Planet Planning

Interesting housing types in the old south side of Chicago. A small home on a slab that was a combination garage bungalow (Garlow) was built on the rear of the lot, with an eventual plan to build a larger home on the front of the lot.

Click to read the article.

Thanks to Al Linsenmeyer MPHS Jan 66 for contributing.

Corruption by Countries

The map above shows corruption by countries. A major challenge for any country is wringing out corruption. The rule of law, fair and honest enforcement, and an independent judiciary and police forces are key. It is no accident that the richest and most successful countries in the world are those that have succeeded in minimizing corruption.

Limiting corruption is not easy and takes sustained effort. Electing honest people in fair elections is an important first step.

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Urban Density

"The link between urban density and aspects of sustainability remains a contested area of planning theory. Many experts on sustainable urbanism, including prominent urban designer Jan Gehl, argue that low-density, dispersed cities are unsustainable as they are automobile dependent. Others, like Randy O'Toole author of Gridlock and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, counter that raising densities results in more expensive real estate, greater road congestion and more air pollution."

Click to read the full article

Awards For Smart Growth

The 2011 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement recognized communities in five categories:

Overall Excellence
Old North St. Louis Revitalization Initiative, St. Louis, Missouri
Community leaders redefined and rebuilt the historic neighborhood of Old North to attract new residents and economic growth while maintaining its distinctive character.

Smart Growth and Green Building
Silver Gardens Apartments, Albuquerque, New Mexico
This LEED Platinum-certified apartment building puts affordable homes with innovative green design near reliable transportation options, helping low-income residents save money on energy, transportation, and housing.

Programs, Policies, and Regulations
Plan El Paso 2010, El Paso, Texas
El Paso’s development plan will create new transportation options that link neighborhoods to greater economic opportunity and to one another, encouraging growth that can bring new homes and jobs.

Rural Smart Growth
Maroney Commons, Howard, South Dakota
This small town revitalized its downtown with a green building that houses training for green energy and rural health care jobs and models innovative environmental approaches that can spur economic development.

Civic Places
Uptown Normal Roundabout, Normal, Illinois.
Originally designed to manage traffic, the Uptown Normal Roundabout has evolved into a civic gathering place that increases business for local stores.

For more information on the winners, click here.

Click to read the full article:

Mirror Lake

Be Careful During Hunting Season

Small Houses

The small house movement advocates living in tiny homes. Advocates point out that the ecological footprint of such homes is far less then that of large homes. Some links below:

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

http://tinygreencabins.com/

http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_house_movement

Small is beautiful. But I doubt that this will attract too many adherents. The trend has been to ever larger and more costly homes, and as long as we are affluent this trend will continue. But some people will choose smaller homes for economic and environmental reasons.

My wife and I have rented our very large historic home and moved to a smaller ranch home. We enjoy the lower costs and reduced environmental impact. But it still much larger then the tiny homes showed above.