These are highly educated well paid workers at a San Francisco tech company. They’re mostly young. Some are single. Some are newly coupled. Some are married with young children. There are exceptions, but they tend to want to live in a vibrant urban neighborhood with a short commute rather than a distant suburb. Some enjoy … Continue reading Finally! Great New Affordable Bay Area Housing!
If you want to travel between San Francisco and the nearby town of Sausalito you can certainly drive. Many people do. But traffic is miserable and parking at either end is frustrating. Fortunately, it’s entirely possible to ride a bicycle over the Golden Gate Bridge. An entire ecosystem of small companies has sprung up to … Continue reading The Infrastructure Cult
Google Google . Here’s an intersection in unincorporated Sonoma County about an hour and a half north of San Francisco. It’s not exactly urban. But it’s a little too developed to be truly rural. Yet there’s enough productive farm land that it isn’t entirely suburban either. It’s a mixed bag. . . . These vacant … Continue reading “Economic Development”
Our current national conversation pits suburbia against the urban core. Big box stores against Main Street. Cars against transit. Single family homes against apartments. This is a false choice. The way things play out over time might surprise everyone – including me. So I want to look to the past to get a vague outline of … Continue reading History Doesn’t Necessarily Repeat, But It Rhymes
As a San Franciscan I get a lot of raised eyebrows when I mention that I recently bought property in Cincinnati. “Huh?” Then I walk them through it. Here’s the mom and pop business district along Hamilton Avenue in the Northside neighborhood during a recent Summer Streets event. This is a classic 1890’s Norman Rockwell … Continue reading Low Hanging Fruit
Shopping mall developers are exceptionally good at what they do. They’ve spent the last few generations refining all the little design elements that make a place profitable for retail trade. Their buildings go up fast, return a profit for investors, generate tax revenue for local government, and create jobs. That’s why the same big box … Continue reading The Barlow
Check out this photo of an old discount bakery and it’s little parking lot. How much affection do you feel towards this place? Does it give you the warm fuzzies? How about this parking lot with its chain link fence? Is your spirit uplifted by the little colored flags on the razor wire? What do … Continue reading The Rise and Fall and Rise of Urban Infill
Google “Social engineering.” I hear this term a lot. It’s used by people to describe any policy they don’t like. Most recently it came up in a radio interview about water conservation here in California. It’s been a hot topic since the governor declared a statewide water emergency with a mandatory 25% reduction in usage. … Continue reading Drought and “Social Engineering”
There’s currently a lot of talk about why so many towns, counties, and states are going broke. “Teachers are getting paid way too much.” “Cops and fire fighters have extravagant pensions.” “It’s waste, fraud, and abuse.” “It’s welfare queens.” “It’s immigrants.” “It’s the Democrats.” “It’s the Republicans.” But here’s the truth. Even if you fired … Continue reading Municipal Solvency: How to Not Go Broke
I’m a huge fan of the city of Cincinnati. I love the magnificent architecture, the cool people, and the gorgeous natural beauty that surrounds the city. And I’m incredibly excited that many of the best historic neighborhoods are beginning to come back to life after a fifty year slumber brought on by middle class exodus … Continue reading Revitilization in Walnut Hills, Cincinnati
Granola Shotgun 