The City in Winter
I first posted this piece in February of 2019 during the coldest point in the winter season. Now that COVID-19 has us contemplating socializing outside in the depth of winter, we should to look to the Norwegian concept of Friluftsliv or “free outdoor life.” No city has embraced this concept better than Winnipeg. […]
Read MoreTransforming Vacant Lots into Public Spaces
One thing we heard loud and clear at our planning open house for The Loop was the desire for more public space. I heard Gertrude Stein paraphrased a number of times as people joked, “There is no there there.” Public spaces are taken for granted in a downtown area, where parks and squares are common threads in […]
Read MorePublic Space v. Online Space
It’s a common scene every time I stop by the local coffee shop for a mid-morning pick-me-up. The tables are full of people busily working their laptops, iPads and cell phones. (How does one, I wonder, get those types of jobs?) They’re definitely engaging in conversations, just not with the people immediately beside them. How did […]
Read MoreEconomic Development and National Parks
NPR had a fascinating story that really highlights what “economic development” has come to mean. Roxanne Quimby, founder of Burt’s Bees, had been slowly buying up property around Millinocket, Maine that has been abandoned by paper mills. Her ultimate goal was to donate 100,000 acres and an endowment to the National Park Service for the creation of […]
Read MoreParkways: Still Freeways
I’ve written before about cities in which freeways form a barrier between the people and the places they’d like to be and Niagara Falls is one of the worst offenders. The Robert Moses Parkway runs along the Niagara River, separating the Niagara Gorge—truly one of the more amazing sites in the state—from the neighborhoods adjacent to […]
Read MoreEconomic Development and National Parks
NPR had a fascinating story this morning that really highlights what “economic development” has come to mean. Roxanne Quimby, founder of Burt’s Bees, has been slowly buying up property around Millinocket, Maine that has been abandoned by paper mills. Her ultimate goal is to donate 70,000 acres and an endowment to the National Park Service for […]
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