Economic Crisis
'Rurbanismo,' as it's called, describes the reversal of historic migration patterns now engulfing Spain, as a generations-old trend of rural-to-city movement has been reversed.
The New York Times
Richard Florida, interviewed by blogger Dave Copeland, says that quality of place is going to be of growing importance in the coming era to keep cities vibrant and attracting talent and the "creative class."
MyCityWay Blog
Researchers found in their analysis of 300 California municipalities that the cities that had slow growth or anti-growth policies were less impacted by the housing crisis, writes Mark Bergen for Forbes.
Forbes
Suburbia has brainwashed Americans into being good capitalists, which brought about the economic crisis, according to neo-Marxist economic geographer David Harvey.
Fast Company
Townships surrounding Philadelphia have managed to survive the recession until now, but city coffers are now going into the red and cities are being forced to take action.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Congressional Oversight Committee tasked with looking into the economic crisis says in a new report that there is a continuing risk of banks holding onto troubled assets, including real estate. Minnesota Public Radio talks to noted experts.
Minnesota Public Radio
Author Kurt Andersen's new book describes the last three decades as a period of wanton growth, from homes to waistlines. He sees the economic bust as a way to return sanity and size appropriateness.
Boing Boing
DeLuca Homes planned to build condos in Bucks County, PA- until the bottom fell out of the market. Now they're one of many developers cutting deals with governments to create open space.
Center for Public Integrity
Too important to fail? Victorville and Norco, CA have approved loans to local car dealers to keep them afloat.
The Wall St. Journal
The last S.U.V.s rolled off the assembly line at General Motors' plants in Janesville, Wisconsin and Moraine, Ohio, victims of both the economic crisis and the plummeting market for gas guzzlers.
The New York Times
Emeryville, CA is a success story of redevelopment. City leaders transformed a decaying industrial area into a booming retail landscape. But with the economic downturn, locals are questioning the wisdom of basing the city on retail.
The New York Times
How should cities incentivize developers in a down market? And should they? William Fulton reflects on the price cities will pay to get new buildings, and if it is worth it.
Governing Magazine
Feature
It is a confusing time for cities and the people who work for them. On the one hand, the recent election showed a groundswell of support for new investment in infrastructure.
Cities facing budget cuts are cutting back on Christmas decorations and events. Has the Grinch stolen Christmas?
The Wall St. Journal
Metro and 30 other transit agencies across the country may have to pay billions of dollars to large banks as years-old financing deals unravel, potentially hurting service for millions of bus and train riders, transit officials said yesterday.
Washington Post
Blog post
A recent report that I coauthored, "Managing Transport Challenges When Oil Prices Rise" provides practical policy guidance on how to manage the risks of rising oil prices by increasing transport system efficiency. People with short attention spans might think that this report is already outdated, since global financial uncertainty has replaced rising fuel prices as the crisis-of-the-month. Leading businesses are bankrupt, employees are frightened, consumers are cautious, and fuel prices plummeting.
