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On Is Local News Over?
In the United States, we have some hyperlocal news sites that have been replacing newspapers, but their quality isn't always the best.
On Paula Scher’s Paintings of Distortions
Maps may also show the worldviews of their authors by having a fixed center. For example, pre-Columbian Mayan maps and older European maps had a "center of the world;" more recent maps do not.
On The Job Creating Potential of Local Food Systems
You mentioned that there are social equity issues involved in the pay that food system workers receive. However, there are also equity issues in the way the food is distributed (and the types of food that are produced).
To what extent would you say that the local food movement is committed to providing produce for low-to-middle-income people (whose numbers have grown during the recession)?
On Why Communities Should Care about “Third Places”
Chuck, thanks for posting the link to your article on third places in Seattle. You raised some interesting points.
I'd encourage other readers of this article to check out the link above.
On Why Communities Should Care about “Third Places”
I've seen some signs that adding third places can increase the value of property in a neighborhood.
It would be interesting to compare the results of homegrown third places - like the outdoor neighborhood-run cafe in Springfield, MA which was featured in an article a while ago - to Starbucks or Panera.
There's sometimes a misconception that all of the signs of gentrification are disadvantages. But I'd say that having resources like this can be an asset to the community.
Different types of cafes and community centers will have varying effects on the neighborhood.
On Making Big Box Stores Part of the Urban Fabric
The Trader Joe's business model is interesting. Workers are treated more fairly there than at some other stores. Trader Joe's is a large-scale chain, but is running some aspects of its business more sustainably than the competition. Maybe this is a question of how a business behaves rather than how big it is.