved in these issues c. 2000, there were reports and lecture about how WMATA needed a regional taxing mechanism to provide more predictability for funding. </p><p>The funding system now is (1) each year the jurisdictions provide base funding, (2) more recently the federal government does too, (3) along with other federal funds for capital improvements, (4) farebox revenues, and (5) miscellaneous revenues (leases, advertising, etc.).</p><p>In the past, when the system turns a "profit," the jurisdictions demanded a refund of some of their appropriation.</p><p>But nothing ever happened on the sales tax front ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/08/funding-wmata-by-regional-sales-tax.html">Funding WMATA with a regional sales tax</a>," 2017)..</p><p>Note that the past blog entry, "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2013/04/metrolinx-toronto-24-potential-tools-to.html">Metrolinx Toronto: 25 potential tools to fund transit-transportation infrastructure</a>," (2013) lists many different funding sources for transit, based on a study for Greater Toronto's Metrolinx regional transportation authority. I've since added a few in the comments, although the overall entry hasn't been updated. </p><p>It came to a head after the crash, and ever since ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2023/12/its-time-to-talk-about-regional-tax-to.html">WMATA Chief says it’s time to talk about a regional tax to help fund Metro (DC area)</a>"). Note a sales tax isn't perfect. Revenues drop during recessions. But it could be a part of a broader revenue stream.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG60ryQFQowfFZVGzXr_S8zb52Kk-fvVwCyq58fIhMnQ2n_KGYGBz99kLBWvtQdqs2vMUl9JpFK2Peb85qatYJl7vRNme4-wXQBLmv53cI5wXuit8NQmpdTsZsaCPmzigPpskXl4CInmdP2aftFyHvlkyVSP55bEvHbJ-pEghX56QGfg3xDP149A/s1600/54285095387_37fd2c63e0_h.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1104" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG60ryQFQowfFZVGzXr_S8zb52Kk-fvVwCyq58fIhMnQ2n_KGYGBz99kLBWvtQdqs2vMUl9JpFK2Peb85qatYJl7vRNme4-wXQBLmv53cI5wXuit8NQmpdTsZsaCPmzigPpskXl4CInmdP2aftFyHvlkyVSP55bEvHbJ-pEghX56QGfg3xDP149A/s320/54285095387_37fd2c63e0_h.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>By contrast, BART and MARTA created sales tax districts when they were founded. <b>My lesson from DC is the best time to ask for a regional sales tax is when you're wildly successful, not when you're in crisis</b>.<p></p><p>It would have been hard. </p><p>Getting the cities and counties and the state governments to work together is like herding cats. But in the 1980s when the system was growing and thriving would have been the best time ("<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/nyregion/15rochester.html">Creativity Helps Rochester's Transit System Turn a Profit</a>" <i>New York Times</i>).</p><p>Note that the SF Bay region is looking to add another sales tax to support area transit including BART, CalTrain, and MUNI (SF) in response to the post-covid fiscal cliff many transit systems are experiencing ("<a href="https://sanjosespotlight.com/bay-area-transit-sales-tax-measure-clears-state-hurdle/">Bay Area transit sales tax measure clears state hurdle</a>," San Jose Spotlight).</p><p>2. <b><i>Metrorail is expensive to ride</i></b>. Because it's a hybrid of inner city heavy rail and suburban commuter rail, fares are high, more like commuter rail. (2) WMATA charges a fare for each mode (with a slight discount), so that you pay two fares if you ride bus to and from Metrorail. Although bus to bus transfers are three. (3) For a long time, Metrorail could get away with high fares because federal agencies provide transit benefits to workers for travel to and from work--this year it's a maximum of $340. </p><p>For these reasons, Metrorail could boast for many years of its high farebox revenue rate, in the 80th percentile. Now, they've hit a bit of a ceiling and in response have added a myriad of pass products to make it cheaper to ride.</p><p>Note that in Baltimore, if you ride the MARC train with a pass, you can ride local transit for free (the same goes for Southern California riders of Metrolink.)</p><p><b>Governance</b>.</p><p>Is complicated because it is split between DC, Maryland, and Virginia, and now the federal government. Each of which provides annual funding to the system. One problem is that the core communities--DC and Arlington--have different goals from the outer suburbs.</p><p>DC and Arlington focus on the system's qualities of serving city residents, reducing dependence on the automobile, while the outer suburbs are more focused on their residents getting to and from work. This affects discussions about fares, and what kind of service to provide.</p><p>When the system crashed as a result of the Fort Totten crash, unbelievably some of the suburban jurisdictions actively considered shutting down the system.</p><p>Virginia too doesn't want to help WMATA too much, even though it is one of the backbones of the economic success for Northern Virginia, because it competes with DC for residents and businesses. Maryland under Republican governors is anti-transit; pro with Democrats.</p><p>2. <b><i>Board members are appointed. Could they be elected?</i></b> I've thought that like BART, maybe it would be better if the representatives from jurisdictions were elected, and treated as part of the political infrastructure of the local jurisdiction in terms of developing budgets and other programs. The federal government could continue to appoint its representatives.</p></div></div> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 1 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-1662447089559465684 2026-01-07T20:25:00.004-05:00 2026-01-10T00:58:19.078-05:00 Holy f***: Trump policy kills a woman in Minneapolis <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hCQE3R303gj7piRYrqMkd2CAluH5gJpUrK8FSP9bfQGnMP10Wm4SroiVvGxlSH3QED7mSpo34YoXPcNcdCQ2Jg__7Zp2iBRM0cfP_LtmJkni0ALU6wiqoRwtfFowdj7qGKSb69m6HT_NLjGlmTudSym0IpXt43ZP3wQcNeBfqjDOWH_xBQbMcQ/s793/portland-protest-costumes-ice-getty-793x500.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="793" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hCQE3R303gj7piRYrqMkd2CAluH5gJpUrK8FSP9bfQGnMP10Wm4SroiVvGxlSH3QED7mSpo34YoXPcNcdCQ2Jg__7Zp2iBRM0cfP_LtmJkni0ALU6wiqoRwtfFowdj7qGKSb69m6HT_NLjGlmTudSym0IpXt43ZP3wQcNeBfqjDOWH_xBQbMcQ/s320/portland-protest-costumes-ice-getty-793x500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Photo: Mathieu Louis-Rolland, Getty Images.</i><p></p><p><i>Protestors in Portland have been making fun of the extreme statements about Portland being out of control by wearing costumes at protests ("<a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/portland-protests-ice-theater-absurd/">Portland’s Theater-of-the-Absurd Protests Reflect the Ridiculousness of Trump’s Lies</a>," The Nation).</i></p><p>There's been a lot written about Trump using the National Guard as a tool to terrorize "Democrat cities" ("<a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/10/27/trumps-use-of-national-guard-troops-on-american-streets-is-bad-enough-this-could-be-worse/">Trump’s use of National Guard troops on American streets is bad enough. This could be worse</a>," Rhode Island Current), like Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago. </p><p></p><blockquote><p>Ostensibly, the troops have been sent to cities “overrun” with crime. Yet data shows that has not been the case. Troops have been sent to largely Democratic-run cities in Democratic-led states.</p>
<p>The case for political theater being the real reason behind the deployment certainly was strengthened when largely Republican Mississippi sent troops to Washington D.C., even though crime in Mississippi cities like Jackson is higher than in D.C. Additionally, there is an even more dangerous purpose to the troop presence — that of normalizing the idea of troops on the streets, a key facet of authoritarian rule.</p>
<p>There are fundamental differences in training and mission between military troops and civilian law enforcement, with troop presence raising the potential for escalation and excessive force, and the erosion of both civil liberties and military readiness.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>The Supreme Court recently ruled that the justification used by the Administration was flawed, and ordered them to stop ("<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/12/supreme-court-rejects-trumps-effort-to-deploy-national-guard-in-illinois/">Supreme Court rejects Trump’s effort to deploy National Guard in Illinois</a>," SCOTus blog, "<a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/12/29/the-supreme-court-has-taken-the-national-guard-away-from-donald-trump">The Supreme Court has taken the National Guard away from Donald Trump</a>," <i>Economist</i>). Separately, as DC is subordinate to the federal government, NG troops are still in the city.</p><p>Of the many objections to the entry of federal law enforcement personnel into cities is their lack of training on urban policing, nor in de-escalation. Armed troops are by definition escalatory. It doesn't help that the Administration lies about what happens in their various engagements with protestors.</p><p>Another objection is that putting such forces in cities provides reputational risk to the military, because it's not what they are supposed to do. In a way, although a bit different, it's not unlike how the British, during the Revolutionary War, forced residents to billet soldiers, at their own expense. Here, it's a city being forced to take the brunt of the action by the military.</p><p>We know about the Administration's multi-faceted anti-immigrant program ("<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-american-people-against-invasion/">Protecting The American People Against Invasion</a>" White House) with overtones of White Christian Nationalism ("<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/stephen-miller-trump-white-house/685516/">The wrath of Stephen Miller</a>," Atlantic), which has resulted in the imprisonment and/or deportation of many thousands of people. It's not uncommon for US citizens to be swept up in the actions, and imprisoned ("<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/immigration-dhs-american-citizens-arrested-detained-against-will">We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days</a>," ProPublica).</p><p>Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel are able to operate in cities independent of the court judgements about the National Guard.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGDyiaGbIb6OuNB3k4B3IwsUOTyRFgaIjLI5Mye050D3TxP0ANQzIN-rYN4i2MvSe76zIUCaUpuoOp7Vgt_CnGloppnOt1I6PdfVP8o94l-rWZnT7s6CHmoZdKDda53SyEz6keVPah7Pia8FpAX4nA6YtiurKu9ybFjkBEYdI8O2rdrxEZkm9ZA/s2048/55017924241_32cb5d833a_k.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGDyiaGbIb6OuNB3k4B3IwsUOTyRFgaIjLI5Mye050D3TxP0ANQzIN-rYN4i2MvSe76zIUCaUpuoOp7Vgt_CnGloppnOt1I6PdfVP8o94l-rWZnT7s6CHmoZdKDda53SyEz6keVPah7Pia8FpAX4nA6YtiurKu9ybFjkBEYdI8O2rdrxEZkm9ZA/s320/55017924241_32cb5d833a_k.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Chicago: A federal immigration enforcement agent points a crowd control weapon at a protester at East 105th Street and South Avenue N in the East Side on Oct. 14. Protesters gathered as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers awaited the removal of their vehicle after it crashed during a pursuit.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</i><p></p><p>And they are armed and aggressive. Armed, not well trained Guardsman killed protestors at Kent State University in 1970 ("<a href="https://www.ideastream.org/show/sound-of-ideas/2025-05-01/kent-state-university-marks-55th-anniversary-of-may-4-shootings">Kent State University marks 55th anniversary of May 4 shootings</a>," Ideastream/NPR) but before that at the Historically Black College, Orangeburg State College in South Carolina, in 1968 where three students were killed ("<a href="https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/orangeburg-massacre/">Feb. 8, 1968: Orangeburg Massacre</a>," Zinn Education Project).</p><p>One particularly egregious aggression was the raiding of an apartment building in Chicago ("<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-venezuela-immigration-ice-fbi-raids-no-criminal-charges">“I Lost Everything”: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime</a>," ProPublica, "<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/12/21/stories-from-federal-siege-chicago">Stories from the federal siege of Chicago</a>," <i>Chicago Sun-Times</i>).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl13VTfcwPv5WXZNJwtFEYgUvJbEGq7MDGMBJT2_NnIPBPyU-A4VKQAraNW5mNLGadHIIS0xjBJ-2KXpt39S0Du57B8JJ6ea0-1cb651GWi5Gx6C6miUv2xrDMTepocQplwkJKgpEk0hCfa-pGJOF7x8LaiYb4JAbafq1lOVu6IIZQLPuL19T5Cg/s2160/MEUEOZXNKZHE3MEUNPGDPP2M4M.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2160" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl13VTfcwPv5WXZNJwtFEYgUvJbEGq7MDGMBJT2_NnIPBPyU-A4VKQAraNW5mNLGadHIIS0xjBJ-2KXpt39S0Du57B8JJ6ea0-1cb651GWi5Gx6C6miUv2xrDMTepocQplwkJKgpEk0hCfa-pGJOF7x8LaiYb4JAbafq1lOVu6IIZQLPuL19T5Cg/s320/MEUEOZXNKZHE3MEUNPGDPP2M4M.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Community members pray at the scene where a federal agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, 37, of the Twin Cities earlier on Portland Avenue in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)</i><p></p><p>That's escalated. Today, we have the killing of an American citizen in Minneapolis ("<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/video/eyewitness-describes-ice-shooting-that-killed-woman-in-minneapolis-255580229643">Eyewitness describes ICE shooting that killed woman in Minneapolis</a>," NBC).</p><p>With the director of ICE as part of the operation!</p><p>The <i>Boston Globe</i> has <b><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/07/nation/trump-presidency-live-updates">a video link of the engagement</a></b>, and there is no question the ICE agent murdered the driver, a 37 year old woman. ICE agents too, aren't well trained, for urban incursions. This is the result.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIDi4LOgGvl6FYUpDp3ou0hyphenhyphen2StVaATxaXtBeCD8YMewUhOnKyBf2a1Zn0wBNL71B11275kZaCr4EIhkj5dtSedcLkCZVjN5tuwgeNDKGrEwret8dMoVRHtRL2p-AZSSg0kt-celLVRvA2WjU1P_8hzg6MzUjfe2v3xnxpzA48zW-IP0cf3lHQg/s960/960x0%20(4).webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIDi4LOgGvl6FYUpDp3ou0hyphenhyphen2StVaATxaXtBeCD8YMewUhOnKyBf2a1Zn0wBNL71B11275kZaCr4EIhkj5dtSedcLkCZVjN5tuwgeNDKGrEwret8dMoVRHtRL2p-AZSSg0kt-celLVRvA2WjU1P_8hzg6MzUjfe2v3xnxpzA48zW-IP0cf3lHQg/s320/960x0%20(4).webp" width="320" /></a></div><p><i>U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino joins federal agents at the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Ellen Schmidt/MinnPost via AP)
Ellen Schmidt/AP</i></p><p>Ironically it's 5 years plus one day since the Trump-inspired violent protests at the US Capitol ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/january-6-capitol-riot/">Jan. 6 insurrection</a>," <i>Washington Post</i>). The Administration just put up <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/j6/">a webpage</a> lying about what happened ("<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5675182-trump-launches-jan6-website/">White House unveils Jan. 6 webpage saying Democrats ‘staged the real insurrection,’ criticizing Capitol Police</a>," <i>The Hill</i>). </p><p>One protestor, Ashlii Babbitt, was shot and killed by a member of the Capitol Police. She's been made a martyr of the hard right, and under Trump, her family got a payout ("<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/06/ashli-babbitt-trump-settlement-00392746">Trump administration to pay nearly $5M in wrongful death lawsuit of Jan. 6 rioter shot by police</a>," <i>Politico</i>). She was rioting. Rioting isn't protected speech. She was a criminal. Trump also pardoned most of the people found guilty of rioting that day.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpFt4W4T5rsLMdQq2tDnJ4s-eCY_xlzGhJOE5idbEpat40h3mUMasQIZr1XUREHIsrWYhK1Op6Y3WUEmG_qzWMYXpfGZJDF4w8YOvZl3WqMAzsnEVKbncu3vWJJYDOigXKLfT_FOAra6eCStTxNFkrKS0SJnuk63x9u1T97E9sO1FIdc8zQTHvA/s960/960x0.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpFt4W4T5rsLMdQq2tDnJ4s-eCY_xlzGhJOE5idbEpat40h3mUMasQIZr1XUREHIsrWYhK1Op6Y3WUEmG_qzWMYXpfGZJDF4w8YOvZl3WqMAzsnEVKbncu3vWJJYDOigXKLfT_FOAra6eCStTxNFkrKS0SJnuk63x9u1T97E9sO1FIdc8zQTHvA/s320/960x0.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>A bullet hole is seen in the windshield as law enforcement officers work at the scene of a shooting involving federal law enforcement agents, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis.
