Tag Archives: sprawl
More beneficial use of highway money
Late in 2013 a brand new interstate highway interchange opened along I-96 at Latson Road near Howell, Michigan. The cost of this single, basic “diamond-shaped” interchange was $32 million dollars. While many people in suburban Livingston County are probably thrilled with a … Continue reading
Reenergizing first-tier suburbs
While there is generally more press about the decline of many of our post-industrial cities, there are a number of first-tier suburbs that struggle economically as well. In fact, as many older inner cities have seen a millennial generation revival, … Continue reading
“Borderline states” – largest percentage of out-of-state workers
The following “borderline states” lead the nation in the percentage of their work force who live in another state. The District of Columbia is an obvious location commuting from out of the district and into the City of Washington. Likewise, … Continue reading
Islands of sanity amid sprawl schlock
Despite seas of commercial and residential sprawl in many parts of suburban Detroit, there are a few places of sane, sensible, and progressive planning that stand out as beacons of hope. Probably the most obvious of these dichotomies is just … Continue reading
Your community is a “sprawl blob” when…
Here is the sixth in this satirical series. You’re know your community is an urban “sprawl blob” that’s visible from outer space when… You cannot tell when you have arrived or when you have left. There is no “there,” there. … Continue reading
The mega-commuting states
Below is a list of those states/territories with the highest percentage of 60 minute plus commuters (one-way). Having done that myself for two years in the mid-1990s, I can personally attest to how much time, effort, energy, and dollars such … Continue reading
Get off your duff and walk!
It is amazing how many people feel the need to park in the front row or the closest parking spaces to an entrance that are available, when just a bit of walking could be beneficial to their general health. Doesn’t … Continue reading
A spiraling saunter of megacity Delhi
Last night, I completed the 2009 book entitled Delhi, Adventures in a Megacity by author and journalist Sam Miller. The book literally presents a step-by-step overview of this huge metropolis, its storied past, its challenging present, and its potential for the future. … Continue reading
Exit ramp academic epidemic
Drive past or through nearly any population center these days and you are likely to observe America’s epidemic of exit ramp academic institutions situated on prime real estate aside the highway. The University of Phoenix is probably the best known of these entities nationally, but they … Continue reading