The Revitalist

Globe St. reports on a new survey from the Saint Index that indicates that the public is fed up with "development" (via Planetizen). One in five people in the survey say that they opposed development in their community. Not surprisingly, Walmart is a favorite whipping boy, although a majority say that they would support a Walmart in a nearby community, just not theirs. Classic. Seventy-five percent gave their elected officials a grade C or worse on the issue of development, and a whopping 93% said that a candidate's position on development affects their voting decision. The article points out that "political due diligence" could now become just as important a factor for developers as financial feasibility.

I would be interested in seeing a trend like this over a longer period of time. Are people anti-development now because they are genuinely responding to the growth and infrastructure pressures they see around them or is a response to perceived threats resulting from media coverage? Are they really worried about politicians handing out favors because its an issue in their community or because of recent negative press nationally? How much of this is a cyclical response to national or regional growth cycles?  

Planetizen has released their Top 10 Books of 2007 list. Every year they compile a list of the best books published in the planning and urban design fields. The archives of previous years' lists is a great way to beef up your library.

Some good ideas for the planner/urbanist/developer/enthusiast on your holiday list.

Virginia Postrel takes what will surely be an unpopular position in her most recent Atlantic article: In Praise of Chain Stores. She rightly argues that chains are able to bring amenities to a wider range of towns and cities than would otherwise be feasible. But she also suggests that rather than obliterating regional differences, the neutral background of chains allows one to see in greater relief the essential differences that set regions apart. It's an interesting piece. She's such a persuasive writer that she just might make you bite your tongue before you complain about that new Target/Applebees/Best Buy complex.

A recent article from the NY Times on how cities attract the elusive 25-34 year old set has been getting lots of coverage. The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce released a study last week that shows that it is leading the country in attracting and retaining college-educated young people. And as the article points out, "It's a zero-sum game." If they are in your city, the chances are they came from someone else's city.

There's not much new information here, but it does bear repeating. The Y&R like active, diverse and cultural cities. They want places to go out, sporty things to do and community groups to participate in. They want cities where they feel that they can get involved and have an impact. They also want places where they can afford to buy a house and eventually raise a family. They want the option of starting their own businesses and an economy that supports that kind of risk-taking. They want a city with its own unique flavor, which means that there is no recipe for attracting the Y&R:

"The real issue was, is your city open to a set of ideas from young people, and their wish to realize their dream or objective in your city. You could go out and build bike paths, but if that's not what your young people want, it's not going to work." 

The Revitalist will be taking a Thanksgiving vacation this week.

I am thankful for all the smart people out there who are thinking carefully about how to make our cities better places and for the opportunity to participate in that effort. What are you thankful for?

Business Week has complied a list of the 25 Best Affordable Suburbs in the US. And you thought they had gone the way of the dog...

The criteria are affordability (including the illusive starter homes!), proximity of major metro city, safety, cultural offerings, academics, and others. Boston's B.A.S. is Sharon, Mass. With a median home price of $493,900, it's not the most affordable market in the country (by a long shot), but it's pretty good for around here, and the schools are top notch.

The Washington Post has an interesting article on the growing pains of Clarendon, VA (via Planetizen). The town had been known as a quirky urban village that offered a marked contrast to the sprawl surrounding it. The combination of the cosy village feel with the convenience of a 20-minute commute to downtown DC has proved irresistible. Residents and small business owners report that they feel the town is at a crossroads. On the one hand, the presence of a few national retailers attracts more people and the rising tide floats the boutique boats. On the other hand, the attractive climate is drawing more and more national and large retailers and driving up rents and driving out the small guys. Looks like the town government has some tough choices to make...

Let's hope that it works better for them than for Palm Beach, FL. 

The LA Times reports that despite his transit friendly talk, Mayor Villaraigosa rarely actually rides LA's public transportation (via Planetizen). The Mayor is quoted as saying, "You've got to use public transit. You can't keep on pointing to someone else and saying it's their responsibility." But the reality is that the Mayor's main transportation is a police-chauffeured Yukon (certainly not the most eco choice available). Planetizen points out that NYC's Mayor Bloomberg makes a point of riding the subway to work everyday – both leading by example and taking the opportunity to connect with his constituents (voters). Does Menino ride the T to work everyday? How about Daley in Chicago or Williams in DC? If you want the voters to take you seriously as a visionary leader, you've got to show your commitment – actions speak louder than words. And Bloomberg demonstrates that you're also missing out on a valuable political opportunity.

Our fearless leader, Sean McDonnell, will be part of the panel in this afternoon's Town Meeting Plenary session at the Brownfields 2006 conference. The topic is "Rebuilding a Sense of Place" in abandoned and underutilized urban sites. Sean will discuss the Washington Mill Lofts project as an example of how brownfield redevelopment can reactivate part of the urban core and (hopefully) lead to community and economic revitalization. For you NPR junkies out there, the session will be moderated by Ray Suarez, now of The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.

See you there!

Tues, Nov 10th, 4:00-5:15 pm, Boston Convention and Exposition Center.

The LA Times has an interesting article on the increasing amount of design effort spent on rooftops (via Dynamist). With the availability of satellite photos, Google Earth and Microsoft's Virtual Earth, all of a sudden people are looking at your roof. If you're a certain kind of high-profile building, then it's worth paying a little extra for that aerial landmark.