Americans living in cities are more likely than their suburban counterparts to rent their residence. Still, the country has continued to become urbanized and for a long time the percentage of those who own their homes has risen. More recently its begun to fall and there is significant talk on the federal level of subsidizing rental housing instead of homeownership (let's face it, most all private housing is in some way subsidized). I'd like to get some feedback, is homeownership still a staple of what it means to secure the "American Dream" or is rental now seen as a viable and practical option? What is sacrificed? What is gained?

Eric Miller on 09.01.10 @ 10:50 AM PST [link]   [1 Comment]

The American Dream Study by Trulia recently found that of those renters who do plan to purchase someday, 68 percent said it would be more than two years before they do. However, almost half of the respondents said they would be ready to purchase sooner than later, if they could only come up with the cash for a down payment and 30 percent could be convinced by a new job.

See the Report

Eric Miller on 09.01.10 @ 10:46 AM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

I wanted to share these photos on the progress of a new building that will appear to be from the Victorian era. It will house the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau, a history museum and as I understand a few spaces for retail stores. The cap sitting on the ground reminds me of the notable photo showing the arm of the Statue of Liberty at the 1893 World's Columbia Exhibition.

Eric Miller on 08.31.10 @ 12:04 PM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

Using public transportation has gotten substantially easier. I was in San Antonio over the weekend and had a very good experience using Google maps on the iphone to find out where to go and how without a car. I had read about a streetcar on the city's public transit web site which turned out to be a bus built to look like a streetcar, but no matter. A twenty minute wait at the airport and a bus arrived to take us downtown. A ten minute walk to the hotel and that wait and walk would be the longest endured. From any given point in the city, the google maps could tell us not only how to travel, but which way to walk for the next arriving bus! If you linger for five minutes, you may be ushered to a different line. More, the positioning system let us know where to get off the bus. No more looking at schedules, learning routes, calling phone numbers, just turn on google maps and go. What can be the worst part of using public transit---waiting was also substantially reduced. I have to say the buses in San Antonio arrived pretty much right on time.

Eric Miller on 08.29.10 @ 04:19 PM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

Please visit our podcast page to listen to New Colonist editor Eric Miller's interview with John McIlwain of the Urban Land Institute. John and Eric discuss demographic trends, the growth of urbanism, the decline of the suburbs, and what it all means to the housing market.

See "The Death of the Monster House," top of the list today on our podcast page.

Richard Risemberg on 08.27.10 @ 01:58 PM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

Doug Salzmann and J. H. Crawford are assembling a proposal to convert a Philadelphia brownfields site into an urban pedestrian village--not just an intentional community, or a street, or a demonstration project, but a fully-functioning community for people who would love to escape the domination of the car and win their daily lives back.

Although similar projects have been successful in Europe, primarily in Germany, this would be a first of the Untied States, where it is most sorely needed.

They are asking for persons with an interest in advising on or participating in the project to view the website and contact one of them. The details are in their press release below:

Friends and fellow urbanists:

For a very long time, a number of us have been speculating, wondering, dreaming about the possibility of creating a real, mixed-use, pedestrian village in an American city. Could it actually be done? Could we arrange for sufficient land, transit connections, an appropriate regulatory environment, financing? If we built it, would they come? Would people actually want to live there?

Joel Crawford and I, together with a small but growing group of urbanists and Philadelphia opinion leaders and visionaries, have decided that now is a good time to pursue those questions. We think the answer to each of them may be..."Yes."

We have identified a potential site, a large brownfield on the Schuylkill River, in Philadelphia, and have developed a conceptual site plan and preliminary introduction to the proposed project:

Gaslight Village--Philadelphia
A downloadable PDF of the conceptual plan is available at the above website and the introductory text and accompanying photographs should be sufficient to provide an overview of our vision for the project and of its scope.

Next April, Philadelphia will host the "Brownfields 2011" conference. Planners, industry representatives, and EPA offcials will gather from around the country to discuss the current state of brownfield redevelopment. We hope to be able to make a full-scale presentation of Gaslight Village at that time. If that is to happen, we need to both expand our core group of proponents/designers/planners and to focus our efforts on the details of the proposal.

To that end, we are establishing a moderated discussion forum to foster and coordinate communication about the proposal. We' d like you--and others--to join in the discussion. To do so, simply visit this Yahoo Groups site:

Gaslight Village Symposium

Just fill out the simple form. Joel or I will approve membership and, in the next few weeks, as everyone returns from summer excursions, we'll get down to the nuts and bolts of this rather ambitious proposal.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you may contact me at kalliergo@me.com. Joel Crawford can be reached at mailbox@carfree.com.