Tom Baker/AP</i><p></p><p>Not the lady in Minneapolis, Renee Nicole Good, she's just dead. Say her name... ("<a href="https://www.startribune.com/she-was-an-amazing-human-being-mother-identifies-woman-shot-killed-by-ice-agent/601559922">‘She was an amazing human being’: Mother identifies woman shot, killed by ICE agent</a>," <i>Minneapolis Star-Tribune</i>).</p><p>The Administration is justifying the murder ("<a href="https://apnews.com/live/minneapolis-ice-shooting-updates">Live updates: Hundreds protest in Minneapolis after ICE officer kills woman</a>," AP). Calling the person driving away a "domestic terrorist" ("<a href="https://www.startribune.com/dhs-secretary-kristi-noems-comments-in-wake-of-womans-fatal-shooting-by-ice-agent/601559810">DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s comments in wake of woman’s fatal shooting by ICE agent</a>," <i>MST</i>).</p><p></p><blockquote><p>“He’s been in situations like this before, and he certainly has been out there and followed his training today,” said Noem at the evening news conference in Minneapolis.</p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2-FlFcZIXj_F13lNQkmEd_6EzeaDNh73EGryp-ozPTKQ0JbpkX811VGWbwgb4Kty_zjLO58-49AN0AUqtUt-nIqjIxPRjRiTx5Dud9rWxlFx4-FggdwyaHZaY-1UKfY_jcElMXkVXSTxqEtfFTbuxMm_7XqcjJ-Mk_mOncsVP0xWFDqdrBKPJQ/s960/960x0%20(3).webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2-FlFcZIXj_F13lNQkmEd_6EzeaDNh73EGryp-ozPTKQ0JbpkX811VGWbwgb4Kty_zjLO58-49AN0AUqtUt-nIqjIxPRjRiTx5Dud9rWxlFx4-FggdwyaHZaY-1UKfY_jcElMXkVXSTxqEtfFTbuxMm_7XqcjJ-Mk_mOncsVP0xWFDqdrBKPJQ/w400-h266/960x0%20(3).webp" width="400" /></a></div><i>A federal agent sprays a protester with a chemical agent at the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Ellen Schmidt/MinnPost via AP)
Ellen Schmidt/AP</i><blockquote>
<p>Noem appeared to reference the same officer when she said that, back in June, he’d been rammed and dragged by an “anti-ICE” motorist.</p></blockquote><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlziritHVsLZtb2p1RFtGdHAmViSoNHFd2vi2mZlrKmSPCyj4P2RZ5UNReFVdOWKjQcrI3Jus1cwqsIN5cDvNuDByzy1nnQ-ReNOj0cPe4NeCnpR86NQpnVcWYPdURMBAR6FXD_TtJyTy6mJVPK6WOhr7VTbhCc2wpqdluuK4oFRsShSqwIB-3g/s960/960x0%20(1).webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlziritHVsLZtb2p1RFtGdHAmViSoNHFd2vi2mZlrKmSPCyj4P2RZ5UNReFVdOWKjQcrI3Jus1cwqsIN5cDvNuDByzy1nnQ-ReNOj0cPe4NeCnpR86NQpnVcWYPdURMBAR6FXD_TtJyTy6mJVPK6WOhr7VTbhCc2wpqdluuK4oFRsShSqwIB-3g/s320/960x0%20(1).webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>Emergency medical technicians carry a person on a stretcher at the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Ellen Schmidt/MinnPost via AP)
Ellen Schmidt/AP</i><p></p><p>The Republicans in Congress are supine in the face of the Administration's aggressions not just against the Constitution, but of the American People.</p><p>You would think this killing would be a moment comparable to when Senator Joe McCarthy's lies were challenged by Joseph Welch, the U.S. Army's chief counsel at one of McCarthy's many hearings about communists in government. </p><p>He said: "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"</p><p>That was the moment of McCarthy's downfall. Were this to be a similar moment.</p><p><b>Sanctioned state violence</b>. The Trump Administration is one of the most violent in terms of how it deals with citizens and immigrants. But this is not unique to the nation's history, with raids against "communists" in the 1870s and 1920s, anarchists (1910s), labor unions (1890s-1930), and the treatment of certain immigrant groups throughout history (Chinese, Mexicans, Jews).</p><p>But today it seems the US is taking its cues from Hungary and Russia, where the media is controlled and universities are subjugated, and countries like Chile under Pinochet, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel, China--Israel ("<a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/watched-tracked-targeted-israel-surveillance-gaza.html">Watched, Tracked, and Targeted Life in Gaza under Israel’s all-encompassing surveillance regime</a>," <i>New York Magazine</i>) and China are probably the most developed surveillance states in the world, more intricate than the Apartheid period of South Africa. </p><p>Trump constantly threatens to stop elections and interfere with elections ("<a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a69937828/trump-midterms-cancel/">Trump’s Jokes About Canceling Midterm Elections Aren’t So Funny Anymore</a>," <i>Esquire</i>), which is front and center in Erdoğan's regime in Turkey.</p><p>Plus there is the prosecution of Trump "opponents" such as James Comey (former director of the FBI) and Letitia Wilson (State Attorney General of New York).</p><p>Poland is an example that had degraded in terms of freedoms of citizens but is on a turnaround, with the election as president of Donald Tusk. So it can be reversed.</p><p>It's incredible though that the US has reached this nadir. I never thought that when I studied Latin America in political science courses in college, that the readings foreshadowed today's United States of America.</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 11 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-1175647148466371068 2026-01-07T17:25:00.003-05:00 2026-01-07T23:51:56.992-05:00 Long Branch, Montgomery County: Main Street manager job | Purple Line <p>GGW's job listings include one for a <a href="https://ggwash.org/careerboard/job/101911">Main Street Manager</a> for the Long Branch district of Montgomery County, housed in the Montgomery Housing Partnership (a CDC focused on housing affordability and community building). </p><p>I'd be interested in it because of the long term potential of the area. Sparked by the opening of the Purple Line light rail line in 2027/2028.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUjqwlzNhVWyVnD1_iVanDlCi3EFzjgrne5ASeFejJa4yXFNZNaA6LrcC2w_Rf_UZq5ycnyjlqvWCuMqei27GDFEkn_3ZCwgHcE0lzrChC4dLyHHQvYAB8dIingcOltQ6oJblqdHjB5i5lqTBqTTv48Cv6SGkD4OT0FIrDdQvlMUFLJqfmvg3nA/s960/Long_Branch_Station_122025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUjqwlzNhVWyVnD1_iVanDlCi3EFzjgrne5ASeFejJa4yXFNZNaA6LrcC2w_Rf_UZq5ycnyjlqvWCuMqei27GDFEkn_3ZCwgHcE0lzrChC4dLyHHQvYAB8dIingcOltQ6oJblqdHjB5i5lqTBqTTv48Cv6SGkD4OT0FIrDdQvlMUFLJqfmvg3nA/w400-h300/Long_Branch_Station_122025.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Long Branch Station under construction</i></p><p>OTOH, Main Street managers aren't planners so much as event developers and event managers.</p><p>=======</p><p>In October 2018 ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2018/09/montgomery-county-maryland-parks.html">Montgomery County Maryland Parks Department Speaker Series: David Barth, Wednesday October 3rd</a>"), Montgomery County Parks Department brought in David Barth ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2022/08/david-barth-rest-in-peace.html">David Barth, Rest in Peace</a>," 2022) to do consulting training with department staff and a public talk about his approach to (parks) planning called "High Performing Public Spaces".</p><p>They reached out to him via the then chair of the planning commission, because of how much I talked him up in the blog. David sadly is no longer with us, but I learned a lot from his writings, and occasional in-person encounters at planning projects.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEDdVkUT86BqtTpJ5pGTmPsP_RoqINIas9P9soMf04cb1dtgWZnjt1vCpObEh0nv6l0sYCcZo-QhhZighMswRMIvWPll1AAfwcDBPk6T08rWIa8-xOLph7F3Y0GyKfGs7ONDyA0bPTofUDuigetV_jWkPUzGGFTLy-QgrnwvvCibm8s_HiZ_mBQ/s600/flowertheater-600x336.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEDdVkUT86BqtTpJ5pGTmPsP_RoqINIas9P9soMf04cb1dtgWZnjt1vCpObEh0nv6l0sYCcZo-QhhZighMswRMIvWPll1AAfwcDBPk6T08rWIa8-xOLph7F3Y0GyKfGs7ONDyA0bPTofUDuigetV_jWkPUzGGFTLy-QgrnwvvCibm8s_HiZ_mBQ/s320/flowertheater-600x336.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>In 1950 an art deco shopping complex opened on Flower Avenue, anchored by a theater and a Giant Supermarket.</i><p></p><p>Where they had him do the onsite work was in <a href="https://discoverlongbranch.com/businesses/flower-theatre/">Long Branch</a>. Long Branch is a part of Montgomery County (not Takoma Park, which it is next to) that is heavily Hispanic and more low income. </p><p><b>Don't forget Takoma Crossroads</b>. Long Branch abuts Takoma Langley Crossroads another lower income, minority majority area, that spans both Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties. Both areas will have Purple Line light rail stations, which will open in late 2027 or January 2028 at the latest. Parts of the east side of New Hampshire Avenue are in Takoma Park.</p><p>One public investment is a bus transit station now, for buses but will complement the forthcoming light rail station. ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2016/12/takoma-langley-crossroads-transit.html">Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center: A Critical Evaluation</a>"). PGC had a neighborhood investment program for the neighborhood for awhile, but the program dissipated.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnIpWAcOYGb9FqZrnXFj-mKxjBEV9bIx0Cb22xrHe9BMow2jK3b4WM0DsA6A5ZxfW9razQ1RbXlilYI5VblksK45erUEUn55hxisFauVcd6a8cIQRKTZ55lOhuNFqTn3nL7uSwxZNVsDlj2IGMyW0X7pFwwMlbbzMLCS9RcRCWb0alBr4MYcN8A/s2048/465987262_9185999498111024_6074706684715958570_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1093" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnIpWAcOYGb9FqZrnXFj-mKxjBEV9bIx0Cb22xrHe9BMow2jK3b4WM0DsA6A5ZxfW9razQ1RbXlilYI5VblksK45erUEUn55hxisFauVcd6a8cIQRKTZ55lOhuNFqTn3nL7uSwxZNVsDlj2IGMyW0X7pFwwMlbbzMLCS9RcRCWb0alBr4MYcN8A/s320/465987262_9185999498111024_6074706684715958570_n.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><b>New Ave initiative</b>. Takoma Park has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheNewAve/">New Ave</a> corridor revitalization initiative for the part of New Hampshire Avenue in the area within the city. While the website hasn't been updated for years, a number of projects are underway.<p></p><p>There is work to create <a href="https://takomaparkmd.gov/1524/New-Avenue-Bikeway">a continuous bikeway along the Avenue</a>, although the hills are serious (e-bikes!). And the city <a href="https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/communities/east-county/takoma-park/takoma-park-master-plan/takoma-park-minor-master-plan-amendment/">updated part of its master plan</a> to address other parts of the city roughly abutting these areas, west of New Hampshire Avenue. There is a <a href="https://www.arts.gov/impact/creative-placemaking/exploring-our-town/takoma-park-md-new-hampshire-ave-place">placemaking initiative with Dance Exchange</a>, an arts group based in the city.</p><p>The County planning department created a <a href="Later the Parks Department created an initiative to improve parks and open space in the area, which is ongoing. The planning department did an area plan, but in 2013. The area is ripe for a new plan, with the coming of the Purple Line.">Long Branch Sector Plan</a>, but in 2013. The area is ripe for a new plan, with the coming of the Purple Line.</p><p><b>Long Branch is an unincorporated part of Montgomery County</b>. Long Branch is an area of the county that they've done more economic development investment given the area's lagging status compared to West County ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/11/east-county-montgomery-county-maryland.html">East County, Montgomery County, Maryland: Council redistricting spurs ideas for revitalization</a>," -- I never did write the second piece, but the transformational concepts are also here, "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/08/st-louis-what-would-i-recommend-for.html">St. Louis: what would I recommend for a comprehensive revitalization program? | Part 1: Overview and Theoretical Foundations</a>" and "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/10/national-community-planning-month-civic.html">National Community Planning Month | Civic Involvement</a>").