Friday Funny: A Mayor Dares to Dream of a Revitalized Waterfront

The satirical site The Onion once again checks in with the world of planning and urbanism—this time choosing Erie, Pennsylvania Mayor Joe Sinnott to present some crazy ideas about the city's waterfront.

1 minute read

September 5, 2014, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


San Antonio, Texas, Riverwalk, Evening

Stuart Seeger (Stuseeger) / Flickr

With its most recent take on the world of urban planning and development, The Onion implies that sometimes the work of urban revitalization only requires common sense.

Here is Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott making the case for a waterfront redevelopment proposal: "I recognize this probably sounds insane, but I’ve got this strange feeling there might be some sort of upside to converting our unused and blighted lakefront into a family- and business-friendly hub of the community."

More of the satirical pitch: "But wait, it gets crazier: What if we also took some of the nearby vacant lots and—hold on to your hats, guys—turned them into public parks? With dog runs? Sounds bonkers, right? But I think it just might work."

Tuesday, September 2, 2014 in The Onion

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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