We look forward to exploring with you!

All I can say is, It's about time!

Richard Risemberg on 08.22.10 @ 02:14 PM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

Shysters have used it again and again. "Quick, look over there." Today the shysters are pointing to a proposed Islamic Center in New York. Whatever you think of the New York City controversey, we found out this week that all the hoopla may be much ado about nothing. There's a difference between having the right or want to build a mosque and having the funding to build a mosque.

As we saw in yesterday's reports, The Cordoba Initiative hasn't begun fundraising yet for its $100 million goal, so there isn't much in the way of funds, foreign or domestic. The latest report, filed in 2008, says they have less than $20,000. There's also no blueprint, architect or engineer, or if you consider it an essential component, lobbyist.

It's another distraction to get you fired up and red-faced when you head to the polls. It's also creating scapegoats, like undocumented imigrants and gay marriages in San Francisco to keep your attention away from the doings in Washington and Corporate America.

When someone says "look over there," what the real message just might be "don't look at what I am doing here."

Eric Miller on 08.20.10 @ 06:05 AM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

Looks as though US cities and towns are slowly "getting it!" More and more municipalities large and small are seeing how offering a comprehensive network of bike paths, especially if combined with public transit, not only offers residents and visitors real freedom of choice in travel while reducing congestion (and the costs associated with providing extensive road infrastructure); they are also finding that cycling improves business and enhance property values.

Here are a few examples from the last few days' news articles:

• Rutherford Bike "Ring" to Connect Community
  Rutherford could be joining the ranks of Amsterdam. Imagine taking a train to Rutherford, grabbing a bike and accessing the entire town, the Meadowlands, the rivers and the sports complex by bicycle. That's what John Hughes of the Green Team imagines. He just applied for assistance from the National Park Services (NPS) to begin a study on the feasibility of the "Rutherford Bike Ring."
  
• Tinley Park to seek funding for bike path down Oak Park Avenue
  The village looked at several options but decided having the path from 179th to 183rd streets and bike lanes on Oak Park Avenue from 179th to the train station were the best way to foster possible development along the road, Connolly told village trustees Tuesday night.
  
• Oak Park tells staff to hop a bike
  "It's a great way to find parking in downtown Oak Park, it's great exercise, and it's amazing what you can see as a public works director when you're riding around on a bike," said Wielebnicki, adding that you can often miss a pothole or dinged up sign when you're zooming by in a car.
  
• On-road bike parking well used
  The DVBA polled its members and 30 volunteered to have the bike racks in front of their business. On Fort Street, 90 per cent of businesses agreed with the idea, despite the fact it takes up a parking stall for vehicles.
  The Fort Street Cafe, situated right in front of the bike rack, is on board.
  "We're open in the evenings so it helps us," said manager Melissa Byrnes.
  "We've noticed that in the evenings a lot of people are riding bikes and using those racks rather than driving and drinking."
  
• Grant lets bike trail plan roll on
  Cincinnati neighborhoods along the Mill Creek, which have been struggling against blight, believe the bike trail will help attract young residents and new businesses. Jeckering said the bike path already has contributed to the revival of Northside, where he has lived for nearly 30 years.
  "It's a catalyst that is bringing young people into the neighborhood to buy homes," Jeckering said. "It's a key asset for an urban neighborhood to have a bike trail along a natural waterway. Hopefully, they'll keep getting money to add to the bike trail."

Just a sampler, but it's refreshing news...maybe we'll end up with real community in our communities one of these days!

Richard Risemberg on 08.19.10 @ 07:48 AM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

A contest sponsored by Pepsi is asking for votes on projects that can help stimulate the economy and make life better in Gulf states hit hard by the recent BP oil spill. (Spill is not the right word, is it?) Projects include helping honeybees, growing community gardens and buying recycling bins. Pepsi is giving away $1.3 million. Vote for your favorite Do Good for the Gulf project

Eric Miller on 08.09.10 @ 07:06 AM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

I made it out to old Chicago, or more formally The District at Highland Village. The Main Street is basically a strip mall with two-story buildings. Sure, if you lived in one of the townhomes you could walk over to the coffee shop should one open in one of the storefronts, but make no mistake, this ain't old Chicago and it's not very urban.

There are some interesting observations to be made about the architecture. One buiilding I noticed had fake bricked-in windows as if this happened over time. It does add some texture. In the front. however there are windows that look like the bottoms were bricked in, perhaps to prevent break-ins? I'm not sure what they were thinking with that. The four-foot wrought iron fence the article in the Grapevine Courier mentioned appears to be steel and hollow. The nicest touch was a Dr. Pepper sign painted onto the brick side of one of the commercial buildings.