</p><p>I can't remember if I did the site visit with them, or if I just went out there and did my own site visit and analysis (comparable to what I did in Silver Spring (or both), "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/03/setting-stage-for-purple-line-light.html">Setting the stage for the Purple Line light rail line to be an overwhelming success: Part 1 | simultaneously introduce improvements to other elements of the transit network</a>"). It seems that I never wrote it up as a blog entry. </p><p>Later the <a href="https://montgomeryparks.org/long-branch-parks-initiative/">Parks Department created an initiative to improve parks and open space</a> in the area, which is ongoing. </p><p><b>A community development corporation is needed to jumpstart development</b>. I advocated in the meeting for doing advance investment there in association with the Purple Line and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081121022340/https://www.ca-city.com/images/news/pdfs/Station%20Area%20Planning.pdf">station area planning</a>. They made the point that because of the economic demographics, developers weren't going to be first movers. </p><p>That's among the reasons I advocated for a community development corporation serving the Purple Line transit shed ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/07/pl-6-creating-transportation.html">PL #6: Creating a transportation development authority in Montgomery and Prince George's County to effectuate placemaking, retail development, and housing programs in association with the Purple Line</a>," "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/03/revisiting-creating-public-improvement.html">Revisiting creating Public Improvement Districts in transit station catchment areas</a>").</p><p>(The <a href="https://mhpartners.org/">Montgomery Housing Partnership</a> may be functioning like that as it relates to Long Branch.)</p><p><b>Equity planning</b>. Note that I'd been thinking about that area for awhile (I used to shop by bike in the area), contrasting Long Branch and the <a href="https://takomalangley.org/">Takoma Langley Crossroads</a> area (New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard) with DC, talking with a person working for the light rail program at the time about the concept of "Social Urbanism" as practiced in Latin America, and my grand jury experience. This led to my writings about equity planning.</p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2017/12/an-outline-for-integrated-equity.html">An outline for integrated equity planning: concepts and programs</a>," 2017<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/07/equity-planning-update.html">Equity planning: an update</a>," 2020<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/10/social-urbanism-and-equity-planning-as.html">Social urbanism and equity planning as a way to address crime, violence, and persistent poverty: (not in) DC</a>," 2021 <br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/12/black-community-economic-and-social.html">Black community, economic and social capital: the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago/Chicago</a>," 2021</p><p>And yes, I used a graphic by David Barth to show how you can think about equity planning as a system. I never redid the graphic, but I wanted to add lines (like on a subway map) connecting the "bubbles" with "subway lines" denoting transportation, education, community and social services, media, etc. laying out a way to think about all this at the community scale.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXytccRzCq5syYzBu4ZqajGypaN5r_5xPPDTfKHKxlkIqSyaslSPmTeNdGnjXFrRDgsj4491Z9zRlhoQnLZr4kBH17CFFNskUKvWeOCLUvjIFo4ZPob4_1xlUmtbWDipv3s2aPxUkdKhMptu3RAYaFcUANxhdgxPE9grp0BYWtc4rgfADbplr1Q/s640/5068304282_8648cbf07f_z%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="640" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXytccRzCq5syYzBu4ZqajGypaN5r_5xPPDTfKHKxlkIqSyaslSPmTeNdGnjXFrRDgsj4491Z9zRlhoQnLZr4kBH17CFFNskUKvWeOCLUvjIFo4ZPob4_1xlUmtbWDipv3s2aPxUkdKhMptu3RAYaFcUANxhdgxPE9grp0BYWtc4rgfADbplr1Q/w400-h297/5068304282_8648cbf07f_z%20(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCGu4Uo_LTRRndtQBJuUY8_bE7eI98awLVHmLu_-blQeX6kZCGlmldjGM2Rre97wK3iYzvtM7HnUQbzfu6KC0WfWI5BGVNpNPwIld4KUiHfQ9TmYWsdpmPkTyrM5dN7SasfuHa8NwPrH0ZISDMfzTdObmqYKz6CJ-i4tL-2ZesJxfcgyXO2WVEw/s712/branch-photo-long-branch.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="712" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCGu4Uo_LTRRndtQBJuUY8_bE7eI98awLVHmLu_-blQeX6kZCGlmldjGM2Rre97wK3iYzvtM7HnUQbzfu6KC0WfWI5BGVNpNPwIld4KUiHfQ9TmYWsdpmPkTyrM5dN7SasfuHa8NwPrH0ZISDMfzTdObmqYKz6CJ-i4tL-2ZesJxfcgyXO2WVEw/s320/branch-photo-long-branch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Assets</b>. There are some great assets in Long Branch--a library and a separate recreation center, both which could be redeveloped as more mixed use and active spaces ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2019/03/update-neighborhood-libraries-as-nodes.html">Neighborhood libraries as nodes in a neighborhood and city-wide network of cultural assets</a>"). <div><br /></div><div>(New York City has done/is doing a number of projects with housing above libraries, "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2024/06/new-librarycommunity-space-100.html">New library/community space + 100% affordable housing mixed use building in New York City</a>").<br /><p></p><p><a href="https://mcbrealestate.com/property/takoma-park-shopping-center/">The Giant supermarket is a site with a lot of redevelopment potential</a>, as other supermarkets elsewhere in the region have been re/developed with a store on the ground floor and housing above. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGuyh4K8FOfK795liptF2VudO2cgusFugWNLuZfPZsBZpa_D7KsjW7I4wgrsQozGIyKmcXhWNMfGzSpRf8cLKopGYfzPpdIudYRO1HNMCx2NENoT3cd6EKcuVTTa3kjmVbq-TfWCgMmWObOsJgmHzT6MttnnK8bKKlxTltSOhVNbFIkoNQ_il5w/s1600/Photo-2-Edited-1600x1143.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGuyh4K8FOfK795liptF2VudO2cgusFugWNLuZfPZsBZpa_D7KsjW7I4wgrsQozGIyKmcXhWNMfGzSpRf8cLKopGYfzPpdIudYRO1HNMCx2NENoT3cd6EKcuVTTa3kjmVbq-TfWCgMmWObOsJgmHzT6MttnnK8bKKlxTltSOhVNbFIkoNQ_il5w/w400-h286/Photo-2-Edited-1600x1143.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtvhC8koAbAf0tStvhCwVnZcDkPGAlgFBtJhMtVO6t3Al2kICS46FxySG4siW-7VXu_cY7K1opWZZfSVmxg3zgC8pAdsJU1p-1DRh9QkUVkY51jYrvGpJq5kDTZXuF01Ymadbi7GGJI8C6CrAhEahILrsYo8fbU02FDZl3loXnfJuO53ESZ7M3g/s2048/15421192225_63f748490d_k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtvhC8koAbAf0tStvhCwVnZcDkPGAlgFBtJhMtVO6t3Al2kICS46FxySG4siW-7VXu_cY7K1opWZZfSVmxg3zgC8pAdsJU1p-1DRh9QkUVkY51jYrvGpJq5kDTZXuF01Ymadbi7GGJI8C6CrAhEahILrsYo8fbU02FDZl3loXnfJuO53ESZ7M3g/w400-h300/15421192225_63f748490d_k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>This apartment-grocery store building in Petworth DC replaced a single story Safeway that had been fronted by a parking lot.</i><p>There are a nice couple blocks of traditional commercial <a href="https://ndc-md.org/projects/flower-ave">storefronts on Flower Avenue</a> ("<a href="https://planning.maryland.gov/Documents/Our-Engagement/773/SGChallenge/2020/Long-Life-for-Long-Branch.pdf">a long life for long branch: tools to preserve independent retailers</a>," UMD student studio), including the old theater that is used as a church.</p><p>If I remember right, there is other land with development opportunity in the area.</p><p><b>Conclusion</b>. Long Branch + New Hampshire Avenue + Takoma Langley Crossroads has a lot of potential.</p><p>But, like with any revitalization program, and this one doesn't necessarily have a strong plan to start out with, it will take years to come to fruition.</p><p><b>One more thing</b>. Maybe Long Branch should be annexed by Takoma Park. Although it would mean up to a doubling of property taxes as properties would pay both the city and county tax. That's probably no go in these times of an affordability crisis.</p><p><b>Blog entries outlining a comprehensive approach to commercial district revitalization</b> </p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/02/basic-planning-building-blocks-for.html">Basic planning building blocks for urban commercial district revitalization programs that most cities haven't packaged: Part 1 | The first six</a>," (2020)<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/02/basic-planning-building-blocks-for_25.html">Basic planning building blocks for urban commercial district revitalization programs that most cities haven't packaged: Part 2 | A neighborhood identity and marketing toolkit (kit of parts)</a>," (2020)<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/02/basic-planning-building-blocks-for_26.html">Basic planning building blocks for urban commercial district revitalization programs that most cities haven't packaged: Part 3 | The overarching approach: destination development/branding and identity, layering and daypart planning</a>," (2020)<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/02/basic-planning-building-blocks-for_27.html">Basic planning building blocks for "community" revitalization programs that most cities haven't packaged: Part 4 | Place evaluation tools</a>," (2020)</p><p><b>Blog entries outlining a comprehensive approach to neighborhood revitalization</b></p><p>-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-need-for-national-neighborhood.html">The need for a "national" neighborhood stabilization program comparable to the Main Street program for commercial districts: Part I (Overall)</a>." (2020)<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/08/to-be-successful-local-neighborhood.html">To be successful, local neighborhood stabilization programs need a packaged set of robust remedies: Part 2</a>." (2020)<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/08/creating-community-safety-partnership.html">Creating 'community safety partnership neighborhood management programs as a management and mitigation strategy for public nuisance programs: Part 3 (like homeless shelters)</a>." (2020)<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-case-in-gloucester-massachusetts-as.html">A case in Gloucester, Massachusetts as an illustration of the need for systematic neighborhood monitoring and stabilization initiatives: Part 4 (the Curcuru Family)</a>." (2020)<br />-- "<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/06/local-neighborhood-stabilization.html">Local neighborhood stabilization programs: Part 5 | Adding energy conservation programs, with the PUSH Buffalo Green Development Zone as a model</a>," (2021)</p></div> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-6013440605345619231 2025-12-30T00:53:00.005-05:00 2025-12-30T00:53:33.156-05:00 Local initiative in Huntsville, Alabama aims to improve security by banning problem customers across 18 bars <p>One of the first issues I got involved in in DC had to do with the overconcentration of liquor stores in my downtrodden neighborhood. Such is linked to increased crime and community problems ("<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3412911/">The Association between Density of Alcohol Establishments and Violent Crime within Urban Neighborhoods</a>," <i>Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research</i>). </p><p>I had learned about Seattle creating special zones to limit the sales of single bottles of beer, as an attempt to limit those problems ("<a href="https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20040114/drunks14m/seattle-may-extend-alcohol-sale-limits-to-much-larger-area">Seattle may extend alcohol-sale limits to much larger area</a>," "<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/city-tries-to-curb-liquor-sales/">City tries to curb liquor sales</a>," <i>Seattle Times</i>). In 2003, the <i>Washington Post</i> published a story on those efforts ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2003/08/31/neighbors-fight-single-beer-sales/6516a83e-0cf5-476e-9b20-7228b8aa77fa/">Neighbors fight beer sales</a>") and I got my picture in the paper (albeit on a slow news day)..</p><p>I wasn't against the sale of alcohol in managed situations (restaurants and taverns) unlike my neighbors, who couldn't see the difference in effect of on premise consumption of alcohol versus off premise consumption ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2005/04/restaurants-and-liquor-licenses-how.html">Restaurants and liquor licenses--How much is too much on H Street?</a>," blog, 2005).</p><p>But the fact is, with establishments that are more alcohol-forward than food forward, with entertainment, music, dancing, etc., drinking can fuel violence. I advocated for better security plans, and places did have them.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsxzUYss3Ni0NHtZCCMJPEYzYUzGea1ig1ylE2-NAF_cm8WjIf75pmTcS8aUfhXZdSYkpGO-IlDKC96uX24AuZNiw3m_AZjr6_0gSZXv3HfvWg_nKLXNMX7ODZyShwqlCVH8dUywqHdebo72GO57Ln5hnOTxLL06zicwCQCO5GdEbnyPfMdRbiw/s1600/bar_fight-copy480-1600x0-c-default.