Palo Alto is where Silicon Valley started, yet locals eagerly pick up the Daily Post, the Daily News, as well as read PaloAlto-Online. The New York Times investigates why print media flourishes here while regional and national papers struggle.
It's anything but hi-tech, just old-fashioned newspaper print. While their regional counterparts both lose readers and raise subscription costs, two near-daily papers compete head-to-head at a price that's hard to pass-up - they're free, and one doesn't even post its news on-line. The NYT technology journalist takes a break from reporting on the likes of Google and Yahoo and investigates why folks are reading newsprint.
"At a time when many cities struggle to support one newspaper, Palo Alto has three: The Daily Post, The Daily News, which began publishing in 1995, and The Palo Alto Weekly, which has a daily online edition and has been around since 1979.
"It is phenomenal to go into a coffee shop in the morning and see people reading local newspapers," said Ted Glasser, a professor of communications at Stanford. "These are manageable newspapers. You can read them in 15 or 20 minutes."
Still, all three newspapers say that they are profitable and that they are here to stay.
There are many reasons Palo Alto enjoys such a relative wealth of news coverage. It is affluent and has a highly educated, civically engaged population. Its pricey real-estate market and other high-end businesses provide a relatively strong advertising base, even during a recession."
Thanks to David Price
FULL STORY: In a Country of Monopoly Newspapers, Palo Alto Is Awash in Competition
Opinion: Build Density in Palo Alto–and Lots of It
To keep up with demand and slow the astronomical rise in housing costs, Palo Alto and other Silicon Valley cities must overcome local opposition to density and high-rises.
Coal Mining in Kentucky, but No Beat Reporters to Cover It
Environmental reporting has been one of the major casualties as newspapers downsize, particularly in places where the in-depth coverage is most needed.
Is CEQA the Main Impediment to Housing Construction in California?
According to a new study by UC Berkeley and Columbia University, local land use processes, specifically the approval process, rather than the California Environmental Quality Act, is the main impediment to housing production in California.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.
Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.
Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service