Canada's Mayors Brace for Election- November 30, 2005 Paul Martin's government officially collapsed yesterday, paving the way for an election scheduled for January 23, 2006. While the issue of the Liberal party's corruption prompted the latest collapse of the minority government and "clean governance" promises to be a consistent campaign theme over the next few weeks, the mayors of Canada's largest cities are taking a proactive approach to make sure that urban interests are served by the next government.One of Martin's accomplishments was the New.http://newurbanist.blogspot.com/2005/11/canadas-mayors-brace-for-election.html China's Cities: A Living Hell- November 30, 2005 Given the recent tragedy in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province where, for five days, the city's water supply has been shut off due to an upstream toxic chemical spill, it might be an important time to point people in the direction of two recent excellent articles on China, environmentalism, and urbanism.As a result of a decade and a half of extensive industrial growth, China's cities are among the most polluted in the world. The lack of strong enforcement of environmental protection, massive urban..http://newurbanist.blogspot.com/2005/11/chinas-cities-living-hell.html When Corporations Build the City- November 29, 2005 "Public-Private Partnerships" are all the rage these days. Municipal governments, strapped for cash and facing crumbling public infrastructure are increasingly looking to private companies to inject much-needed cash into re-development of roads, public transit and sewers.While these arrangements may be convenient--or even unavoidable--for many municipalities, they demand intense public scrutiny given the fact that the financiers have their own interests to look after.Australian MP Malcolm...http://newurbanist.blogspot.com/2005/11/when-corporations-build-city.html Exploring Chicago's Alleys- November 21, 2005 The Chicago Tribune had a great series of articles a couple of weeks ago on the culture of alleys in the city. It was an excellent series that actually explored these spaces as important cultural and economic sites in the social geography of the city. Alleys are one of the most under-appreciated spaces in urban life, and its great to see a mainstream media outlet give them their due!http://newurbanist.blogspot.com/2005/11/exploring-chicagos-alleys.html Redlining Returns to New Orleans- November 21, 2005 The Dallas Morning News has an interesting article on the rebuilding of New Orleans. From the early days of settlement in the city, the Lower Ninth Ward was a cypress swamp that was subject to frequent flooding. Thus, its value as desirable real estate was minimal and it became the most affordable place for the city's historically marginalized populations. The levee projects of the past one hundred years kept it from total destruction--until Katrina. Now, as New Orleans contemplates rebuilding..http://newurbanist.blogspot.com/2005/11/redlining-returns-to-new-orleans.html Tax Reform and Urbanism- November 3, 2005 Earlier this year the US President appointed an advisory panel to offer recommendations for "simplifying" the federal tax structure. On Tuesday, the panel presented its report to Treasury Secretary John Snow.Usually when conservatives like Bush speak of "simplifying" the tax system, it means finding ways to continue to expand income inequality in this country by decreasing the tax burden on the rich and increasing the tax burden on the middle class.In conservative circles there was great hope..http://newurbanist.blogspot.com/2005/11/tax-reform-and-urbanism.html |