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsxzUYss3Ni0NHtZCCMJPEYzYUzGea1ig1ylE2-NAF_cm8WjIf75pmTcS8aUfhXZdSYkpGO-IlDKC96uX24AuZNiw3m_AZjr6_0gSZXv3HfvWg_nKLXNMX7ODZyShwqlCVH8dUywqHdebo72GO57Ln5hnOTxLL06zicwCQCO5GdEbnyPfMdRbiw/s320/bar_fight-copy480-1600x0-c-default.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>From "<a href="https://magazine.utoronto.ca/research-ideas/culture-society/why-young-men-fight-cause-of-bar-brawls/">Bar Brawls</a>," University of Toronto Magazine.</i><p></p><p>But one big problem is the focus not on sequestering and having the police deal with perpetrators, the plan is "to move them outside, off the premises, where it is no longer our problem."</p><p>All that does is displace the problem, it moves it from inside the club to outside, and the problem continues. The media is full of articles about such problems all around the country, culminating in shootings and sometimes, deaths.</p><p>A consortium of clubs in Huntsville is dealing with this proactively, by maintaining a list of problem customers/people who have been banned, sharing the list across their 18-member group, and not permitting them to enter the premises to begin with ("<a href="https://www.rocketcitynow.com/article/news/local/north-huntsville-venues-band-together-to-blacklist-troublemakers-across-18-venues/525-10cc9bfd-8c80-488d-bf22-30abbba1bd12">North Huntsville bars band together to blacklist troublemakers across 18 venues</a>," Fox 54/Rocket City News). </p><p></p><blockquote>The network allows participating venues to share information about patrons who have caused problems at any location within the group. When security staff scan a customer's identification at the entrance, the system immediately alerts them if that person has been banned from another business in the network, showing the duration of the ban, the reason for it, and which establishment issued it.</blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p>... Jabar Westbrook, owner of Goodtimez Billiards and other north Huntsville businesses, said the system addresses a common problem where troublemakers simply move from one venue to another after being ejected.</p>
<p>"Sometimes it's the same people going from place to place causing trouble, and so we're just trying to create consistency where no matter what, those people who are troublemakers can't just go somewhere else," Westbrook said.</p></blockquote><p></p><p></p><p>This program makes a lot of sense, allowing bars to be proactive, instead of reactive. It expands the range of options discussed in <a href="https://popcenter.asu.edu/content/assaults-and-around-bars-2nd-ed">Assaults in and Around Bars, 2nd Edition</a> (Center for Problem Oriented Policing, Arizona State University).</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-2832152193989908008 2025-12-29T21:05:00.001-05:00 2025-12-29T21:05:49.102-05:00 DC: Professional Tennis and a new football sports complex | The missed connection for good planning, transit, and intensifying uses where appropriate <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMyETR5LHVU9I3qoPXOsxD0fOw8OE0ncZOk8gCgQMSVo0Ng6_4q1z2IfXbdyphCtLE0PARF7Ej-6RUsiqYiUujIY1uPbcK-eWgMYvkuMjBCrd1Mn-Psfe_4GkaJsh7vFfN6V7kFuZy7EeoRj2xxZcCDQN_ZaVU1x_MZDWBbp8Xk-RpW9aXgkXSg/s1426/55011426596_3d2c0f67ab_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1426" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMyETR5LHVU9I3qoPXOsxD0fOw8OE0ncZOk8gCgQMSVo0Ng6_4q1z2IfXbdyphCtLE0PARF7Ej-6RUsiqYiUujIY1uPbcK-eWgMYvkuMjBCrd1Mn-Psfe_4GkaJsh7vFfN6V7kFuZy7EeoRj2xxZcCDQN_ZaVU1x_MZDWBbp8Xk-RpW9aXgkXSg/s320/55011426596_3d2c0f67ab_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Rock Creek Tennis Center, Washington DC.<p></p><p>The National Park Service has put forth a tender to rehabilitate the William Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park ("<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/12/19/dc-open-rock-creek-park-service/">Feds seek private money to upgrade tennis center that hosts DC Open</a>," <i>Washington Post</i>). From the article:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The National Park Service this week issued a request for proposals seeking a long-term lessee to renovate and operate the aging tennis complex in Rock Creek Park, calling for at least $25 million in private investment and setting an unusually compressed timeline for bids.</p><p>
The request was posted late in the day [December 17th]. Proposals are due Jan. 20, just 34 days later, with the agency indicating it hopes to have a lease in place as soon as March.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>The short term of the tender makes people think the project is dialed in for venture capitalist Mark Ein, who runs the tennis tournament there.</p><p>Area resident Binta Robinson had the great idea of marrying the tennis center to the plans for the development of a new football stadium at the RFK campus, based on the example in Miami and the tennis complex integrated into the Hard Rock Stadium there. I thought it was a great idea, and wrote about it ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/07/you-get-what-you-plan-for-multi-use.html">You get what you plan for: the multi-use Miami Hard Rock Stadium versus typical football stadiums | Washington Commanders</a>").</p><p>I also submitted public comments on the stadium project ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/11/public-comment-period-redevelopment-at.html">Public comment period: Redevelopment at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus | Closes December 19th</a>"). Those comments were due two days after the release of the Tennis RFP.</p><p>But obviously, these two projects are not seen as potentially complementary but located the stadium. Although Ein owns a stake in the NFL Commanders football team as well.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxb6P0xTaEreVS2qHqSE_xIFqPAb2Yqvaqyq4Rut0rwGuzz0t3HRO_oyy4o1LdLvf0SUV8XOqIqYqd1dpQNL3Usf5cjBYjHB2MYwHjP4VMBBxsFJhZXrmZRYaAlRRSNff2sV7UVnpLx0T6cl-lTHGBc2igmWvBuLK59dMaeyVH0W5GA_c6CXFog/s895/Untitled.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="895" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxb6P0xTaEreVS2qHqSE_xIFqPAb2Yqvaqyq4Rut0rwGuzz0t3HRO_oyy4o1LdLvf0SUV8XOqIqYqd1dpQNL3Usf5cjBYjHB2MYwHjP4VMBBxsFJhZXrmZRYaAlRRSNff2sV7UVnpLx0T6cl-lTHGBc2igmWvBuLK59dMaeyVH0W5GA_c6CXFog/s320/Untitled.png" width="320" /></a></div><i>Google Earth view of the Rock Creek Tennis Center in between Rock Creek Park and the residential neighborhoods east of 16th Street NW.</i><p></p><p>A big problem with the tennis center and the Mubudala Open there is that it's located in a neighborhood, not in a place with multiple transportation options--definitely not Metrorail access, and limited parking. It's not the kind of use that's congruent with neighborhoods.</p><p>Of course, given it's DC and that it's the Park Service, lack of vision shouldn't be a surprise.</p><p>This is what I call "designing conflict in," when the purpose of planning (not that there is planning going on here, more like project management) is to "design conflict out."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKLGGD3itNiwL1wpQcEwsbNLd-pXsr5dSYjZd6ISUqIy_PwE3ZwMtAPpc04R69dWBHMwv0rNCl9guhj0yDRtpcUjZIqIuBxSXiyP2T_kuSIoyrFjgRWGv3KfkcLdfiRAmGZAarr1dUS7AW-DBVaMyR7tXVSkbPCsTslgG4eVb0wcDy8aYPeELVQ/s1088/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-10.45.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1088" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKLGGD3itNiwL1wpQcEwsbNLd-pXsr5dSYjZd6ISUqIy_PwE3ZwMtAPpc04R69dWBHMwv0rNCl9guhj0yDRtpcUjZIqIuBxSXiyP2T_kuSIoyrFjgRWGv3KfkcLdfiRAmGZAarr1dUS7AW-DBVaMyR7tXVSkbPCsTslgG4eVb0wcDy8aYPeELVQ/s320/Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-10.45.42.png" width="320" /></a></div>It's not that I don't believe in mixed use places. But placement of uses ought to use the Dutch method where uses with high transportation demand are put into places where the infrastructure (road, transit, bike, pedestrian) already exists ("<a href="https://dutchcycling.nl/knowledge/blogs-by-experts/abc-zoning-an-integrated-approach-to-mobility-planning/">ABC Zoning: An Integrated Approach to Mobility Planning</a>," Dutch Cycling Embassy).<p></p><p></p><blockquote>In the Netherlands, there is a decades-long tradition of steering the cars to the highways in order to create more safety and more room for other users on the subordinated networks. In the Utrecht SUMP, the strategy aimed strongly for cars to use the ring road around the city in order to free up space for cyclists in the heart of the city. And the mobility strategy is not only about the routing of cars, but also about the strategic planning of parking places and traffic management. This all can help to create more space for other modes in the heart of the city.</blockquote><p></p><p>While the Dutch, unlike the US, are focused on maximizing the shift of trips from motor vehicles to sustainable modes, the general point pertains. Put high demand for traffic uses in places where the infrastructure already exists, to leverage existing public investment. </p><p>This is doubly true given the amount of public investment for infrastructure that will be going into the RFK site. (Sadly, DC has already truncated the possibility of adding streetcar service within the RFK campus, "s.")</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-4214138977906838526 2025-12-29T04:30:00.045-05:00 2026-01-05T22:09:01.891-05:00 Big transit/sustainable mobility stories of 2025 <p><b>Obviously this isn't everything. But what sticks out to me.</b></p><p><b>=========</b></p><p><b>Congestion pricing in NYC</b>. In January I wrote that the introduction of congestion pricing in NYC was already the biggest ground transportation story of the year ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-most-momentous-transportation-story.html">The most momentous transportation story of 2025 has already occurred: imposition of NYC's congestion zone</a>"). Basically the results are in ("<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-22/nyc-congestion-pricing-is-the-controversial-program-working">New York's Congestion Pricing Is Working. Five Charts Show Hows</a>," Bloomberg). It's working exactly the way it's supposed to.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnZKPAK0Z9UynBfpY96HLhq8m0MbxWI1rHEuZcYoEsL-6RnbOj3eiSf3NtBdDP1YWrP8_HrJS1rrn4Wg18Uf_jQEjFSwmyMTJHfYMuw55nl_mkos5N8wYzcLv1bO0FnlWi3qGCmtwQQdJehqD6_EVTHXt9_KIVCu_PYIMpdE0LAoqhSMPQoYRWQ/s2784/54992427838_1f1f60e350_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="2784" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnZKPAK0Z9UynBfpY96HLhq8m0MbxWI1rHEuZcYoEsL-6RnbOj3eiSf3NtBdDP1YWrP8_HrJS1rrn4Wg18Uf_jQEjFSwmyMTJHfYMuw55nl_mkos5N8wYzcLv1bO0FnlWi3qGCmtwQQdJehqD6_EVTHXt9_KIVCu_PYIMpdE0LAoqhSMPQoYRWQ/w400-h214/54992427838_1f1f60e350_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>As far as business effect goes, I worried about business relocation. That may or may not be an issue. But visitation to the core of Manhattan is up, and so are sales tax revenues, and reduction in storefront vacancies. Plus MTA has $500+ million to invest in transit.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVxQgxipW17D0HUljGEXYrALRCv3clsnugrtFXAXZ4SuWxJU4U10uUjqtedYwtCJJYmmJVEbJEUPbPRgTXX6ehDOxLbf6eqxsCS0o7TNL28nJP8098o5ebkGT7h_ck_x15qEOR1GupAyyL5bUCAJujsVPSsYTyjKPzaeUa-NiGboP6uvRQG-aNw/s1160/ap24157608309989-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="1160" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVxQgxipW17D0HUljGEXYrALRCv3clsnugrtFXAXZ4SuWxJU4U10uUjqtedYwtCJJYmmJVEbJEUPbPRgTXX6ehDOxLbf6eqxsCS0o7TNL28nJP8098o5ebkGT7h_ck_x15qEOR1GupAyyL5bUCAJujsVPSsYTyjKPzaeUa-NiGboP6uvRQG-aNw/s320/ap24157608309989-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>Protesters demonstrate outside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's Manhattan office. Yuki Iwamura/AP</i><p></p><p>We have to remember that the Trump Administration is still fighting the congestion zone in court ("<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/new-yorks-congestion-pricing-succeeds-as-trump-fights-to-end-it-11266919">New York’s Congestion Pricing Succeeds as Trump Fights to End It</a>," <i>Newsweek</i>).</p><p>That Gov. Hochul cancelled it ("<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-politics-that-derailed-congestion-pricing-in-new-york">The Politics That Derailed Congestion Pricing in New York</a>," <i>New Yorker</i>), then reversed course, in part because of sustained public opposition to her decision ("<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/06/nyc-congestion-pricing">‘Slap in the face’: outrage after New York governor halts congestion pricing</a>," <i>Guardian</i>). In the end, the price dropped from $15 to $9.