CNU Salons
CNU CITY SPOTLIGHT: Providing transportation options in downtown Tampa
Submitted by Ben Schulman on Fri, 10/26/2012 - 2:07pmThis post is part of a new series on the CNU Salons, CITY SPOTLIGHT. City Spotlight shines a light on the latest news, developments and initiatives occurring in cities and towns where CNU members live and work.
Is New York really cheaper than Miami?
Submitted by MLewyn on Fri, 10/26/2012 - 10:45amThe Center for Neighborhood Technology recently issued a report suggesting that compact cities with high housing costs (such as New York or San Francisco) might actually be less expensive than otherwise cheaper but car-dependent areas such as South Florida and Southern California. As provocative as this report is, it seems at first glance to be the opposite of my own personal experience: I am definitely saving less in New York than I was in Jacksonville. How come?
A case for urbanism - Surviving a zombie apocalypse
Submitted by Javi2929 on Thu, 10/25/2012 - 4:04pmAn unconventional perspective for the case on urbanism.
Sprawl and Postwar Growth
Submitted by MLewyn on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 10:51pmI just read the "Curbside Chat" booklet on the Strong Towns blog and found one observation that surprised me. The booklet notes that after World War II, there was some public concern about the possibility of another Great Depression, "but another 'spatial fix' prevented that from happening... Only through the deployment of resources in bulding this new living arrangement was the United States able to sustain the demand needed to stabilize prices and grow the economy." In other words, midcentury sprawl kept the economy afloat.
Building A Beach Town In Dominical, Costa Rica
Submitted by Dylan on Wed, 10/24/2012 - 1:57pmDominical is a slow-paced, laid back beach town in the Southwest Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Osa Canton/Northern Osa Peninsula. The South Pacific Highway running North/South parallel to the Pacific coast of this region all the way to Panama City, Panama was recently paved over in the last 5-10 years. Prior to this paving of the highway, it was merely a "dirt" road going South from the town of Quepos to Dominical. Before the paving of the highway, few tourists rarely ventured into the Southwest Pacific Coast region of Costa Rica.
EPA Building Blocks deadlines approaching
Submitted by Heather Smith on Tue, 10/23/2012 - 9:45amNormal 0
Mayor's Task Force for Downtown Lending
Submitted by cemerson on Mon, 10/22/2012 - 1:06pmOne of the lasting marks from the Great Recession has been a decrease in lending. This can be a good thing if it means that financially-unsound projects don't get funded. Unfortunately, not only unsound but entirely sound projects have been swept up in this consequence.
Financially-sound mixed use projects have been especially hard hit in the lending markets. This poses a major hurdle to urban redevelopment and is the subject of an entire CNU Initiative on how to reduce regulations that exacerbate the issue.
Concerning New Urbanist Development In Orlando, FL's West Side
Submitted by Dylan on Mon, 10/22/2012 - 11:14amI have resided near Downtown Orlando, Florida for the vast majority of the 33 years of my life. I have witnessed this area go through many changes in this time. The main corridor through Downtown Orlando is called Orange Avenue. If driving or walking along Orange Avenue, one will see many highrise office buildings, the bottom stories most of which are occupied by bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and cafes.
An excellent article in The Economist on the importance of cities
Submitted by wajdighoussoub on Sat, 10/20/2012 - 1:40pmI had a feeling Glaeser's book would be mentioned as I started reading and there it was, in the fifth paragraph. Interesting statistics and argument.
Hunts Point Market
Submitted by Kate Witherspoon on Wed, 10/17/2012 - 11:16amTo remove, or not to remove, that is the question! Community activist groups and Bronx, NY residents have long awaited the decision of the Sheridan Expressway's fate. Mayor Bloomberg and the city answered their questions this past summer: the removal option was off the table. This decision was largely due to the influence of the Hunts Point Market and how removal would affect daily freight.