Key news reported from light rail utopia, befitting of certain Puget Sound regional visions:
Author: Chuck Wolfe
Charles R. (Chuck) Wolfe, M.R.P., J.D. provides a unique perspective about cities as both a long time writer about urbanism worldwide and an attorney in Seattle, where he focuses on land use and environmental law and permitting. In particular, his work involves the use of sustainable development techniques and innovative land use regulatory tools on behalf of both the private and public sectors. He is also an Affiliate Associate Professor in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington, where he teaches land use law at the graduate level. He contributes regularly to several publications including Planetizen, CityLab/The Atlantic Cities, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, Grist, seattlepi.com, and Crosscut.com. He blogs at myurbanist.com.
mayoral urbanist, part 5 (confessions of a transitional ambassador)
As noted in the post below, Seattle’s Mayor-elect McGinn is holding three town halls this week, beginning tonight. The Mayor-elect’s “open source transition” is predicated on such inclusionary outreach, with three questions in mind. Prior to the town halls, several “ambassadors” parlayed these questions to representative groups throughout the city. Selected myurbanist alter-egos served as a bridge to largely “downtown” interests, as well as non-governmental organizations and peer professionals involved in land use issues. Here’s what we heard:
comparative urbanism, part 10 (highly disputed real estate, urban snow edition)
For Seattleites, will December 2009 echo our sometimes divisive 2008 experience with urban snow? Or might snow provide a basis for new unity of purpose?
In one of the most documented, and most disputed urban places, sometimes it snows, bringing to mind the interconnectedness and universality of snow implied for a divided Ireland in James Joyce’s 1914 short story, “The Dead”. When I read of the 2008 snow in Jerusalem, I searched for new images to update photos from long ago, and in the process rediscovered some touching words describing how an earlier Jerusalem snow event brought a feeling of unity to an often divided Middle Eastern urban fabric:
“The flakes combined as they touched ground, forming a thin, crystalline layer on the surfaces of the city. From Saladin Street in the east to Jaffa Road in the west, the whiteness was gathering. It was early evening, and in the light of dusk, snow was falling in Jerusalem.”
Photo from Daily Mail, January 30, 2008:
Photo from onejerusalem.com, January, 2008:
comparative urbanism, part 9 (signage redux)
Is signage an enhancement, or a distraction? A guide, or a deterrent? A caption to a view, or a demand for attention? Here are some thoughts from here and there…