</p><p><b>The second biggest story is ongoing financial crises for most transit systems, whose business models were crushed by covid and the shift to work from home</b>. Many systems have half or fewer the number of riders pre-2020. And special federal funds for transit were increased under Biden, and not under Trump.</p><p>-- "<a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/12/03/san-diego-transit-at-a-crossroads-mts-boasts-robust-ridership-recovery-but-faces-financial-crisis/">San Diego transit at a crossroads? MTS boasts robust ridership recovery — but faces financial crisis</a>," <i>San Diego Union Tribune</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0OxqgeQfFkGC-cw7wnkoWPMR7OycC_n2Ahm77GYByn1_25kO8UsXT2XI8QFz6COQygqEFN42A9W9JLj2TDsah3C2vQDhE1kSA4Dab8P4wRCVq_DZvBVUZV-4A02wmqYFd51qeH2Y49vWC4MK5QKw4ZiYL4b1AoUaVCemiCkegfifBwE6zfGSXA/s1057/54985103874_7e2cd548ff_o.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="796" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0OxqgeQfFkGC-cw7wnkoWPMR7OycC_n2Ahm77GYByn1_25kO8UsXT2XI8QFz6COQygqEFN42A9W9JLj2TDsah3C2vQDhE1kSA4Dab8P4wRCVq_DZvBVUZV-4A02wmqYFd51qeH2Y49vWC4MK5QKw4ZiYL4b1AoUaVCemiCkegfifBwE6zfGSXA/s320/54985103874_7e2cd548ff_o.png" width="241" /></a></div>In the SF Bay area, <a href="https://www.seamlessbayarea.org/about-transit-regional-measure">a referendum campaign is underway for two ballot measures to provide additional funding to all types of transit in the region</a>.<p></p><p>Chicago area systems are getting a $1.5 billion payment from the state for the next few years ("<a href="https://www.governing.com/infrastructure/illinois-enacts-1-5-billion-plan-to-stabilize-transit-and-avoid-service-reductions">Illinois enacts $1.5 billion plan to stabilize Transit and Avoid Service Reductions</a>," <i>Governing</i>).</p><p>Philadelphia still needs a long term solution for SEPTA funding, as the Republican dominated State Legislature isn't particularly interested ("<a href="https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/septa-stopgap-funding-long-term-vision-future-transit-20250923.html">SEPTA got stopgap relief, but still needs a sustainable long-term solution</a>," <i>Philadelphia Inquirer</i>, "<a href="https://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/editorial-credit-shapiro-for-more-septa-funds-but-still-need-long-term-fix/article_17539644-c8e8-48dd-9549-e282cfa96bca.html">Credit Shapiro for more SEPTA funds, but still need long-term fix</a>," <i>Philadelphia Tribune</i>). Etc.</p><p><b>Trump Administration uses crime incidents to demean and defund transit</b>. Using one-off terrible crimes to say transit is unsafe ("<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-threatens-withhold-funds-boston-chicago-transit-agencies-2025-09-19/">US threatens to withhold funds from Boston, Chicago transit agencies</a>," Reuters, "<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-subway-trump-5514444f78d69b8315271a6ee3f7378b">Trump administration threatens to pull New York transit funds as it questions anti-crime efforts</a>," AP, "<a href="https://abc11.com/post/deadly-stabbing-charlotte-light-rail-highlights-americas-transit-safety-challenges/17814639/">Deadly stabbing on Charlotte train highlights America's transit safety challenges</a>," ABC11), the Trump Administration used this event as an excuse to suggest defunding transit ("<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-issues-new-threat-after-charlotte-train-killing-2126738">Trump Admin Issues New Threat After Charlotte Train Killing</a>," <i>Newsweek</i>).</p><p></p><blockquote>Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “Safety needs to be the top priority of elected officials. Citizens don’t want federal dollars going to public transportation that local leaders refuse to keep safe!”</blockquote><p>The fact is, transit is safer than driving ("<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-21/how-transit-agencies-can-fight-the-fear-of-riding-public-transportation">We Need a Reality Check on Crime, Safety and Transit</a>," "<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-07-19/new-york-city-s-subway-is-actually-safer-than-your-car">New York City’s Subway Is Actually Safer Than Your Car</a>," Bloomberg). </p><p>As one of the implementers of broken windows policing in NYC said, "there are always going to be high profile one-off incidents, regardless of the overall program of crime suppression."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qYD5h6es1EvYG4w47N3Jm2vnxPtQ01Kwza8nihq23JkSDjVUgi9DQ2x-lK23KhWdiDRzc-92VSQlsGLZ8RrzjRKrLXH4MN8PiQkkiqwOAkcFJ5kVd9hL_0WgPFfaYUhHbluelPYrYcMshzemBR5dzXCZxq-aOZkrfLyxr7a5WWiJLyvkEF6TFQ/s1500/71yvP4ZRDAL._SL1500_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="993" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qYD5h6es1EvYG4w47N3Jm2vnxPtQ01Kwza8nihq23JkSDjVUgi9DQ2x-lK23KhWdiDRzc-92VSQlsGLZ8RrzjRKrLXH4MN8PiQkkiqwOAkcFJ5kVd9hL_0WgPFfaYUhHbluelPYrYcMshzemBR5dzXCZxq-aOZkrfLyxr7a5WWiJLyvkEF6TFQ/s320/71yvP4ZRDAL._SL1500_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p><a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/U/bo244203115.html">Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence</a>, University of Chicago Press.</p>The big thing is the availability of guns ("<a href="https://mag.uchicago.edu/ludwig">A fighting chance: A new book challenges conventional wisdom on gun violence and suggests new approaches to solving the problem</a>." <i>University of Chicago Magazine</i>), such as in LA ("<a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-12-24/fatal-shooting-la-metro-bus-exposition-park">Person fatally shot on L.A. Metro bus in Exposition Park</a>," <i>LA Times</i>), where a fight between young adults erupted in gun violence and death on a bus. <p></p><p>DC has a problem on the Metrorail system. NYC has a problem with people who have extreme mental health issues. SEPTA a problem with gun violence.</p><p>Problems in Minneapolis ("<a href="https://www.startribune.com/metro-transit-light-rail-security-increase/601522503">Metro Transit boosts uniformed security presence on light-rail trains</a>," "<a href="https://www.startribune.com/metro-transit-light-rail-safety/601444850">What a week’s worth of rider text messages reveals about Metro Transit’s problems</a>," <i>Minneapolis Star-Tribune</i>) and Seattle ("<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/how-seattle-area-transit-is-pushing-back-against-crime/">How Seattle-area transit is pushing back against crime</a>," ), etc.</p><p>I still haven't gotten around to opining about how the BART system in San Francisco is using urban design interventions to improve safety at transit stations ("<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/bart-station-mission-san-francisco-21102246.php">Can BART bring a Civic Center-style revival to another dilapidated S.F. station?</a>," <i>SF Chronicle</i>).</p><p><b><i>Fare evasion countermeasures</i></b>. NYC, DC, and SF are installing much more difficult to evade emergency exit systems.</p><p><b>USDOT: all in for roads but not road safety</b>. Changing the funding criteria and basically eliminating transit infrastructure funding going forward ("<a href="https://t4america.org/2025/11/17/t4america-statement-on-usdot-proposal-to-eliminate-federal-transit-funding/">T4America statement on USDOT proposal to eliminate federal transit funding</a>"), same with sustainable mobility ("<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-22/trump-cancels-trail-bike-lane-grants-deemed-hostile-to-cars">Trump Cancels Trail, Bike-Lane Grants Deemed ‘Hostile’ to Cars</a>," Bloomberg) in favor of roads. </p><p>Lots of road safety projects were cancelled because they think safety and diversity of users meaning not just automobile operators, are "woke."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOR6BO-SsDb7DS0hSdKjSeAX-xuvbER-3wIombOtfcsdLGycsks13DiyMfdL5fqPdDkJQfIEPpzggnk5q_tQ9FcNU9oJ1to4Dn_4hFWwmiDUaroyBDPr-dJLfxVOmsckaqB3HeA0bt0PwMABxlBbeRECmFVZLE2RRpZtKCv3JAAEkMtflkRQxgGg/s525/Untitled.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="525" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOR6BO-SsDb7DS0hSdKjSeAX-xuvbER-3wIombOtfcsdLGycsks13DiyMfdL5fqPdDkJQfIEPpzggnk5q_tQ9FcNU9oJ1to4Dn_4hFWwmiDUaroyBDPr-dJLfxVOmsckaqB3HeA0bt0PwMABxlBbeRECmFVZLE2RRpZtKCv3JAAEkMtflkRQxgGg/s320/Untitled.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><i>Bike share growth in Toronto.</i></p><b>Bike share use in NYC, Washington, DC, Toronto </b>("<a href="https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/city-hall/how-bike-share-toronto-got-big-and-what-it-will-take-to-keep-rolling-11371584">How Bike Share Toronto got big — and what it will take to keep rolling</a>," Toronto Today, "<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/how-bike-share-went-from-death-s-door-to-one-of-toronto-s-fastest-growing/article_bef12198-fff3-4e63-982c-b325cf9b5ce8.html">How Bike Share went from death’s door to one of Toronto’s fastest-growing ways to travel</a>," <i>Toronto Star</i>)<b> and Boston (</b>"<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/04/data/boston-bluebikes-ridership-map/">Bluebikes’ popularity has skyrocketed. This map shows where they are used most and where they lag</a>,"<b> </b><i>Boston Globe</i><b>) is exploding</b>. <p></p><p> DC's system launched in 2010, so it seems to me that it takes a long time to reach critical mass (see <i>Diffusion of Innovation, </i>("<a href="https://ggwash.org/view/98229/bikeshare-beat-capital-bikeshare-records-over-6.1-million-rides-in-2024-fastest-growing-system-in-us">Bikeshare Beat: Capital Bikeshare records over 6.1 million rides in 2024, fastest growing system in US</a>," Greater Greater Washington and "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/nyregion/citi-bike-10-years-old.html">Citi Bike, 10 Years Old and Part of New York’s Street Life</a>," <i>New York Times</i>). </p><p></p><p>-- "<a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-environ-121522-041916">Shared Mobility's Role in Sustainable Mobility: Past, Present, and Future</a>," <i>Annual Review in Environment and Resources</i></p><p>Sadly, in many places, systems are minimally used or have shuttered operations, including high profile cities like Minneapolis ("<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/03/02/nice-ride-shuts-down-pioneering-minneapolis-bike-share-program">Nice Ride shuts down pioneering Minneapolis bike share program</a>," Minnesota Public Radio). </p><p>It's important to figure out what separates successful places from the unsuccessful ones, to increase biking uptake.</p><p><a href="https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/pa/bgrd/backgroundfile-251202.pdf"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdF7KW5O8CCc0F3yjYD1srx7n4b_6PaZOJxlm4EcfaLnHdELl9Xg_WtE7n9ycuzruescyIqI-W3XZiOp-T2ZoKer4NSVl9Eayc_omelX3UJhytatY_ZpD8tNAvtxZ_JkEsIhmy7G7rUNVjw297OqhdQXlxCpe8uFTrvdMP-Auw0w0GMZjON_OCBg/s1080/half-of-all-bike-share-toronto-trips-occur-along-two-major-v0-mpe2ugwkaw3e1.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="1080" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdF7KW5O8CCc0F3yjYD1srx7n4b_6PaZOJxlm4EcfaLnHdELl9Xg_WtE7n9ycuzruescyIqI-W3XZiOp-T2ZoKer4NSVl9Eayc_omelX3UJhytatY_ZpD8tNAvtxZ_JkEsIhmy7G7rUNVjw297OqhdQXlxCpe8uFTrvdMP-Auw0w0GMZjON_OCBg/s320/half-of-all-bike-share-toronto-trips-occur-along-two-major-v0-mpe2ugwkaw3e1.webp" width="320" /></a></div>Bike Share Toronto 2024 Business Review<p></p><p>One factor obviously is infrastructure along with urban form. Scale too. </p><p>Plus, E-bikes have made a big difference too. Although in response, cost per trip is higher. I was always critical about e-bikes in the flat core of a city ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2015/11/still-tired-of-mis-understanding-of.html">(Still) tired of mis-understanding of the potential for e-bikes</a>," 2015) but it's not for me to say how people "should be using" bikes.</p><p>And of course, whether or not there is public subsidy as part of an overall transportation planning program. Systems relying on sponsorship, like Minneapolis, fall apart when they can't replace sponsors.</p><p>-- <a href="https://betterbikeshare.org/">Better Bike Share Partnership</a></p><p>Matt Elliott, a columnist for the <i>Toronto Star</i> warns us that as systems are successful, depending on the operator, they can focus more on extracting more revenue from riders, rather than improving the system ("<a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/why-dark-clouds-loom-over-bike-share-toronto-despite-its-undeniable-success/article_15cbdaf2-7633-4b9d-88e2-07a7e61b2234.html">Why dark clouds loom over Bike Share Toronto, despite its undeniable success</a>," <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/pa/bgrd/backgroundfile-260875.pdf">2030 Bike Share Toronto Growth Strategy - Ride More, Connect More</a>, Toronto Parking Authority, <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2025/pa/bgrd/backgroundfile-261060.pdf">Presentation</a>).</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Here’s the problem. The TPA report, after justifiably bragging about its recent success, spends much of the rest of the document laying out ways to extract more money from the Bike Share riders who have contributed to that success. That includes “new revenue streams” like “loyalty programs, digital advertising networks, feature upsells, and advanced reservations.” It reads like a road map that could easily lead to what the tech writer Cory Doctorow has colourfully called “enshittification” — the process whereby online platforms and services decline over time as they change from focusing on what benefits users to what benefits their bottom line.</p>
