The Vote Rocked Me
I arrived at my polling place this morning, not knowing what kind of scene to expect.
After days of TV images of snaking lines,...
Considering the Role of Density in Sustainable Development
Later this week, I am going to be participating with my friend David Dixon and marketing whiz Laurie Volk in a seminar on development...
Native Alaskans See Walrus Harvest Disappear with Sea Ice
Hunting walrus is an age-old tradition, part of the rhythm of life, for the native people of King Island, a tiny rugged island in...
Are Big-Box Stores a Good Measure of Equity?
It’s been cause for celebration here in the DC region, and rightfully so, that suburban Prince George’s County, Maryland, has a new, high-end Wegmans...
Frayed Democratic Fabric? Try Tissue of Lies
In his post today on Rooflines, my colleague Matthew Hersh lays out the “What If” scenarios aswirl in the zeitgeist in the weeks leading...
What Does the Push for Transit Oriented Development Mean For Rural Areas?
The affordable housing world is paying attention to the connection between housing costs and transportation costs, and that’s a good...
Katrina Documentary Gets Distribution in Wake of Gustav
Fortunately, Hurricane Gustav did not turn out to be another Katrina.
But as major storms go, it appears mild only by comparison. After Gustav,...
Conversation Starter
How do we take care of our own? It’s a deceptively simple question that’s so fraught with contention in the American public discourse that...
Ferguson and Reparations
Shortly after the signing of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, the bill enacting redress and reparations for the internment of Japanese Americans, there was an editorial cartoon in my local newspaper. There were two Native Americans. One was reading a newspaper. The newspaper had a headline that read “Japanese Americans to get $20,000 each.” […]
New York City Needs to Stop Negotiating Rezonings From an Uneven Playing Field
What is the underlying dynamic that leads so many council members in low-income communities of color to approve neighborhood rezonings, despite community opposition and the likelihood of increased displacement pressure on existing residents?
Keeping an Optimistic, Yet Watchful Eye on the Ball
It looks like President Obama and his administration kept most of the great ideas explored with the Grow America Act, last year's transportation initiative. The total investment is increased to $478 billion and expanded to six years in the latest iteration of the budget released yesterday. A few of the best pieces for low-income communities […]
Affordable Housing Advocates Need to be Strong TOD Advocates
The Red Line Transit Project is a proposed 14.1-mile light rail line designed to connect approximately 55,000 daily riders...
In Spite of HUD, Fair Housing Process Can Help Communities
Last year, Philadelphia was one of the first cohorts to go through the AFFH process, a fair housing assessment mandated by HUD to discover...
As Cities Prosper, Poor People Relocate to Suburbs
The number of low-income people living in suburbs increased 67 percent between 2000 and 2011, altering longstanding perceptions of...
Bostic on Green Finance: Investing in Sustainable Outcomes
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has posted a brief, informative interview with Raphael Bostic, HUD Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, on...
National Train Day (Trainiacs Unite!)
I thought this was an interesting tidbit: in an effort to highlight trains as convenient, energy efficient, environmentally sound ways to travel, Amtrak will...
Immigration and Community Development Corporations
How do CDCs transform—or not—along with the communities they serve?
Have Yourself a Merry TRANSIT Xmas!
I’ve posted a bunch of great transit holiday photos over on my NRDC site. Please check them out, and happy holidays!
photo here of...
Reintroducing America to Itself
Tonight, the first evening of the Democratic convention, America was reintroduced to its grass roots. Some memorable moments:
Jimmy Carter addressed the hall via video...
The Real Problem with the Model Minority Myth
There is a Time article—“The Real Problem When It Comes to Diversity and Asian-Americans“—that has been making the rounds on the Internet. As a card-carrying member of the Model Minority Myth Busters club, I am sympathetic with author Jack Linshi’s piece in that it seeks to discredit model minority mythology. However, there are a couple […]