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The Planetizen News Brief - 3/19/09

19 March 2009 - 5:00am
Smart City Radio

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

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.

Full TranscriptThey’re so almost completely obsolete it’s kind of hard to even remember needing them, but pay telephones used to be as ubiquitous and essential in cities as stoplights and driveways. The rise of mobile communications brought on their gradual demise, but now one city is hoping to snip the last cord. Officials in Jacksonville, Florida, are looking to permanently remove many pay phones from parts of downtown. But it’s not just futurism that’s pushing for the removal. According to a recent article in the Florida Times-Union, officials are targeting the crime and malfeasance that tends to gravitate towards pay phone boxes. The legislation is going before the Jacksonville city council for approval, where officials are calling it a “crime reduction effort”.

Meanwhile, solar energy is on the rise in California. But it’s not the stimulus package or even the pro-clean energy influence of President Barack Obama. The boom in California is being fueled largely by municipal financing. A recent article in the New York Times explores the explosion of solar power on California homes, which has been made possible by a minor change in state laws that allows the large initial costs of installing solar panels to be financed the same way as gas or water lines. With more favorable loan terms and a wider group of eligible applicants, the once-intimidating initial costs of installing solar panels are now falling into the realm of reality for many homeowners, not just the wealthy. And in the two years since public financing has been available from a handful of California cities for solar power, half a dozen states have followed, with their own solar power financing bills either approved or on their way.

And finally, here’s a thought: recycle the suburbs. Sounds good, doesn’t it? With plummeting home values and skyrocketing foreclosures, America’s suburbs aren’t doing a whole lot of good these days. Turning them around may require drastic change. That’s what Time magazine says anyway, in its recent list of “Ten Ideas Changing the World Right Now.” Though some suburbs are dying, we can’t just throw them away, according to the article. Many of these areas can be preserved, but some will have to evolve. One major way this can happen is by reusing malls and shopping centers to create town centers where none existed before. Smart growth advocates argue that by recycling the assets these places already have, they can grow into better places that can remain viable – both for the economy and the environment.

Stories discussed in this week's Planetizen News Brief

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