<p>You know it when you see it. It usually starts when a service that previously offered a reasonable price and a good user experience begins constantly trying to sell you on their Premium Extra VIP Plus program while also showing unskippable ads for weight-loss drugs.</p>
<p>This decline can be an insidious process that starts with good intentions. For instance, Bike Share has had problems with dock and bike availability, especially at peak times of day. From the TPA’s perspective, allowing people to reserve a bike in advance for a small fee might seem like a good way to ease frustration. For users, however, a much better approach would be to add more bikes and docks in areas with high demand.</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53GURXI8ObgD_w-b6WyShCFUFgm-uhMDSmyq0cy368fjjXwhPzI9fH9DeAkP4ClsotRZx3wOI7JRgRKbIwnAnSebe3MDRgjVn2AMjvhJX36rALNdtzXQ_smbzOuHZj875Gyz082qRgprONR1VKF_l8hRSQSKtzRdVdC-BBYlvmrNMdC485UaTpg/s320/54531159835_64e08d163e_b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53GURXI8ObgD_w-b6WyShCFUFgm-uhMDSmyq0cy368fjjXwhPzI9fH9DeAkP4ClsotRZx3wOI7JRgRKbIwnAnSebe3MDRgjVn2AMjvhJX36rALNdtzXQ_smbzOuHZj875Gyz082qRgprONR1VKF_l8hRSQSKtzRdVdC-BBYlvmrNMdC485UaTpg/s1600/54531159835_64e08d163e_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>A swarm of Lime Bikes in London.</i><div><br /></div><div>Note that the <i>Economist</i> argues dockless bike share is a key component to the success of bike share in London ("<a href="https://archive.ph/vytFz#selection-1127.0-1131.60">London has become a cycling city It shows how dockless-electric bikes could transform cities</a>").<p></p><p>They argue that London is a cycling city now because of dockless bike share.). </p><p></p><blockquote>If one secret is making the bikes really electric, the other seems to be making them really dockless. Previously, bike-hire schemes offered a patchy service: it was often hard to find a bike and it could take ages to find a designated parking space. Today, London’s operators have more bikes. But critically they have negotiated relaxed parking rules, including on residential streets, meaning their fleets fan out widely. Lime claims that 97% of Londoners in its service area live within a two-minute walk of one of their bikes. As with Uber, it thinks users open the app if they know convenience is only a few minutes away.</blockquote><p></p><p>This is run by operators separate from the TfL operated bike share system. But parking and storage can be a big mess.</p><p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQz5BGNewagLhyphenhyphen8GNtXjqX1PHQm3tsac65qqCQ0BmlkkZxbj-_ZWqS_1KFqOa6HkVizwa3P_F5uilaA6i51u-7SSe8DS3qz9tYU9OWnPklwP-G4CNPyN4fst5ifcWdzZ-Cl-SzQ2785KZxWhZxz_wpatf9cOcxhUI3zGlZCUDkLoZMGtpZ_myAQ/s860/default-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="860" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQz5BGNewagLhyphenhyphen8GNtXjqX1PHQm3tsac65qqCQ0BmlkkZxbj-_ZWqS_1KFqOa6HkVizwa3P_F5uilaA6i51u-7SSe8DS3qz9tYU9OWnPklwP-G4CNPyN4fst5ifcWdzZ-Cl-SzQ2785KZxWhZxz_wpatf9cOcxhUI3zGlZCUDkLoZMGtpZ_myAQ/s320/default-ezgif.com-avif-to-webp-converter.webp" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>Slow as molasses new transit lines in Toronto</b> ("<a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/why-does-toronto-insist-on-taking-the-rapid-out-of-rapid-transit/article_75d6cb30-9db1-474b-b625-a3f0bf07b650.html">Why does Toronto insist on taking the ‘rapid’ out of rapid transit?</a>," <i>Toronto Star</i>), "<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/city-ttc-taking-steps-to-improve-service-speed-of-finch-west-lrt-chow-says-9.7007658">City, TTC taking steps to improve service speed of Finch West LRT, Chow says</a>," CBC). They won't give streetcars priority over cars.<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>... But any Torontonian will tell you that just because the line is there on the map doesn’t mean it will get you where you need to be in any kind of hurry. Toronto has the distinction of running the slowest streetcar system in the world.</p>
<p>This is because the city and the TTC don’t consider it any kind of priority to make rapid transit rapid. They design these lines and choose how to operate them to ensure they are slow. On purpose. If that wasn’t clear before, it has become so in the debates at the TTC board and city council that have followed Torontonians’ astonished rage at the sloth-like performance of our new $3.5 billion LRT line.</p>
Authorities decided to put 18 stops on an 11-kilometre route. They decided the vehicles should travel below 25 km/h (less than half the speed of the traffic beside them) through intersections and when approaching stations, assuring they will never get up to a decent speed. They decided the vehicles should stop endlessly at red lights and also be forced to wait for single-occupant vehicles make left turns or U-turns. They decided, quietly, that instead of the promised 33 minutes for a trip across the line, 48 minutes was a reasonable stretch goal — something to aim for after the slower “soft launch.”</blockquote><p>Note that this is an issue for bus systems in most places as well. Cars get the priority. That should change. Transit vehicles move far more people. </p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRNIxjlctULjsC8SAJPgD9UHfubxKjhlb1B6oFa_3ewWJNVrdjIgewzMcTMxbJE4aZSc3gANXi8wIGEKvCgaYqlinXMxU66vnQQgyVVqpggVXUb0YXwW22vj2JYBea5Yun3CrwhB0-XaRRwiTqKSjc1Fuvp9qwV8NmbeWAMahwRgr89Kfb4oPuw/s640/75554_montrealreminaugurationphotocdpqinfra1_245955.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRNIxjlctULjsC8SAJPgD9UHfubxKjhlb1B6oFa_3ewWJNVrdjIgewzMcTMxbJE4aZSc3gANXi8wIGEKvCgaYqlinXMxU66vnQQgyVVqpggVXUb0YXwW22vj2JYBea5Yun3CrwhB0-XaRRwiTqKSjc1Fuvp9qwV8NmbeWAMahwRgr89Kfb4oPuw/s320/75554_montrealreminaugurationphotocdpqinfra1_245955.jpg" width="240" /></a></b></div><b>Montreal REM expansion in Canada</b>. The REM is what some people call "light metro," and is a new complement ("<a href="https://macleans.ca/society/montreals-new-rail-line-is-the-future/">Montreal’s New Rail Line Is the Future" Canada has forgotten how to build fast, cheap transit. A new megaproject has the fix</a>," <i>Maclean's</i>), to the famed Montreal subway system, built and funded by the provincial pension system as an investment. <p></p><p>But the thing is that it is above ground in most places. Montreal's subway is 100% underground, so it can operate during terrible snowstorms. Not the REM. </p><p>Although to me, REM is a ripoff of government. They get paid 75 cents per kilometer per passenger traveled per ride for 99 years. That seems like a lot of money to me. A 10km trip costs $7.50 Canadian ($5.45 US) to the government. A good deal for the Pension Fund. It would have been cheaper for local government to pay. Financing through third parties is always more expensive.</p><p><b>DC dumping the streetcar</b> ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/05/dc-makes-yet-another-bad-decision-about.html">DC makes yet another bad decision about streetcars: will replace the one line with a so called "fancy" bus | The Vision Thing</a>," "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/10/09/streetcar-dc-shutdown-march/">Budget cut means D.C. Streetcar will shut down in March</a>," <i>Washington Post</i>). </p><p>This is the endgame for a poor planning process from "start" (not the initial planning) to finish. I joke that DC and Seattle started streetcar planning in 2003. Seattle got the first line in 2007. DC in 2014. </p><p>Also, the city received an unsolicited offer from the private sector to run and grow the system (that's how it's done in Portland, Oregon, home in the US to the first modern streetcar). But they blew it off.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6cLNbUfkMJAGflmqlvUjC8gVYuT0yCCyRTstRkfacD9USEjjyR2jt38b_eILu_2bhuzjsGpzlz8wPd6gmmyNvhh6wla8o0MqFsAsO3pjSvm37tSEIkBUEcOsGaT-0I9zG5KJESx1BoBhmevzLUtJ7NkdeaHFxpoMfEzDd6yN1jeHVLrfurJz1Q/s1200/bng1200.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="1200" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6cLNbUfkMJAGflmqlvUjC8gVYuT0yCCyRTstRkfacD9USEjjyR2jt38b_eILu_2bhuzjsGpzlz8wPd6gmmyNvhh6wla8o0MqFsAsO3pjSvm37tSEIkBUEcOsGaT-0I9zG5KJESx1BoBhmevzLUtJ7NkdeaHFxpoMfEzDd6yN1jeHVLrfurJz1Q/s320/bng1200.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>What could have been: "<a href="https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the-dc-streetcar-may-run-to-benning-road-metro-in-2026/19058">The DC Streetcar May Run to Benning Road Metro in 2026</a>," DC Urban Turf.</i><p></p><p>As DC plans to build a new stadium for the NFL football team, the current streetcar alignment is adjacent, and could have been leveraged to provide service within the campus as a complement to bus and subway service, and link to more subway stations as another mobility alternative.</p><p>Relatedly, Minnesota's pathetic Northstar commuter railroad is closing--by not extending it to St. Cloud it wasn't particularly useful ("<a href="https://hoodline.com/2025/12/minnesota-s-northstar-commuter-rail-to-be-replaced-by-expanded-bus-service-network/">Minnesota's Northstar Commuter Rail to Be Replaced by Expanded Bus Service Network</a>," Hoodline), cities in the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system are trying to opt out--an anti-transit State Government doesn't have DART's back ("<a href="https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2025/12/plano-farmers-brand-highland-park-irving-leaving-dart/">So You Want to Leave DART?</a>," <i>D Magazine</i>), and plenty of communities, like Illinois, refuse transit extension to their communities ("<a href="https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2025/10/04/huntley-backs-out-of-planned-metra-station-for-new-passenger-train-service-between-rockford-and-chicago/">Huntley backs out of planned Metra station for new passenger train service between Rockford and Chicago</a>," <i>Lake County Scanner</i>).</p><p><b>Electric bicycles</b>. E-bikes, unlike electric cars, do actually shift environmental metrics by reducing car trips ("<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/13/metro/car-free-parent/">For some parents, minivans are out and e-bikes are in</a>," <i>Boston Globe</i>, "<a href="https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a43903525/the-best-bike-gets-you-out-of-your-car/">The best bike gets you out of your car</a>," Bicycling, "<a href="https://pure.tue.nl/ws/files/335959806/1-s2.0-S136192092400261X-main.pdf">How electric bikes reduce car use</a>," <i>Transportation Research: Part D</i>), whereas EVs replace gasoline car trips, still creating traffic congestion and maintaining automobile dominance in the transportation planning paradigm. But the lack of standards for equipment, safety, weight etc. create problems.</p><p><b><i>Safety/We need national standards</i></b>. Many communities are beginning to regulate electric bikes more closely in the face of deaths and accidents ("<a href="https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a42690937/molly-steinsapir-lawsuit-rad-power-electric-bike/">Molly’s Last Ride Twelve-year-old Molly Steinsapir crashed onto the pavement from a Rad Power e-bike and never woke up. With a poorly regulated e-bike industry, who is responsible when a child dies?