If it were built as infill in an existing urban area, I may like The District. Here in a far suburb, almost an hour drive from Dallas, I'm not sure how much sense it makes. Only one of five or so blocks of townhomes laid out have been built. If that's complete, there's no obvious place to expand, so growing into a larger town seems unlikely. You can look through the empty storefronts on the Main Street and see a subdivision with large suburban houses behind it. The rest of the area seems suburban-commercial. Without a street grid, making a left turn out of the place at 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning proved impossible, instead opting for a right turn and loop through a gas station.

I think the appeal here is for retiring boomers who don't want yard work. Surely they serve that purpose, except for the fact that townhomes have two floors. Perhaps to some extent stair climbing can keep us healthy longer, but if I were in the position I think I'd look for a situation where I could stay in my own home as long as possible. That would likely mean one floor.

Take a look:

Eric Miller on 08.08.10 @ 01:54 PM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

These kind of stories used to give me a chuckle, now, exciled in the suburbs, I see them as a good option for the people who must live here. I picked up the Grapevine Courier, paper thrown onto my lawn in a plastic bag at no cost, and read about a taste of old Chicago available in nearby Flower Mound. "The District," a short, urban-sounding abbreviation for The District at Highland Village, the article reads, "captures the quaint feel of old Chicago." Hmm, I bet Chicago can't capture old Chicago this well! "The architectural styling captures the Brownstone look (umm, perhaps they are thinking of Brooklyn) in the retail shops and professional office buildings." "The townhomes are separated (thanks be) from the commercial buildings by a decorative four-foot wrought iron fence and a pedestrian-friendly 'Main Street America' with a cast iron clock, fountain and gazebo." Old Chicago had a Gazebo, you know it must have!

I hope to head out this weekend to take a look at The District. I'm expecting I will find it won't have much in the way of transit, and often the number of residnces can't support much in the way of retail. Here I still see the idea that commercial and residential must be separate--not anything like old Chicago or Brooklyn. Still these attempts are a vast improvement over what was being built 20 years ago and at least an option for those of us in subrurban exile. Stay tuned for photos.

Eric Miller on 08.05.10 @ 12:18 PM PST [link]   [No Comments Yet--Add Comment]

The USDA Agricultural marketing Service announced yesterday that farmers' markets are more popular than ever in the US, especially in California, with many operating year-round. From their press release:

Midwest Has Largest Growth As National Total Increases 16 Percent

Wendy Wasserman (202) 690-3822
wendy.wasserman@ams.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2010 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that the 2010 National Farmers Market Directory lists 6,132 operational farmers markets, representing 16 percent growth over 2009 when the agency reported 5,274. The 2010 National Farmers Market Directory results are being released as part of National Farmers Market Week declared by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack between Aug. 1-7, 2010.

"Seeing such continued strong growth in the number of U.S. farmers markets indicates that regional food systems can provide great economic, social and health benefits to communities across the country," said Vilsack. "Farmers markets provide fresh, local products to communities across the country while offering economic opportunities for many producers of all sizes."

See the chart on numbers of farmers markets 1994-2010.

Other findings from the 2010 USDA National Farmers Market Directory include:

State Statistics

Top 10 states with the most farmers markets: California (580), New York (461), Illinois (286), Michigan (271), Iowa (229), Massachusetts (227), Ohio (213), Wisconsin (204), Pennsylvania (203) and North Carolina (182);

Top 10 states, by percentage, with market growth from 2009-2010: Missouri (77), Minnesota (61), Idaho (60), Michigan (60), Indiana (47), South Dakota (46), Arkansas (41), Washington (37), Ohio (36) and Oklahoma (31).

Off Season Operations

886 farmers markets are open for operation in the off-season (between November-March); and
Off-season farmers markets operate in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

The USDA National Farmers Market Directory can be found at farmersmarkets.usda.gov. Farmers markets can be searched by state, county, zip code and participation in federal nutrition assistance programs.

Results from the USDA National Farmers Market Directory are based on voluntary reporting from farmers market managers. In 2010, USDA collected electronic reporting for the first time; USDA has been tallying farmers markets since 1994.

Farmers' markets, of course, have benefits beyond providing fresh produce for your family's health and pleasure. By emphasizing locally grown foods, they reduce the traffic burden on roads, reduce the use of oil for food transport (supermarket produce has often traveled 1500 or more miles to find the shelves), and produce a friendly, relaxing community space where neighbors can become friends.

All in all a great thing for the environment, for American communities, and for our family tables!

Richard Risemberg on 08.05.10 @ 05:13 AM PST [link]   [1 Comment]