Nashville Scene’s Post

My latest Philadelphia Inquirer story

A fascinating article on shade as a civic resource. "Yet cultural values complicate the provision of shade. Los Angeles is a low-rise city whose residents prize open air and sunshine. They show up at planning meetings to protest tall buildings that would block views or darken sunbathing decks, and police urge residents in high-crime neighborhoods to cut down trees that hide drug dealing and prostitution. Shade trees are designed out of parks to discourage loitering and turf wars, and designed off streets where traffic engineers demand wide lanes and high visibility. Diffuse sunlight is rare in many parts of Los Angeles. You might trace this back to a cultural obsession with shadows and spotlights, drawing a line from Hollywood noir — in which long shadows and unlit corners represent the criminal underworld — to the contemporary politics of surveillance. The light reveals what hides in the dark." https://lnkd.in/gQ5euEJx #urbanplanning #urbanism

Let's be clear, Melrose Ave. hasn't been cool since the TV series started all those decades ago. Rents immediately soared, tourists from far away descended like locusts and the cops, egged on by the locals dying of AIDS, started giving tickets to everyone to line city coffers. Almost overnight, kids couldn't afford it; which is how Fairfax had its short spot in the sun. Now, Cantor's Deli is barely hanging on even though they own their very dilapidated building which would've been condemned years ago if it wasn't so culturally important. Most of the buildings are in such poor condition, they're best suited for demolition and the area is well-suited for high-density low-income residential apartment blocks; something progressives want everywhere they don't live. I haven't specifically sought out the street since the 20th century. Also ignored, is the hard reality that LA has very few native white teenagers anymore, especially anywhere near that street and the locals who control the dirt there have zero interest in creating a zone popular among teenagers of color regardless of their liberal politics. Like many things in LA which were once great, its long entered the history books and will not be returning. No worries, the far western edges of Melrose near the Pacific Design Center are a plutocrats paradise if you're into Stella McCartney and other 5-figure designers per piece. Teenagers will not be allowed in by the very large security men of color carrying firearms stationed at every door. This is what "inclusion" looks like in LA these days. https://lnkd.in/gfc8pqhX

ADVANCING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES: REVITALIZING BROADWAY IN LEMON GROVE: A VISION FOR THE FUTURE East County Magazine - David R. Shorey This effort is aligned with the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. CPTED is a multi-disciplinary approach to crime prevention that uses urban and architectural design and the management of built and natural environments. Strategies aim to reduce the number of crime victims, deter people from committing criminal acts, and build a sense of community among inhabitants so they can have increased awareness of what’s happening in their neighborhoods, reduce crime, and minimize fear of crime.  USCPTED.com #USCA #CPTED https://lnkd.in/eivCXDhZ

Strong and recognisable brand design is the result of well-executed creative, strategic planning, and imaginative thinking.

I think a lot about streets: how people use their sidewalks and vehicle lanes; how they hold and manage infrastructure like SWM and utilities; and when the transitions like curbs work or stymie people. Is it time to re-think the curb lane? Can adjusting this detail of the streetscape give us big returns in transforming attitudes from vehicle-centric streets to people-centric streets? https://lnkd.in/epJV727W

E. 34th Street , New York

🌐 Dive into the discussions from the 7th #Melbourne Forum, shedding light on the need to review #constitutions in light of contemporary realities. Explore the challenges and opportunities for real and impactful representation in the 21st century. 📺 https://buff.ly/45zC3VZ

🌐 Dive into the discussions from the 7th #Melbourne Forum, shedding light on the need to review #constitutions in light of contemporary realities. Explore the challenges and opportunities for real and impactful representation in the 21st century. 📺 https://buff.ly/45zC3VZ

"Who owns the streets? The public right of way can occupy as much as one-third of the land in big U.S. cities, and various residents have begun to ask if there might be better things to do with all that territory than moving and storing cars. In New York City, where space is at a particular premium, the possibilities of reusing street space have fueled recent policy debates over outdoor dining, bus lanes, trash pickup, public space and street vendors. This reappraisal is underway in cities across the country. Atlanta has driven a 12-foot-wide, two-way protected bike lane right through downtown. Cincinnati used Covid recovery money to close streets and help scores of businesses open outdoor dining patios. San Francisco held a citywide vote to close Golden Gate Park’s main road to cars. And Washington, D.C., is preparing to redesignone of the country’s most iconic thoroughfares, the eight-lane Pennsylvania Avenue, with more trees, wider sidewalks and potentially no private car traffic at all." from: https://lnkd.in/emDZmjzJ