</a>," <i>Bicycling</i>). </p><p>And complaints of reckless riding by pedestrians and motor vehicles operators. Many in the micromobility world criticize this regulatory action, saying that accidents and deaths are still worse when it comes to motor vehicles. Sure. </p><p>True. But working to reduce needless deaths wrt road safety (e.g., Vision Zero) should be the priority. E bikes don't get a pass ("<a href="https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-ebike-speed-laws/601466543">14 year old riding an ebike on the sidewalk AT 25MPH, hits woman, she gets traumatic brain injury</a>," <i>Minneapolis Star-Tribune</i>, "<a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/11/13/santee-poised-to-ban-e-bikes-for-children-under-12 ">Santee poised to ban e-bikes for children under 12 City will work with schools, community to educate them about the tougher regulations</a>," <i>San Diego Union-Tribune</i>, "<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/toronto-is-looking-at-licences-for-e-bikes-heres-why-that-may-be-better-for/article_0648d409-2558-412f-ac65-bff1473b1c3d.html">Toronto is looking at licences for e-bikes. Here’s why that may be better for delivery riders — and pedestrians</a>," <i>Toronto Star,</i> "<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/01/opinion/ebike-regulations-necessary">It’s getting hard to ignore e-bikes’ dangers: If drivers of cars are responsible for their crashes, drivers of e-bikes are responsible for theirs</a>," <i>Boston Globe</i>).</p><p>Plus, because of the weight of an e-bike (too much for me right now), brakes need frequent adjustment.</p><p>So should <b><i>standardization of rules across the US</i></b>. Many types of electric "bikes" are more akin to motorcycles, capable of speeds much higher than a typical "analog" bicycle, say the super riders can do 20mph. Duffers like me, more like 12 mph. There are even electric "bikes" that go faster than 28mph. Those aren't bikes, they are mopeds/motorcycles.</p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh297BFZj7cZBvNqL9sqdXvrDiGdtCFqTM6fjwTl6xngnvrEhk9I8-35I53SfVl6qEtuCN2AUjKY8fWwC-xGqmaNqjGEUaH947vd2iSzMvjSHr8T53H2FYzR19fzYfJaYvhnOCr5UU-UUudMsMw4aGRuwGcrnlAJVVhTZ_ZqzfOea0ypCscZPLrkw/s1024/46858020925_3a299581ec_b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="1024" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh297BFZj7cZBvNqL9sqdXvrDiGdtCFqTM6fjwTl6xngnvrEhk9I8-35I53SfVl6qEtuCN2AUjKY8fWwC-xGqmaNqjGEUaH947vd2iSzMvjSHr8T53H2FYzR19fzYfJaYvhnOCr5UU-UUudMsMw4aGRuwGcrnlAJVVhTZ_ZqzfOea0ypCscZPLrkw/s320/46858020925_3a299581ec_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Bankruptcy</i></b>. Not unlike the beginnings of the auto industry, the new technology of electricity powered bikes leads to lots of new entrants. But there are far more entrants than there is demand. <p></p><p>A few years ago a technology leading e bike company, Van Moof, went out of business, stranding users. Although it was acquired and restarted by a firm specializing in sports equipment.</p><p>Rad Power Bikes, a company which has set up stores around the country, but is based in Seattle, just declared bankruptcy ("<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/local-business/seattle-e-bike-pioneer-rad-power-bikes-files-bankruptcy-owes-73-million/">Seattle e-bike pioneer files bankruptcy, owes millions</a>," <i>Seattle Times</i>). And I'd been looking at that company for a bike, because I like the design.</p><p><b>Gondolas in Paris: the Transit City paradigm</b>. Paris, which continues to expand its system of train, subway, and tram (light rail) transit ("<a href="https://www.theurbanist.org/2021/12/28/map-of-grand-paris-express-europes-largest-public-transit-expansion-project/">Map of the Grand Paris Express, Europe’s Larctgest Transit Expansion Project</a>," The Urbanist), has added gondolas to the mix ("<a href="https://metro.co.uk/2025/12/16/europes-longest-urban-cable-car-unveiled-dazzling-capital-city-25527507/">Europe’s longest urban cable car is unveiled over dazzling capital city</a>," <i>Metro UK,</i> "<a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2025/12/12/en-ile-de-france-un-telepherique-pour-reduire-les-fractures-urbaines_6657006_3234.html">In the Île-de-France region, a cable car to reduce urban inequalities</a>," <i>Le Monde</i>).</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The new line, the first of its kind in the French capital, has been designed to connect the city’s isolated outskirts, poorly served by trains and buses, to the Métro network. At 4.5 kilometres long, the route links Métro Line 8 in Créteil to Villa Nova in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, and passes through Limeil-Brevannes and Valenton on the way.</p>
<p>The cable car system — which features 105 gondolas with 10 seats each — is expected to carry around 11,000 passengers per day above Parisian streets. While the new cable car is the longest in Europe, it still lags behind the longest in the world, which connects the Bolivian cities of La Paz and El Alto over 20 miles.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Although to be fair, projected ridership is equivalent to a medium usage bus line. OTOH, offering much faster trips and greater access and connectedness on "social urbanism" grounds.</p><p>The Le Monde article makes clear it took a long time, about 20 years, from idea to fruition. But it was also implemented. It's an example of the idea that to be a "Transit City" you have to keep investing in and where practical and needed, building new infrastructure.</p><p>Meanwhile proposals in <a href="https://www.georgetownrosslyngondola.com/">DC for connection between the Rosslyn Metrorail station and Georgetown</a>, Staten Island to New Jersey ("<a href="https://www.silive.com/news/2017/10/bayonne_gives_aeriel_gondola_p.html">Bayonne mayor gives aerial gondola plan a thumbs up</a>," <i>Staten Island Advance</i>) and Los Angeles ("<a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2025-12-04/metro-approves-dodger-stadium-gondola-project-protests">Metro votes to approve Dodger Stadium gondola project despite protests</a>," <i>Los Angeles Times</i>) languish.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwiRZx9uxu3-_onRDPq-cGA2xsHZQYNaoDcaYpZwezYzyEl2WiB6TCFA6qKZUdBOi-1bUc0__QhH5sPQsxFZHf2KD2U9c3KX2FCJazw3-r6txK96wOD8gXl-V9SPJkwb11Js1rPr6MANGtZAMQIwsGuUIelDWB0MvBvTTvkO2v70QfQ6stPFKzQ/s768/12062025_9-final-FW-light-rail_151049.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwiRZx9uxu3-_onRDPq-cGA2xsHZQYNaoDcaYpZwezYzyEl2WiB6TCFA6qKZUdBOi-1bUc0__QhH5sPQsxFZHf2KD2U9c3KX2FCJazw3-r6txK96wOD8gXl-V9SPJkwb11Js1rPr6MANGtZAMQIwsGuUIelDWB0MvBvTTvkO2v70QfQ6stPFKzQ/s320/12062025_9-final-FW-light-rail_151049.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>Passengers wait Saturday at the new Star Lake Station. (Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times)</i><p></p><p><b>Transit expansions</b>. Are still happening, with projects that predate the Trump Administration. One notable is Seattle ("<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/new-light-rail-stations-open-with-south-king-county-party/">New light rail stations open with South King County party</a>," <i>Seattle Times</i>). Each expansion generates a lot of new ridership, much more than say the Silver Line did for Metrorail in Suburban Virginia.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Last year’s extension to Lynnwood opened up the northern suburbs; this year’s stretch into Redmond welded together the tech-heavy Eastside; and now the jump to Federal Way is anticipated to be a boon for workers and students in South King County.</p>
<p>Up to 23,000 riders a day are expected to board or exit a train at the three new stations, boosting ridership along that 1 Line spine from the current 110,000 daily average. The Eastside’s 2 Line carries about 10,000 passengers a day, but its popularity is expected to grow once it connects with the 1 Line next year.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>It's an example of how I say that transit infrastructure, done right, can have the speediest return on public investment, so it should be seen as an economic development measure.</p><p><b>Vision Zero/Road Safety</b>. For another entry, this is too long as it is.</p></div> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 4 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-2417923053718501795 2025-12-26T11:00:00.001-05:00 2025-12-26T11:00:00.118-05:00 Meanwhile, many legacy cities continue to lag <p><b>Pittsburgh</b>. AP ran a story, asking the question, "<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pittsburgh-knoxville-general-news-09f821c9b216f3cb0ef380e2aa67b27c">How does Pittsburgh have 20,000 vacant homes -- and a housing shortage?</a>." The reason for the large number of vacant properties is because more suburban housing was built than there was demand, hence housing abandonment in Pittsburgh. </p><p>This is abetted by the fact that the Pittsburgh metropolitan area isn't growing all that much. The population has been stagnant since 2000, and shrunk some from 1990 to 2000.</p><p>Cities like Cleveland, Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis etc. have the same problem. Hence many vacant lots and abandoned buildings ("<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-27/the-disturbing-rise-of-housing-vacancy-in-u-s-cities">Vacancy: America’s Other Housing Crisis</a>," Bloomberg).</p><p>From a filtering perspective, if you want to live in the city, there are plenty of options--e.g. houses that today cost over $600,000 could be bought in 2003 for under $125,000. But if not enough people want to live in the city, the overhang of vacant properties remains.</p><p>Another point is how much demand is there really? One example is a small developer, believing that the relatively low income Hill District "needed" more upscale housing to appeal to new market segments, hasn't been able to sell the houses ("<a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2025/07/20/hill-district-development-housing-pittsburgh/stories/202507130047">Six new townhomes. Zero buyers. And one developer on the brink</a>," <i>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</i>). </p><p>I think the headline of the AP story is misleading, because it doesn't discuss at all a housing shortage in Pittsburgh.</p><p><b>DC</b>. The market turned in favor of urban living--the federal employment engine was strong and grew further as a result of the government response to 9/11 and the need for improvements in security technology ("<a href="https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2021/03/understanding-dc-housing-market-demand.html">Understanding the DC housing market: demand for urban living, not the construction of new housing, is the driving force</a>," 2021) and vacant housing was rehabilitated and occupied.</p><p>Only with the Trump Administration's recent destruction of the federal government, especially for jobs and agencies based in DC and the suburbs, has DC's housing market turned downward ("<a href="https://washingtonian.com/2025/06/24/doge-is-dampening-the-dc-real-estate-market/">DOGE Is Dampening the DC Real Estate Market</a>," <i>Washingtonian</i>).</p><p><b>Public Land banks</b>. But when they do want to live in the city, the properties need to be rehabilitated and the cost can be extremely high relative to costs of existing housing. The AP article argues that Land Banks, public authorities that acquire and sell vacant properties, are a potential solution. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCAlTosRapgkE8sWfCExCiy5JSsDns7TPhHZHvTpXIoUVwlDwGAySLBsP21wQ21zmO7g7Oyo1Ua4Bew14tpFTGBm6FHzee_4qqrwuSeATmbvZ3fn4o5nls_oYWvtnI-auVNLUyuCwg3q8LE1K7gUJP00gNpRGsaI3dhtn80nVG12FGkB9qXh1gw/s940/-1x-1%20(1).webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="940" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCAlTosRapgkE8sWfCExCiy5JSsDns7TPhHZHvTpXIoUVwlDwGAySLBsP21wQ21zmO7g7Oyo1Ua4Bew14tpFTGBm6FHzee_4qqrwuSeATmbvZ3fn4o5nls_oYWvtnI-auVNLUyuCwg3q8LE1K7gUJP00gNpRGsaI3dhtn80nVG12FGkB9qXh1gw/s320/-1x-1%20(1).webp" width="320" /></a></div><i>Philadelphia. Photo: Matt Rourke, AP.</i><p></p><p>But most move particularly slowly with many bureaucratic hurdles and are usually underfunded ("<a href="https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/commercial/land-bank-philadelphia-parker-housing-20250416.html">City Council grills Land Bank on selling only 1,017 vacant properties in over a decade</a>," <i>Philadelphia Inquirer</i>).