This past Saturday, I had the honour of joining a group of invited urbanists and sustainability experts, in a special dialogue put on by The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, and Vancouver's Simon Fraser University. Among other things, the event was to launch a new partnership between these two innovative organizations around research and curriculum for sustainable urbanism.
Land Use
Making Gritty Pretty
Cities around the world are finding that turning industrial ruins into green public space is far more cost effective and fun than tearing them down.
The Walrus
Brazilian Billboard Ban Under Pressure
The ban on billboard advertising in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is showing pressure cracks, as continued opposition to the citywide policy has some lawmakers considering a repeal.
The Independent
California Seeks Statewide Growth Strategy
The state of California is unveiling an effort to create a detailed strategy for how the state should grow. The ambitious plan is being kickstarted with a modest $2.5 million investment.
The San Francisco Chronicle
The Art of Civic Engagement
In Starksboro, Vermont, planners are using storytelling and community art projects to get at the heart of what matters to residents.
Burlington Free Press
There Are Planners, And There Are Politicians
Put the chief planners of seven of North America's most progressive cities in a room and ask about their challenges, they inevitably point to the overriding role of the political leaders they serve. Expanding public open space also was raised.
S.F. Streetsblog
Walkscore to Get Bus Points
Transit stops are now included on Walkscore, the map-mashup website that scores neighborhoods based on their accessibility and walkability.
NRDC Switchboard
Finding A Sustainabe Path for Jakarta
Jakarta, Indonesia is the world's sixth most populated metropolitan area, and it's on track to move up in ranks within the next decade. Some planners are trying to figure out how to guide this developing megacity onto a sustainable path.
The City Fix
Center for Developmentally Disabled Doesn't Fit Zoning - Any Zoning
The Winterville, GA Planning Commission rejected the idea of creating a special "assisted residential district" for a center for developmentally disabled people, saying that the proposal was too vague.
The Athens Banner-Herald
Boom in Utah Town
Growth is at a standstill in most western boomtowns, but not in well-planned, thriving South Jordan, UT. An expedited permitting process and good planning are given credit as catalysts for growth.
Desert News
Car-Free Sundays Coming to L.A.?
A group of cyclists in Los Angeles is hoping to move forward in talks with the city to establish car-free days, based on the ciclovia street closures originated in Colombia.
Los Angeles Times
Maryland's Smart Growth Law A Dud According To University Study
Maryland's 1997 landmark smart growth, hailed as one of the most innovative policies in the nation, has turned out to have failed in what it hoped to accomplish - preserve open space and cluster urban growth, according to a just-released report.
Washington Post
A Greener Shade of Golf?
Golf courses use dangerous pesticides and hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to maintain their manicured look. Many people would like to change that. But some golf courses says you can have your cake and tee off, too.
Good
Seattle Approves Backyard Cottages
The Seattle City Council has unanimously approved an ordinance that will allow owners of single family homes to construct additional cottage-like housing units on their property.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Study Finds Health Insurance Cheaper in Suburbs
A recent study of health insurance costs finds that people who live in suburban areas outside of Chicago pay less for health insurance than those who live in the urban core.
Chicago Sun-Times
Dedicated Non-Motorist Lane on Vancouver Bridge Finds Public Support
Residents in Vancouver are reportedly in favor of keeping a dedicated lane for pedestrians and cyclists on a local bridge. Even some motorists are in support.
The Vancouver Sun
Don't Bogart That Joint, My Friend
Mon, 11/02/2009 - 14:49
"Don't Bogart That Joint, My Friend"
Lyrics: Lawrence Wagner
Music: Elliot Ingber
(on the soundtrack of "Easy Rider")
Chorus
Don't bogart that joint my friend
Pass it over to me
Don't bogart that joint my friend
Pass it over to me
Roll another one
Just like the other one
You've been holding on to it
And I sure will like a hit
[chorus]
Roll another one
Just like the other one
That one's burned to the end
Come on and be a real friend
[chorus]
Marijuana is prescribed for certain medical conditions, such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. Since 1996, at least 13 states have legalized the sale of medical marijuana.
Now, check your zoning regulations and see what districts allow this land use: "Retail Sales – Medical Marijuana." Couldn’t find it, right?
