tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-106133372011-04-21T12:28:20.605-07:00Urban Planning Issues and Other Random Thoughts.affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.comBlogger151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1121055614580482622005-07-10T20:52:00.000-07:002005-07-12T22:43:05.666-07:00

Predictably, the recent London subway bombing has brought scrutiny to the safety of subway and other transit systems worldwide. Many have asked the question: "How do we keep our public transportation systems safe from terrorism?" Some, including the UCLA International Institute, recommended some solutions. While I certainly applaud efforts to make public transit safe, I think any attempts to

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1120332373111392382005-07-02T11:54:00.000-07:002005-07-04T23:32:33.756-07:00

Most planners, unless they live under a rock, noticed the recent Supreme Court decision in the Kelo vs. New London case. For those not familiar with the case, here is a summary. In a nutshell, the 5-4 decision will allow the City of New London to proceed with plans to use eminent domain powers to take and demolish homes to allow the construction of a new office park.I was not entirely surprised

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1111560582557440732005-03-22T22:49:00.000-08:002005-03-22T22:49:42.556-08:00

Two tone pink 

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1111560253609203702005-03-22T22:44:00.000-08:002005-03-22T22:44:13.610-08:00

Yellow on pink. 

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1111560421317482882005-03-22T22:40:00.001-08:002005-03-22T22:47:01.316-08:00

Just to lighten the mood of this place, I thought I would chronicle my mother's new house. Home ownership is a wonderful thing that we all strive for, and I'm happy that my mother was finally able to join the ranks of the homeowners. One of the wonderful things you can do in a new house is paint. My younger sister decided to paint her room pink, which makes for some nice photos. After a tiring

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1111559944657626142005-03-22T22:39:00.000-08:002005-03-22T22:39:04.656-08:00

Floating in Pink 

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1111559882366741762005-03-22T22:38:00.000-08:002005-03-22T22:38:02.366-08:00

Pink Glow 

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1111559846032503672005-03-22T22:37:00.000-08:002005-03-22T22:37:26.033-08:00

Pink Roller 

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1110080190679269862005-03-05T19:36:00.000-08:002005-04-03T15:04:30.796-07:00

I noticed this Los Angeles Times article on the ongoing downtown revitalization efforts in Long Beach. The article is generally bullish on Long Beach, but does note some criticism of the revitalization efforts.As a planner who is somewhat familiar with the City of Long Beach, I wanted to offer my take on these efforts and how success is defined for these projects. As the article notes, two major

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1110080047662551482005-03-05T19:33:00.000-08:002005-03-07T22:02:24.886-08:00

Those of you who have read my previous work know that I am leery of design solutions to social problems. I'm unsure as to why land use is seen as a solution to social ills, but attempts at making the connection continue. Recently, planners, aided by law enforcement professionals, have begun to tout new design strategies called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). These design

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1109123981247084592005-02-22T17:59:00.000-08:002005-02-24T21:28:13.816-08:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the connection (or lack thereof) between urban sprawl and public health. One of my colleagues, he of the Binary Los Angeles weblog fame, was left somewhat unsatisfied with my discussion. After seeing this article from Emory University and this post from the Cascadia Scorecard Weblog, I felt obligated to opine further on this issue.As a planner, I am offended that

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1108967918276928882005-02-20T22:37:00.000-08:002005-02-21T18:36:50.260-08:00

Though we may not always realize it, the planner's vocabulary is filled with subjective terminology. We often use terms such as livable, sustainable, smart growth, and quality of life, knowing full well what these terms mean to us as planners. However, we often fail to realize that these terms do not mean the same thing to everyone. Failure to clarify the meaning of these terms to the public can

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1108754863386008282005-02-18T10:54:00.000-08:002005-02-18T14:22:17.386-08:00

Planning practice and discussion revolves around identifying problems and finding solutions to those problems. New ideas and new rules evolve out of the belief that there is a problem with the current method of doing things. Granted, oftentimes nobody will listen to a new idea unless one can identify a shortcoming to the current idea, but I believe that the problem-solution mentality of planning

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1107625797848846802005-02-05T09:30:00.000-08:002005-02-20T22:37:34.786-08:00

Linking Urban Sprawl with obesity has become popular among some planners. A study by Smart Growth America and the Surface Transportation Policy shows that people living in "more sprawling" counties are more likely to suffer from obesity than their counterparts in "less sprawling" counties. This finding itself is not nearly as disturbing as the reactions by many. The American Psychological

affiche-ianadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14486160382407601437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10613337.post-1107487187647700532005-02-03T19:07:00.000-08:002005-02-07T22:56:01.403-08:00

When beginning a new endeavor, I think it's always good to think about the why and the what: why am I doing this and what do I hope to accomplish. In this case, I want an excuse to write, while also (hopefully) contributing something of value to those of you who choose to read this. Since I am an urban planner by trade, much of the content here will focus on issues central to urban planning, with

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