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Taxes & Mortgages
Creative Construction: The New Phase of American Municipal Finance
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
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
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
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]
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No quick fix to save our cities, so we’d better start now
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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]
Sustainable Cities Collective
What's New on
Kaid Benfield is director of sustainable communities and smart growth at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC. More »
Chris Cheatham is a LEED Accredited Professional and green building authority who frequently speaks to groups and associations. More »
Jared Green is Web Content and Strategy Manager at the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) More »
Rodrigo Herrera Vegas is a writer for for one of Argentina's main newspapers, La Nación, and a radio show host. More »
Warren Karlenzig Warren Karlenzig is the founder and president of Common Current. More »
Geoff Wilkinson is the Vice Chair of the Building Standards Faculty of the Chartered Institute of Building.i More »
Chuck Wolfe Chuck Wolfe is a lawyer, professor, and photographer who blogs at MyUrbanist. More »
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Webinar: ISO 20121 - Sustainability & Event Management
When: Thu, 2012-05-24 08:00
Transformation Through Technology: Delivering Better Public Services
When: Thu, 2012-05-24 08:00
Sustainability and Affordable Housing: an Interactive Charrette
When: Sat, 2012-06-02 11:00
Tourism and Sustainable Futures: Beyond 2015
When: Fri, 2012-06-15 09:00
Public Sector Leadership: driving cultural change
When: Thu, 2012-06-21 14:36
Youth Policy Summit on Urban Sustainability at UC Denver
When: Sun, 2012-06-24 12:00
“Ever since it appeared in The Road. Braddock has been on my radar for some time. They have been working hard up there for a long time. Very good to see the community pushed into the spotlight. Looking forward to watching this series of articles!”
“I don't walk by choice. My vision forced me to give up my car years ago. I won't lie, I miss being able to drive. I hate the bus, though Santa Clara's VTA is one of the best systems in the country. But I am able to get around. And I walk to shop, sometimes as far as 3 miles away. Sometimes I take the bus back, sometimes I just walk back. This changes ...”