A paragraph on what we might today call "good transit" in Railroaded: What distinguished railroads from the natural geography through which they ran was their centrality to measures of value; they transformed everything around them. There is no such thing as a badly placed river on a mountain, … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2011
New standards for ridiculousness in historic preservation
Because Arlington County, VA is not home to many properties over 100 years old, planning officials have turned their historic preservation efforts to those properties they do have to preserve. The Sun Gazette reports: The first phase of the effort focused on only a very narrow slice of property … [Read more...]
PSA
I've you have any interesting in Philadelphia or architectural history, you should be reading Philaphilia (scroll down past the weird drawing – I know). I think the Empty Lot of the Week feature (most recent one here) is my favorite. That is all. … [Read more...]
Then and now, financial ruin edition
So I bought Richard White's Railroaded based on the interview Emily blogged about earlier, and so far I'm enjoying it. It can be a bit polemical ("He was an eclectic hater who hated people who often hated one another") and by page 34 I've already gotten lost a few times in railroad finance jargon, … [Read more...]
A Tale of Two Densities
I was catching up on posts over at The Old Urbanist, and came across his astute analysis of setbacks that many of you probably saw a while back. Focusing on the requirement for large front lawns in many towns across the country, Charlie Gardner writes:Whether this reflects a continuing … [Read more...]
When does local industrial policy succeed?
Here's something to keep in mind when you hear mayors making plans for things like designated green energy zones or tech clusters: Q: Has anything surprised you about downtown's recovery?A: This was always a financial center. Now we have a lease for a million square feet from Condé Nast. That … [Read more...]
Before there were stimulus projects
In his new book, Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America, Richard White explores the financing of railroads in the American West and the political process behind it. In history books, this accomplishment is often looked on as a heroic feat of engineering and perseverance, … [Read more...]
Death and life in a changing neighborhood
A controversy in DC's Columbia Heights neighborhood exemplifies the common clash between NIMBYism and the achievement of Jane Jacob's ideals. Some residents are opposed to a new proposed diner, Margot's Chair, that would be open 24 hours a day. The owners already have three well-loved restaurants in … [Read more...]