A policy wonk is to government what a nerd is to math and a geek is to computers.
Recent Readings
These are some of the articles I’ve read that have got me thinking recently:
From Car Spaces to People Places: Park(ing) Day is coming to Phoenix
Park(ing) Day is coming to downtown Phoenix on Friday, September 18th, as community activists, neighborhood leaders and urban planners step up to the curb, put a quarter in the meter, and proceed to transform curbside metered parking spots into temporary public parks.
DPJ Article – Behind the Counter: Lindsay Cates at Stinkweeds
Stinkweeds owner Kimber Lanning can often be found in and around the record store, but she relies on a committed staff to keep things humming. One of these people is store manager Lindsay Cates.
Urban Textures
Often unseen and unnoticed, the textures of a city form the backdrop in front of which we conduct our lives.
DPJ Article – New Kids on the Block: Bioscience High School
Rising from the empty lots south of Roosevelt Row, Bioscience High School is an exciting addition to downtown Phoenix.
Placemaking Presentation
Placemaking: creating a sense of place and a place of sense.
DPJ Article – After Hours Creative: Recreating Downtown One Lot at a Time
The After Hours building is the only example of a small-scale, multi-use infill development around Downtown Phoenix.
Books for the Amateur Urbanist
Jane Jacob’s book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, tops the list (fitting as it was itself written by an amateur urbanist)
President Obama on Jane Jacobs
Barack Obama answers a question from a man about urban renewal in Toledo, Ohio on August 31, 2008.