Sustainable Tourism en masse: Huatulco’s Attempt
On the final military checkpoint of my trip, the camouflaged officers asked me a familiar set of questions, starting with, “De donde viene?” Where are you coming from? I’m from Santa Barbara,...
View ArticleRecreating the Creative Industry in New Orleans
After Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, there seemed to be hundreds, if not thousands, of proposed solutions to the “problem” of New Orleans. Some argued that the city should be relocated to higher...
View ArticleDelivering Good News on the Stork
Despite horrific recent images of oil-soaked pelicans, the Southeast can boast a conservation bright spot — the ongoing recovery of the endangered American wood stork. After decades of threat from...
View ArticleBuilding Cities With Sustainability in Mind
A leading ecologist says if we want to build sustainable cities, we need to start with our money on our minds, and our minds in the gutter. William Patrick Lucey, an aquatic ecologist and special...
View ArticleBill Gates’ Solar-Powered Toilets
Bill Gates wants to potty train the world on solar-powered toilets. The developing world, specifically, where 2.6 billion people lack access to modern toilets connected to advanced sanitation...
View ArticleWhy Chess Should Be Required in U.S. Schools
Rook to B8. Checkmate. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of defeating a worthy opponent in a game of chess: the ultimate battle of the wits. Of course, it’s not a feeling I have very often, since...
View ArticleGirl Scouts Add ‘Game Developer’ Badge, Video Games Still Sexist
The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles and Women in Games International are teaming up to create a new badge for girl scouts: video game development. From Girl Gamer: “Our ultimate goal is to create a...
View ArticleIs California About to Embark on a Gigantic New Experiment in Public Education?
The most compelling debate in the global poverty world over the past several years has revolved around whether simply transferring cash to the needy, without conditions, works better than delivering...
View ArticlePeople Develop, Not Places
“People Develop, Not Places” is an odd tagline for a geographer. I picked it up from economist Michael Clemens. Place-centric thinking hinders economic development policy. Clemens and Lant Pritchett...
View ArticleTrust in Cities
New towns are better than old towns. New towns aren’t saddled with legacy costs yet. Cheaper land attracts people and businesses priced out of London. The Economist lists price point as the primary...
View ArticleFailure of Place and Economic Development
With no conference field trips on Monday, I sat through a full day of sessions on various talent migration sub-topics. The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) stressed four themes, or...
View ArticleTransit Oriented Boondoggle: The Problem With Detroit's Streetcar System
I had no idea what the term "transit oriented development" meant. The mayor and the city council members asked me a number of questions about urban planning and zoning. I fumbled T.O.D. I did well...
View ArticleMigration and Development in an Age of Growing Economic Inequality
I’m back home from the “Reinventing Older Communities: Bridging Growth & Opportunity” conference in Philadelphia. I have copious notes from the sessions I attended. In the coming days, I’ll archive...
View ArticleWhat’s the Legacy of the 2010 World Cup?
The events and venues of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa often seemed like one continuous billboard of logos from both FIFA and its corporate partners—not surprising given that the mega-bucks...
View ArticleShould the One Percent Stop Hoarding So Much Cash?
For the generation that survived the Great Depression, storing greenback bills in a mattress rather than putting money in the bank may have made sense. Cold, hard cash, after all, didn’t depend on...
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