</p><p>In Detroit, the Land Bank there has more recently acted as a developer to get buildings in shape for sale or rent. Some neighborhoods have done better than others, and so the Land Bank is criticized for differential effects ("<a href="https://archive.ph/ggZ4j#selection-313.0-313.81">Detroit's land bank says it has led a city housing revival. The jury is still out</a>," <i>Detroit News</i>)</p><p><b>Nonprofits</b>. Various nonprofits, in Detroit, Cleveland and elsewhere, also do this kind of property rehabilitation, sometimes with the aid of receivership statutes, providing the ability to clear confused titles and cancel outstanding liens.</p><p><b>Lesson: focus</b>. Most of the successful nonprofit efforts focus on particular neighborhoods, aiming to build a critical mass of improved housing, rather than take on a scattered site approach. This is tough though politically, because everyone wants their neighborhoods to be improved.</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-3419083876488377959 2025-12-26T04:00:00.001-05:00 2025-12-26T04:00:00.121-05:00 Luxury Apartments Are Bringing Rent Down in Some Big Cities <p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-23/luxury-apartments-are-bringing-rent-down-in-austin-denver"> According to Bloomberg</a>. </p><p>This is the <a href="https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/accelerate-supply/understanding-filtering-long-term-strategy-new-supply-housing-affordability">filtration/filtering</a> argument, that as newer housing is added, people move up to better housing, and in turn are replaced by others moving up similarly. </p><p>I've argued in strong market cities, where housing demand is greater than supply, that filtration doesn't work. Demand for housing means that there isn't a lot of movement even when new supply is added, because demand remains greater. So lesser quality housing is priced upward without commensurate improvements. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10511482.2023.2298256">This has been confirmed by recent research</a>.</p><p>I argued that only over long periods of time do new additions to housing supply--being priced at the top of the market because prices reflect today's cost for land, labor, materials, and financing--reduce prices.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_HAybQCDPrSpChPtvoNmR8ZNhMzvFRd4LJh-OiSGnT8dUfGc_-llpKAFwlnip4ado_A2dajusMfXvy-TIUvOMtM7lRz5X17gDpuDXjE75w0BcNH87JaVN7WefgkQAC5GU51xwshUf4HgjFT3oiq-cZ8PafNbG-e3qVeFZbREheWnxOjtHvaz9g/s495/Untitled.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="447" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_HAybQCDPrSpChPtvoNmR8ZNhMzvFRd4LJh-OiSGnT8dUfGc_-llpKAFwlnip4ado_A2dajusMfXvy-TIUvOMtM7lRz5X17gDpuDXjE75w0BcNH87JaVN7WefgkQAC5GU51xwshUf4HgjFT3oiq-cZ8PafNbG-e3qVeFZbREheWnxOjtHvaz9g/s320/Untitled.png" width="289" /></a></div>So in the cities discussed by Bloomberg, the issue is that housing supply, finally, is greater than demand, hence the price drop.<p></p><p>In Salt Lake, at a public meeting last month, the planning director said a vacancy rate of 15% was good, because that put a damper on housing prices ("<a href="https://kslnewsradio.com/housing-homelessness/rents-down-in-slc/2261636/">Apartment glut in SLC leads to lower rents and incentives from landlords</a>," KSL).</p><p></p><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><blockquote>After four years of record supply and double-digit rent growth, now there is a glut, leading to competition, heavy concessions and an average drop in rents of 8.25%.</blockquote><p></p><p>Smith said that while rents are stable in most areas outside of Salt Lake City, they will start increasing if in-migration grows and the glut of apartments is absorbed.</p></blockquote><p>In Salt Lake, the blog Building Salt Lake reports, "<a href="https://archive.ph/jPYei">Rent is falling in Salt Lake City. It’s putting the squeeze on low-income housing developers</a>," that the "glut" has made it hard to rent out lower income "affordable housing."</p><p></p><p></p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-2529310710085661118 2025-12-24T00:39:00.002-05:00 2025-12-24T01:10:56.297-05:00 Tracking waste water for diseases/epidemiology <p>The website <a href="https://data.wastewaterscan.org/">WastewaterScan</a> is a dashboard reporting out on various markers for infectious disease found by studying waste water. But only for those places collecting and reporting the data. So you can get it for Salt Lake City, but not Washington, DC.</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-6194044708525318061 2025-12-23T20:30:00.002-05:00 2025-12-24T00:30:01.635-05:00 Holiday transit decoration <p>Many transit agencies run holiday trains. In NYC it's a retro train running on Sundays. Chicago goes all out ("<a href="https://www.wbez.org/curious-city/2023/12/07/the-history-of-the-chicago-cta-holiday-train">Who’s behind the CTA holiday train? Santa and the elves, of course.</a>," WBEZ/NPR). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPqrh51CehupCFUmyqTWsJRhKN4pKkwDK49DmCJvv13aa2VyYp3RYGzMmfXzEYyRfy52n1M31nNHk8hShGFhhoEy7RvZRBH7eeAQVG6EmTj9oURJz_XB9e4t-AmMAuE77DXgopVFFFb9lQYHt-lokUtWz9I621wsA_TLVP81oEo45n1HGU_rbwg/s2900/download%20(25).webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1631" data-original-width="2900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPqrh51CehupCFUmyqTWsJRhKN4pKkwDK49DmCJvv13aa2VyYp3RYGzMmfXzEYyRfy52n1M31nNHk8hShGFhhoEy7RvZRBH7eeAQVG6EmTj9oURJz_XB9e4t-AmMAuE77DXgopVFFFb9lQYHt-lokUtWz9I621wsA_TLVP81oEo45n1HGU_rbwg/w400-h225/download%20(25).webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-KsHlzEeHY_VEWrPYb7knIBfueIn2PShO0mFHx0dmkwLW7ZWesTK5uL6Q3FcVJlYpTP2Qd7gcQDtNcZdHxAUlsHvIMJSvob_u9S-LKIzSxhItgjD7WxWwZXVoQWJ8NNXlHvFzpDY2deFaA1OLh6MEbSlGhUAHDGzDyMbcIao4w9OGx6xOaYm7A/s1794/54989188139_7f0ee0da27_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1794" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-KsHlzEeHY_VEWrPYb7knIBfueIn2PShO0mFHx0dmkwLW7ZWesTK5uL6Q3FcVJlYpTP2Qd7gcQDtNcZdHxAUlsHvIMJSvob_u9S-LKIzSxhItgjD7WxWwZXVoQWJ8NNXlHvFzpDY2deFaA1OLh6MEbSlGhUAHDGzDyMbcIao4w9OGx6xOaYm7A/w321-h400/54989188139_7f0ee0da27_o.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><p>The Canadian Pacific Railroad, now CP Kansas City has run a <a href="https://www.cpkcr.com/en/community/HolidayTrain">Holiday Train</a> on their system for decades.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr5p3TR1OUVSRhoSJUijnq4c1JcnihYMoBaiIBC8iQxoF7Vv8rhjOim71Un6V7Af5yNSug0dXlJBBW_dZGRsNkq8Kgl0JNxsluva3JGGWo3El7jkilEH7e0hr0hqy5JgxdGLlWgYMQTmeUFUMzmqHNlppuaXVJ3KmuIAj9LmA7doTfESMogyiLQ/s629/54989658925_75302a23de_o.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="629" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr5p3TR1OUVSRhoSJUijnq4c1JcnihYMoBaiIBC8iQxoF7Vv8rhjOim71Un6V7Af5yNSug0dXlJBBW_dZGRsNkq8Kgl0JNxsluva3JGGWo3El7jkilEH7e0hr0hqy5JgxdGLlWgYMQTmeUFUMzmqHNlppuaXVJ3KmuIAj9LmA7doTfESMogyiLQ/w400-h225/54989658925_75302a23de_o.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>And the Metro-North (and METRA) commuter lines. Metro-North New Haven photo by Gregory Grice.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSMVUzit6xxtAjPU2Y-9vpbljaT93Rkq9avPe29JXCl53pqRcutZCAlrKGQArDnLHcqkw0ra3gvQGuRThINhrAS84ES6N3Dw5d7CmKZoGfocpTObYf1W88tTUknjl8rta8ec0MpGdPhU393TW5qKkGMCbKvWU7woJ-agujq3xf5T7ZdWZVpTpLg/s1024/54233488961_308b79de6d_b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSMVUzit6xxtAjPU2Y-9vpbljaT93Rkq9avPe29JXCl53pqRcutZCAlrKGQArDnLHcqkw0ra3gvQGuRThINhrAS84ES6N3Dw5d7CmKZoGfocpTObYf1W88tTUknjl8rta8ec0MpGdPhU393TW5qKkGMCbKvWU7woJ-agujq3xf5T7ZdWZVpTpLg/s320/54233488961_308b79de6d_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p>ABC4 in Utah reports, "<a href="https://www.abc4.com/news/everything-utah/christmas-holidays/uta-decorating-radio-site-christmas-lights">UTA gets festive by decorating Ensign Peak radio site with 3,000 feet of Christmas lights</a>," that the Utah Transit Authority has put holiday lights on its radio signal tower.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS_EkQXzoMqHdzgW0ykyt71VAhbfYXv9Ea3D2eKkWSXb45r0IPVwGEnpGaU5m_FUk95HR6NtqV-v1oT9zykT_9tXBHpNRC4TzBPp2RXGEestr557RjxzJizo3ahMcKh_A7FFlX3GEFR5MJIn8JAnQbTGH3f17hyBt6R44DCNKrO9E-7JFCwomjw/s898/Screenshot-2025-12-22-175753.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="898" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS_EkQXzoMqHdzgW0ykyt71VAhbfYXv9Ea3D2eKkWSXb45r0IPVwGEnpGaU5m_FUk95HR6NtqV-v1oT9zykT_9tXBHpNRC4TzBPp2RXGEestr557RjxzJizo3ahMcKh_A7FFlX3GEFR5MJIn8JAnQbTGH3f17hyBt6R44DCNKrO9E-7JFCwomjw/w400-h225/Screenshot-2025-12-22-175753.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p>Reddit reports holiday treated transit in Moscow. The one that struck me as different is for a light rail vehicle, although some commenters figured it might be AI generated.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmEB-xBABqYUbh65kxs26Xo-8s-T3kfA9E3eBbTv98ZJtzItDdd3AqMz-Ui1hyphenhyphenqnMBml9ENx9G_TFG5suysC4uH6dtbYU3O4nTDLOewis2kNJZErWQOhlCfsU9lwfYk66cAHkM3tidGgjTkbx59X12C48IJVu9-I1SAGLcg69EaiV2oo_Cn-7Dg/s1080/new-year-trains-in-moscow-metro-v0-uhxajkgnrq8g1.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmEB-xBABqYUbh65kxs26Xo-8s-T3kfA9E3eBbTv98ZJtzItDdd3AqMz-Ui1hyphenhyphenqnMBml9ENx9G_TFG5suysC4uH6dtbYU3O4nTDLOewis2kNJZErWQOhlCfsU9lwfYk66cAHkM3tidGgjTkbx59X12C48IJVu9-I1SAGLcg69EaiV2oo_Cn-7Dg/w400-h300/new-year-trains-in-moscow-metro-v0-uhxajkgnrq8g1.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>In Dallas, DART has a decorated light rail train ("<a href="https://communityimpact.com/dallas-fort-worth/plano-south/transportation/2022/12/09/dart-rolls-out-decorated-holiday-train-buses/">DART rolls out decorated holiday train, buses</a>," Community Impact).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnqj8zOhV4W-lRaO7HCNdwAp5WOQ-urkmz62XHgiZXXj6kIcH1RPP0I4SFjPkD-0G6rcNuGriM8JSocH-tNJmMDONV9BeJ1bxqSwPI5Jv06an-iDz1X0Z77QKAgZhHmemuadzwC6gQK-egPINs3szv3wqK35pzTtt3fCOMG5hdjUnebPXSoCg5w/s900/download%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnqj8zOhV4W-lRaO7HCNdwAp5WOQ-urkmz62XHgiZXXj6kIcH1RPP0I4SFjPkD-0G6rcNuGriM8JSocH-tNJmMDONV9BeJ1bxqSwPI5Jv06an-iDz1X0Z77QKAgZhHmemuadzwC6gQK-egPINs3szv3wqK35pzTtt3fCOMG5hdjUnebPXSoCg5w/w400-h266/download%20(7).jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Montgomery County Maryland (and others) do buses.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCYFf_C6KyPYrs4rB8FL2vYZRH5od_ca_1JVdkrkyorSNRBzfWhs85xWEcue0hllX7brOtQfoPLauyKL0Wqb9fcOrea97tvJg2BDPOTo6TjwkJ7CKrTb6jKY7Akk23J0YfAi8dFn_Vl5STSVPT1Cxyg6lZZhCfB10C3cc_Pf6m0uEZ9aTTK2w7g/s2000/mcdot-flash-lights-bus-2025_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="2000" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCYFf_C6KyPYrs4rB8FL2vYZRH5od_ca_1JVdkrkyorSNRBzfWhs85xWEcue0hllX7brOtQfoPLauyKL0Wqb9fcOrea97tvJg2BDPOTo6TjwkJ7CKrTb6jKY7Akk23J0YfAi8dFn_Vl5STSVPT1Cxyg6lZZhCfB10C3cc_Pf6m0uEZ9aTTK2w7g/w400-h231/mcdot-flash-lights-bus-2025_original.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>I haven't been able to find images of Hanukkah decorated transit in Israel.</div> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 0 tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9238664.post-1319366900692033811 2025-12-23T18:25:00.000-05:00 2025-12-23T18:25:58.041-05:00 Little Free Blockbuster in Salt Lake City <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PNwFcOaWps_45RX0d8OAR4b4kG_Z5HunG_MScoe-dDsg2-M-_P1KBY__XL9Zvp7MWa1dITOi2nslCLWWr0GIruSMgCvoeZFtN0xhpnAi7UFnOs_jYrdadEUbbbW9zq3H4znJpqTCAuZ0f8oktNynQwq-IdvCmo3ii9NycY4cwIAWoBXJI798VQ/s1760/download%20(24).webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1760" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PNwFcOaWps_45RX0d8OAR4b4kG_Z5HunG_MScoe-dDsg2-M-_P1KBY__XL9Zvp7MWa1dITOi2nslCLWWr0GIruSMgCvoeZFtN0xhpnAi7UFnOs_jYrdadEUbbbW9zq3H4znJpqTCAuZ0f8oktNynQwq-IdvCmo3ii9NycY4cwIAWoBXJI798VQ/s320/download%20(24).webp" width="320" /></a></div>KUER/NPR reports, "<a href="https://www.kuer.org/business-economy/2025-12-23/salt-lake-citys-1st-free-blockbuster-is-a-fun-antidote-to-streaming-sticker-shock">Salt Lake City’s 1st Free Blockbuster is a fun antidote to streaming sticker shock</a>," that a Salt Lake woman, Kate Kowalczik, has created a branch of a <a href="https://www.freeblockbuster.org/">Little Free Blockbuster</a>, a version of a <a href="https://littlefreelibrary.org/">Little Free Library</a> for lending and returning videos. <p></p><p>Since LFLs are about taking books, not returning them, it will be interesting to see how this works out.</p><p>I have read complaints by some LFL sponsors that people who sell books online come through and take everything from their libraries.</p> Richard Layman https://www.blogger.com/profile/02765521217875752850 noreply@blogger.com 1