Gas prices are up. People are turning to transit in record numbers these days. But as you probably know, not everyone has access to a decent public transportation system, and many current systems are woefully underfunded or neglected, much like the rest of our national infrastructure. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) sent … Continued
I quickly mentioned the Capitol Hill policy briefing on Growing Cooler that was put on by the Urban Land Institute and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute a few weeks ago. SGA’s Geoff Anderson joined authors Steve Winkelman, Reid Ewing, and others in a discussion on where we live and how much we have to … Continued
If once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and thrice a trend, where are we now? More evidence continues to roll in that the high costs of fuel are pressing more and more Americans towards making lifestyle changes to reduce their consumption. Two stories over the weekend, one in the New York Times and … Continued
SGA communications director David Goldberg appeared on KGO in the San Francisco Bay Area last night, discussing how America is fundamentally changing in light of rising gas prices — as well as a plethora of other factors and trends all converging at the same time. People have been coming back in [to cities] for the … Continued
While we hope that Congress passes a global warming bill with a hard cap on emissions (cap-and-trade) to limit our overall emissions and incentivize even more reductions, people are beginning to realize that much of the power and leadership required to fight global warming will come at the state, regional, and local level. Consider this … Continued
Gov. Glendening recently gave a keynote address at the EcoCity World Summit a few weeks ago in San Francisco. The EcoCity World Summit is one of the most exciting, innovative events in discussion solutions for making our towns and cities better, more sustainable places to live. The summit brings together the many leaders and innovators … Continued
A few months ago, I was in Baltimore for a summit conducted by the Regional Plan Association on the Northeast Megaregion maintaining its economic competitiveness while addressing climate change. Rep. Earl Blumenauer had one bit of narrative that stuck with me about our nation’s history of rising to the challenge of infrastructure with visionary plans … Continued
Colbert: “I have no oil dilemma. I go to the gas station, I pay money, they put gas in my car. What’s the dilemma?” Kunstler: “You’re probably one of these people who thinks that the world has a creamy nougat center of oil, but it doesn’t.” Video from Comedy Central.
How can we cut our emissions, fuel consumption, while also reducing congestion and providing more space for jobs and housing? The US EPA’s smart growth office released a new study (5 mb pdf) examining the impact that good infill development can have on reducing transportation demand and lowering emissions. In some ways, this study picks … Continued
In this entry from Greater Greater Washington — one of my daily must-reads here about DC growth and urbanism issues — he digs up a 12-year-old op-ed from Russell Baker in the New York Times about the pain of rising gas prices. (Back when they were spiking over a dollar:) Sure I’m mad about the … Continued