Taxes & Mortgages posts, articles, and infographics

Creative Construction: The New Phase of American Municipal Finance

March 2, 2012 by This Big City
with 219 views

By Theodore BrownSeventy-five years ago, Walker Evans and James Agee published their book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, giving the Depression a composite face: rugged and, while not defeated, profoundly resigned. A portrait of the The Fields, one of the three families that Evans photographed, shows Bud, the father, shirtless and... [read more]

In Washington, Exploring a Sales Tax for BRT Funding

May 18, 2011 by TheCityFix - produced by EMBARQ
with 87 views

The board of directors of C-Tran, the transit agency that serves Clark County in Vancouver, Wash., voted to add a ballot measure for a 0.1 percent sales tax increase to fund the proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) project, the Oregon Live reports. The ballot measure will be up for voting either in the upcoming August or November 2012... [read more]

Michigan Leads the Way

May 13, 2011 by Project for Public Spaces
with 261 views

Placemaking and Place-Based Governance is New, State-Wide Economic Development Strategy Downtown Traverse City, MI in early July during the National Cherry Festival. Image © Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau Interest in the idea of Placemaking and Place-based Governance has been ‘percolating’ around the world during the past... [read more]

What The New Budget Could Mean For The Green Economy

April 6, 2011 by Shari Shapiro
with 153 views

The United States is at a precipice with respect to public motivators for the green economy. Essentially, the carrot of public incentives or investment and the stick of potential mandatory regulation of carbon emissions are slated for elimination at the same time. Although we cannot know what this two part... [read more]

No quick fix to save our cities, so we’d better start now

March 24, 2011 by Donovan Gillman
with 291 views

A piece from THE DAILY MAVERICK , emailed to me by friend highlights how some people are “getting it” as far as the problems with our cities – Ian Ollis seems to be one of them and being a politician, seems to say it well – worth a read - become one of the 4% in the know (read the article!) so we can make a difference — I... [read more]

A budget for cities?

March 23, 2011 by Centre for Cities
with 46 views

In a Budget that was meant to be all about growth, what was in it for the cities that will drive this economic growth? Various national policies will affect different cities, from corporation tax reductions and the Entrepreneurs Relief Scheme to sector specific announcements on manufacturing and green measures. But three policy... [read more]

Homeownership questioned by growing number of skeptics

March 21, 2011 by Maila Klowe
with 83 views

One of the longest standing hallmarks of the "American Dream" is becoming a homeowner. However, a growing number of skeptics are beginning to question whether it is actually a good idea for people to buy a home at all. There is some evidence that could support home-ownership skeptics' argument. Housing prices may not perform that well as... [read more]

The Destiny USA Debacle: Destined for Trouble

March 7, 2011 by Chris Cheatham
with 289 views

I am publishing a series of posts on the Destiny USA Debacle -- the federally sponsored Green Bonds project that has failed to incorporate promised green building features. To read all of the posts at once, select the Destiny USA tag. We have now set the scene for the Destiny USA debacle. The key players have been... [read more]

More on the IRS and the Destiny USA Debacle

February 28, 2011 by Stephen Del Percio
with 318 views

Unless you’re enjoying an extended President’s Day vacation this week, there’s a good chance you’ve already read Rick Moriarty’s fantastic piece from last weekend’s Syracuse Post-Standard about the latest hurdle facing the developer (Robert Congel) of the star-crossed Destiny USA mega-mall project in Syracuse, New York. If that project... [read more]

The Destiny USA Debacle: How Green Building Sausage is Made

February 28, 2011 by Chris Cheatham
with 347 views

I am publishing a series of posts on the Destiny USA Debacle -- the federally sponsored Green Bonds project that has failed to incorporate promised green building features. To read all of the posts, you can select the Destiny USA tag to review all of the published posts on this topic. Or check back later in the week for... [read more]

The Cautionary Tale Of Destiny USA And Green Bonds

February 25, 2011 by Shari Shapiro
with 245 views

I covered the messy breakdown of the Carousel/Destiny USA project in Syracuse on Monday. In short, the Destiny USA project was selected as a green "demonstration" project under the 2004 Green Bonds program. $255 million in tax exempt bonds were issued on behalf of the project, the revenue of which was supposed to be... [read more]

The Destiny USA Debacle: The Biggest Green Building Policy Story to Date

February 24, 2011 by Chris Cheatham
with 364 views

I have been working tirelessly to understand the intricacies of the Destiny USA dispute. It is quite a mind-bender, which I hope to illuminate for you in the coming days. But I am sure of one thing: This is easily the most important green building policy story to date. The dispute centers around a much... [read more]