Protecting the poor and protecting the environment are two areas we haven’t quite figured out yet. Put them together, and we’re really up a creek. And we are, because these two silos are actually linked very closely. The relationship between poverty and environmental degradation is incredibly complex, but you wouldn’t guess it by looking at some recent policies gathering support out there in the world. Solutions, it would seem, are incredibly simple. But most of these ideas, though well-intentioned, address only one side of the poverty-environment relationship -- and really hurt the other.
Poverty
Climate, Housing and Health: A Tripartite Challenge for the Poor
Recent weather related news usually includes mounting death tolls, as typhoons, hurricanes and other natural disasters devastate populations. The intensity and frequency of, and damage inflicted by, these natural occurrences are directly related to climate change, and sadly, those most vulnerable are also the least prepared. The shift in climate has severely impacted life in informal settlements (slums), not the least of which is the already inadequate state of health.
Recession Changing Geography of Poverty
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that the first year of the recession has taken a harsh toll and that these impacts are being particularly felt in three key regions in the country.
ABC
U.S. Poverty at 11-Year High
The poverty rate hit an 11-year high in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Los Angeles Times
Leaving San Francisco
Think "Leaving Las Vegas" starring Nicholas Cage, except the 'actors' here are the real thing - 'chronic inebriates' costing the city about $13 million annually in ambulance costs alone. It's not necessarily a 'homelessness' problem.
San Francisco Chronicle
Exporting the Impoverished
The City of New York has been spending thousands of dollars to send people out of the city -- opting to pay for one-way plane tickets instead of providing social services.
The New York Times
Oh, Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?
Researchers at the Pew Charitable Trust have found that the neighborhood in which a child is raised is a powerful indicator of adult economic success.
The Washington Post
Working Families Charged Rent to Live in New York Shelters
Families who have income will now be charged a small rent to stay in public housing shelters in New York City, part of a 1997 state law that had up until now gone unenforced.
The New York Times
Poverty and Development: Two Birds, Possibly One Stone
Some organizations believe they hold the key to fighting poverty--economic development in the inner cities, which will in turn bring in private investment. But others maintain that both are hard to come by simultaneously.
Miller-McCune
How to Empower the World's Poor
The key to solving global poverty is possessing secure land and property tenure, according to this opinion piece. Having such security enables poor communities, even those here at home, to make demands from their governments.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Candidates Take Stance on Urban Issues
City Limits breaks down the differences between the two presidential candidates with a focus on urban issues.
City Limits
Redefining Poverty
New York City is changing the way poverty in the city is defined, while the Federal government is considering a bill to do the same. Planetizen Assistant Editor Nate Berg reports in The Christian Science Monitor.
The Christian Science Monitor
States Need to Focus to Tackle Poverty
In an effort to tackle poverty, 15 states have set up commissions to explore the issues. Neal Peirce says they need to focus foremost on getting more money into the hands of the impoverished and reducing the burden of taxes on them.
Citiwire
More Americans to Face Energy Poverty
The cost of home heating is expected to rise considerably this winter, but with utilities unable to obtain credit, Washington deadlocked on how to deal with it, and LIHEAP underfunded American households are in for a tough winter.
The New York Times
Living in the Wrong Neighborhood Can Harm Your Health
A new study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that living in poor and violent neighborhoods can significantly increase your risk of heart attack or stroke.
The Baltimore Sun
Cairo's Downfall
Downtown Cairo has undergone a steady decline in recent years, with more slums developing and more beggars filling the streets. This article from Bloomberg says there are many reasons for the decline.
Bloomberg
A Newer, Better Poverty Rate Formula
New York City plans to revise the way it assesses poverty levels in the city, bringing in more variables and cost-of-living considerations. Officials expect the new measurement to be more accurate, and are calling on other cities to follow suit.
The New York Times
Protests, Riots Go Global as Fuel Costs Soar
Protests both peaceful and violent are breaking out across Europe and Asia as people's livelihoods begin to suffer from soaring fuel costs, and some stores are running out of food as truck drivers go on strike.
This Is London
Canada's Top Crime Cities
With their high concentrations of marginalized Aboriginal residents, the Canadian prairie cities of Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg are ranked the top 3 most "dangerous" cities in the country in the latest Macleans Magazine survey.
Macleans
The Regional Approach to Fighting Poverty
This article from the Albany Times Union looks at the importance of using a regional approach to addressing poverty, crime and inner city blight.
Albany Times Union
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- Simulating Mount Rushmore
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- The Solution for Homelessness? Homes.
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- The Most Polluted Metro Areas in America
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Fleeting Design -- Scott Page
Public Options in Transit and Health Care -- Michael Lewyn
Let Me Clear My Throat -- Ian Sacs
Don't Bogart That Joint, My Friend -- Dwight Merriam
Healthy, Wealthy and Wise Transportation Policy -- Todd Litman
D.C. Area Professional Development Courses Offered in Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability– Last Chance to Register!
Planning Academy at Virginia Tech, VT National Capital Region campus in Alexandria, VA
Nov 05, 2009
Managing Growth With Priority Funding Areas: A Good Idea Whose Time Has Yet to Come
Routledge
Nov 04, 2009
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Nov 04, 2009
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