This is another installment in my periodic series "Buildings Suburbs That Last". Rather than restate the intro yet again, I'll just encourage you to read the setup to this series, as well any any earlier installments you care to. The Setup: Review: Retrofitting Suburbia Part One: Strategy Part Two: New Urbanism and Parcelization Part Three: The Mother of All Impact Fees Extra: End Property Tax Collection in Arrears A lot of the discussion of sustainability in the suburbs revolves around New Urbanism. I think this can have a role … [Read more...]
Archives for 2009
A Midwest Megaregion?
This is the last installment in my series on megaregions. The first was Mega-Skepticism, an earlier take I had the was down on the concept. The second was a review of the book "Megaregions", edited by Catherine L. Ross. In this piece I am going to look for potential applications of megaregional geography to the Midwest. Since my blog is about cities, I'll primarily focus on the large urban aspects. While there is not a truly hierarchical relationship between cities in the Midwest, it is useful to think of it like a solar system. Chicago … [Read more...]
Review: Megaregions, Edited by Catherine L. Ross
"The long-term utility of the megaregion as a distinct planning scale is still unproven. Does the megaregional approach confront or evade the core planning issues of equity, democracy, livability, economic vitality, and design excellence? If Jane Jacobs old quip about a region being 'an area safely larger than the last one to whose problems we found no solution' remains cogent, then the current interest in megaregions represents either a logical territorial scaling up to match the rapid expansion of regions, or another attempt by stalwart … [Read more...]
Back From Barcelona
I just got back from spending a week in Barcelona. It's a great city, the weather was perfect, and the crowds weren't too bad. A very enjoyable trip all around. As usual, I have a few observations that struck me while there. Urban Culture I used to have a team I supervised in Madrid, so I had been to that city many times, but never made it to Barcelona apart from one brief in and out trip. I was eager to compare and contrast the two. One thing that struck me was an analogy to the Midwest. Spain was once a mighty empire, but became a sort … [Read more...]
Mega-Skepticism
[ This post inaugurates a three part series on "megaregions" and the applicability of this concept to the Midwest. It is a repeat of something I wrote on the subject a bit over a year ago. That should lay the ground work. Part two of the series will be a review of the book "Megaregions", edited by Catherine L. Ross. The third part will be some thinking on ways the Midwest might be able to apply megaregional thinking to its problems. As you will see, I come to this subject as a skeptic. This post originally ran on July 11, 2008] There … [Read more...]
Principles of Privatization – Part 4: Guidelines for Action
I'll conclude my series on privatization with a series of guidelines for action or best practices you should look at to determine if privatization is right. I take a pragmatic view on this. The private sector and government are always going to work together. We just need to make sure we do it right. I had a list of considerations I had developed it, and supplemented it some insights from Indianapolis blogger Paul Ogden. Ogden is a strident populist Republican who used to favor privatization but is now mostly skeptical. Even if you don't go for … [Read more...]
Pro Sports As Naming Rights Deal
"The real question is what these expensive, publicly bankrolled behemoths add to their local economies. The consensus across every, single serious study ever done of the economic impact of sports stadia is 'absolutely nothing." As the old song goes, 'say it again.'" - Richard Florida Over at Columbus Underground they are discussing a report commissioned by the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL team claiming the team and its arena had a $2 billion economic impact in the region. I've no doubt that a lot of money was spent around the team, but if … [Read more...]
Principles of Privatization – Part 3: Uses of Funds
Continuing my look at privatization transactions, this installment focuses on appropriate uses of funds. Some types of privatization involve paying a third party to deliver an outsourced service. If, by outsourcing, you are able to save money and get better service, great. If you are able to realize recurring savings from this, then you can put that money to use in many potential ways: special projects, new services, tax cuts, or making up for cost increases elsewhere. I'm going to focus on non-recurring revenue, the type realized from … [Read more...]
Principles of Privatization – Part 2: Value Levers
Continuing with my series on privatization of government services, today I look at the question of how privatization creates value. You can also read part one on the types of transactions. While a few people just don't like the government doing things on principle, most of the time privatization - again, undertaken by both Democrats and Republicans - is touted has having benefits to the tax payer. There are three basic ways this can happen: new revenues, reduced cost, or improved service. New Revenue Many governments are attracted to … [Read more...]
Principles of Privatization – Part 1: Taxonomy of Transactions
This post kicks off a multi-part series on the principles of privatization. Cities and states across America have been looking at various types of privatization programs to save money or raise money in a tough economy. This has been surprisingly non-partisan, with proponents and opponents scattered across both parties. Democrat Mayor Richard Daley is a huge fan, as is Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels in Indiana. Democrat Gov. Ed Rendell pushed a toll road privatization. The Republican administration in the city of Indianapolis is looking at … [Read more...]