This afternoon I was in the kitchen and heard the very distinct sound of a bee swarm outside the window. It’s spring so I immediately thought one of my hives was getting ready to pick up and hit the road. Sometimes bee hives grow very quickly as the queen ramps up production of new … Continue reading Spring Bees
I have an on-going correspondence with a particular city planner who recently asked, “What pushes a neighborhood down vs. what lifts it up?” In the end I suspect this is going to be like the old joke. Ask three rabbis a question and you’ll get five answers. Perhaps I should provide a few examples of popular … Continue reading The Urban Planner’s Dilemma
I’m a longtime advocate of walkable, mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-served neighborhoods. But lately I’ve been having impure thoughts about suburbia. Let me explain. What often passes for a neighborhood in America is a low grade assemblage of chain convenience stores, big box outlets, franchise muffler shops, multi-lane highways, and isolated cul-de-sacs. Even when it’s physically … Continue reading Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Sprawl (Sort of)
NOAA After three years of punishing drought the heavens finally opened up this week and have given us some much needed relief here in California. The rain comes curtesy of a tropical weather system from Hawaii we like to call the Pineapple Express. If we’re lucky we’ll get sufficient snowpack in the mountains this winter … Continue reading Climate Change, Yes and No
I’m in the process of filming a story about a woman who is opening a new business she’s calling the Locastore. Her goal is to provide a high quality alternative to corporate chain convenience stores that can be replicated and scaled up in many other rural communities. She will only be selling items … Continue reading The $100,000 roadside produce stand
The Antelope Valley is a collection of exurban communities in the high desert of eastern Los Angeles County. Many people have relocated to the “AV” in recent years in response to the increasing cost, congestion, and perceived dangers of living “Down Below” in Los Angeles proper. Real estate developers are eager to entice new buyers … Continue reading Antelope Valley, Infrastructure and “Independence”
Granola Shotgun 