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Podcast - The Planetizen News Brief

5 April 2007 - 9:00am

The Planetizen News Brief is a weekly rundown of some of the most interesting and important news and issues of the past week.

This week, we look why big box retailers aren't the environmentally sustainable stewards they want to be, how homeownership causes unemployment, and the pre-Katrina satellite images displayed on the website Google Maps.

The Planetizen News Brief airs every week on the nationally-syndicated radio program "Smart City", which is broadcast in cities across the U.S. Learn more about Smart City and listen to archived shows.

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Full Transcript

Pumping biodiesel in their trucks and lighting their stores up with fluorescent bulbs makes Wal-Mart green right? Well, not as long as people keep driving there. As big box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target have seen explosive growth over the last 15 years, the amount of miles Americans drive to run errands has shown a similar rise. An article from Grist looks at how the trend toward suburbanization has resulted in more people having to drive farther from their homes to get to the services they need. And while sprawling development can be partly blamed for the increasing distances many have to travel, the article argues that big box retailers should also be blamed for edging out small businesses and locating themselves on the fringes of cities and suburbs. So even with environmentally friendly practices, big box retail won’t ever be truly sustainable if it keeps locating farther from its customers and putting local businesses out of business.

Another correlation being seen across the U.S and Europe is the relationship between home ownership and high levels of unemployment. Slate magazine reports that a new study has shown that of all the perceived causes of unemployment, it is home ownership that offers the best explanation for higher unemployment rates. The study shows that areas with the highest unemployment rates are also those with the highest rates of homeownership – a trend most likely caused by the unwillingness of invested homeowners to pick up and move just because they lost their job. Economists say that to work against this trend, governments should put more effort into lifting the barriers to selling homes, and encouraging more people to rent.

And finally, it seems things are turning around for New Orleans. In fact they’re turning so far around they’ve practically gone back in time. Satellite imagery of the city accessible on the website Google Maps shows a vibrant, prosperous, and oddly undevastated New Orleans. The images now on display on the site were taken before the hurricanes of 2005, causing many to wonder why Google is showing images so far out of date and so misleadingly inaccurate. According to the Associated Press, the company claims that the images are the best they have available, but many residents who supplemented their insurance claims with Google’s previously displayed images of the more current situation are leery of the website’s intentions. Covert conspiracy or not, the images may change the way the city looks online, but not the way it looks on the ground.

Stories discussed in this week's Planetizen News Brief

Can Big Box Retail Ever Be Sustainable?

Does Homeownership Cause Unemployment?

Overnight Recovery For New Orleans In Google Map

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"To ignore this space is shortsighted." -- Jennifer Wolch, Director of the USC Center for Sustainable Cities
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