Ben Yahr

http://www.infrastructurist.com/
http://www.energybulletin.net/
http://dirt.asla.org/

Nice little article, and much easier to get through than “Collapse”…

The readers also had some good points, especially about streetcars.

One point that wasn’t very clear was the difference between complexity and diversity. It would be better to address many of these issues by enabling a variety of choices and options rather than designing…[Read more]

Eastern suburbia does not resemble western suburbia. I think it is much more pleasant. The roads are windy, the terrain is varied, and there is no grid outside of a downtown mini-urban core. Its like being rural with houses in the woods and usually particular roads that are strips of strip malls, box stores, and fast food, but the rest of it is…[Read more]

“Greatest misallocation of resources in the history of the world” -The ever pessimistic James Howard Kunstler

The underlying point here (in case it wasn’t obvious) is that the subsidies and economic drivers of the “green economy” are a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the factors that are propping up the traditional economy.

Take high speed rail as an example. If the teabaggers don’t block it, as much as $8,000,000,000 could be spent upgrading and…[Read more]

If it happened quickly, it would affect us by collapsing out entire way of life. If gas were truly $15 (1998 dollars as the article poses as a high guess), commerce would screech to a halt. There would be demand for better designed communities, but there would be no funding to build them.

That’s why it’s important to find alternatives to an oil…[Read more]

This article clearly explains many of the factors that are not accounted for in the apparent price of gasoline-
http://www.icta.org/doc/Real%20Price%20of%20Gasoline.pdf

Ironically, it’s from 1998, when gas was around $1.00 a gallon.

So yes, we truly are paying the real price of oil, but it is though taxes and government debt rather than at the pump.

I’d add to your list
-Maintenance and improvements to water infrastructure.
-Revise energy policy.

So if you believe that the quote green economy is going to crash and burn, where do you think the “E”conomy is going to go?

This seems like a typical cynical analysis of any possible variation from the status quo. People hate change, and it is far easier to find fault in a new idea than to recognize problems with the old ways of doing…[Read more]

Can you point me towards some actual data that would indicate lower taxes would actually help anything? I’m not being argumentative, it just seems to me that the reason jobs are overseas is because ‘consumers’ can consume products produced overseas for significantly less than products made in the USA due to labor costs.

Out of the whole cost of…[Read more]

Thanks for the replies folks. I was on vacation last week, and unfortunately didn’t get to read the reply from the Pictometry representative before it was deleted.

The representative that I talked to said that Pictometry covers 80% of the U.S. population, which is certainly not as impressive as covering 80% of the U.S…

That, along with the…[Read more]

That is why I often take controversial stands on issues that are hard to describe. Sometimes it is like pulling teeth to get me to make my point clear it seems.

This seems quite dishonest and childish. So you feel the need to have the last word in every discussion, and convince people that you are right, even on issues that you don’t necessarily…[Read more]

On one hand it would be good to be able to have sensible conversations about topics that truly do affect our daily lives, our collective future, and the profession’s ability to thrive, but on the other hand, it seems that very few people are interested in changing their viewpoints; or even engaging (listening to the other side) in…[Read more]

Along the lines of the principals set forth by the founding fathers, it is extremely important to have a solid understanding of the issues and the facts. We can’t all be petroleum geologists, but we also can’t believe everything we hear on our favorite media outlet. Start by understanding the quantity of oil that we currently use for gasoline-…[Read more]

I would definitely prefer a bench, primarily because it has a back, but there are ways to make seatwalls more appealing and functional-

I’m happy, I love the profession. I like my job, the projects, and generally the clients.

However, I am concerned about future prospects, and believe that to be on the forefront of the profession and adequately poised for future options, it is important to understand and discuss both the good and the bad…

Statistics are a measure of the past. If landscape architects accept the simplistic view that they are servants to developers, and cling to the mantra that more development is good just so that more people can work- the “state if the profession” is screwed.

Move on. Advocate, research, explore, discuss, find new niches, specialties, efficiencies,…[Read more]

‘Stormwater’ Journal. Free, or available online.
http://www.stormh2o.com/

it was interesting taking a look at the city in google earth, including the panaramio images. looks fine.
but a tour around in google streetview is eye opening.

the city masterplan is interesting, not especially earth…[Read more]

that was a pretty powerful movie. thanks for sharing the link.

i’d like to help out.