Blight's Bargains
I always loved houses with character. Heres a good read.
Photo Courtesy of NYTimes.
Photo Courtesy of NYTimes.
Incentives to grow all the way UP!
Urban Farming, A Bit Closer to the Sun
Gardeners are raising fruits and vegetables on rooftops, high above the noise and grime of urban streets.
Gardeners are raising fruits and vegetables on rooftops, high above the noise and grime of urban streets.
Have a great summer!
Congrats to our second years!
Have a great summer everyone!
Keep posting! Especially your summer adventures :)
The Incredible Shrinking City
Caught of few minutes of this interesting discussion on my lunch break today while listening to KCRW's To the Point. It's a concept that's totally foreign to those of us who grew up in perpetually booming California, but there are lots of cities out there dealing with shrinking populations. It goes to show you that there's plenty of planning to be done in times (like now) when there's a lack of growth, and that shrinkage can present a whole new range of opportunities, such as providing space for urban agriculture and enabling a more compact urban form. And of course, they balance things out by bringing in Randall O'Toole and some guy from Reason to give a thumbs-down to the whole idea.
A Paris Plan, Less Grand Than Gritty
President Nicolas Sarkozy invited 10 teams of architects to reimagine Paris as a city integrated with its suburbs and environmentally responsible. One team envisioned garden towers and parks in a suburb.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/world/europe/11paris.html
BruinComments: Bus Customer Service
Customer: Hi, I am a UCLA student... I just lost my ID and am on my way to get a replacement...
Driver (interrupting): I don't go to UCLA
Customer: I know... I am saying, how can I confirm that since I can't swipe my card?
Driver: I don't go to UCLA.
Customer: Ok, then how much do I need to pay as an alternative?
Driver:Seventy-five.
Customer (dropping in change): Thank you for being so considerate.
So this obviously made me think of those people out there who avoid public transit, primarily busses, due to similar fears of awkward customer/driver exchanges. Then again, the drivers are really put under quite a bit of pressure to be on time, have limited breaks, and likely have some obligation that their farebox meet certain expectations for revenue given what is typical of that line. So how much can we expect of them?
Now, flip this around to another perspective: think of all the great stories where customer service has been great on your bus. I lost my BruinCard on a BBB12 last week, and to my surprise the driver had found it and returned it to the BBB Transit Store in downtown Santa Monica. Total saved: $22.00 for a new card and a couple hours of time I would have had to waste.
So this will be the first post of what I suggest should be a series of BruinPlanners comments on different issues. What have your bus customer experiences been? How well do you think your bus line performs in customer service? How do you think public perception on busses affects ridership? When traveling to other cities (in the US or globally) how do you think the drivers/operators of transit compare to Los Angeles in their friendliness and ease of helping out?
Click below to leave your comments...
Dont Let NYC Always Be Better Than Us
First Phase of High Line Is Ready for Strolling By Robin Pogrebin
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/first-phase-of-high-line-is-ready-for-strolling/?hp
Video: Small Town, Big Debt
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/us/08bond.html?_r=1&hp
Municipal bonds are traditionally safe investments, but cities and counties across Tennessee have gotten in financial trouble after entering the complex world of derivatives.
Municipal bonds are traditionally safe investments, but cities and counties across Tennessee have gotten in financial trouble after entering the complex world of derivatives.
Planners <3 MAPS!
Attention Los Angeles: Your map has arrived
After months of study, debate and drawing, the Los Angeles Times is unveiling its interactive map of Los Angeles today.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/06/attention-los-angeles-your-map-has-arrived-.html
After months of study, debate and drawing, the Los Angeles Times is unveiling its interactive map of Los Angeles today.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/06/attention-los-angeles-your-map-has-arrived-.html
Cheney supports Gay Marriage but believes it should be decided by the States
I'm sure that many of you have seen this. I'm just curious if many of the people who have condemned the man (I am not disagreeing with the condemnations), will be able to praise him for such an admission. http://www.startribune.com/nation/46652337.html
High Speed Rail Plan for America
The Federal Railroad Administration just released their 2009 High-Speed Rail Strategic Plan for The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This is the first detailed glimpse of what the Obama Administration has in store for the future of passenger rail in the United States.
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