I have long touted the sports strategy that Indianapolis used to revitalize its downtown as a model for cities to follow in terms of strategy led economic and community development. I really think it sets the benchmark in terms of how to do it, and it has been very successful. Indy is hosting the Super Bowl on Sunday, something that is locally seen as a sort of crowning achievement of the 40 year sports journey. As part of that, the Indianapolis Star and public TV station WFYI produced an hour long documentary on the journey called "Naptown … [Read more...]
The Case for Quality of Space
Last November I was privileged to be able to speak at a community conversation event in Franklin, Indiana - a town of about 25,000 people south of Indianapolis that is an old county seat on the edge of suburban expansion - sponsored by Indiana Humanities and Ball State University's Bowen Center for Public Affairs. The topic of the evening was quality of space and what, if anything, Franklin should do in this area. There had recently been some big disputes over downtown redevelopment projects I believe. I gave a talk that set the stage for … [Read more...]
Indiana’s Bridge Deal Boondoggle, Part 4 – A Better Plan
In the first three parts of this series, I discussed how Indiana so badly botched its negotiation with Kentucky on the Louisville bridges project that its share of the project went up by $200 million at the same time the total project declined in cost by $1.5 billion, how this will result in $432 million being drained out of regular highway funds to cover a resulting tolling gap, how tolling likely results in Indiana paying even more, and the significant risks Indiana has taken on by agreeing to build a tunnel in Kentucky. Amazing as it sounds, … [Read more...]
Indiana’s Bridge Deal Boondoggle, Part 3 – INDOT’s Mini-Big Dig
In previous installments in this series I highlighted how Indiana managed to increase its share of the Louisville bridges project by $200 million even as it bragged that the total price tag had gone down by $1.5 billion, how this led directly to Indiana having to allocate $432 million in regular highway funds to the project, and how tolling puts Indiana at significant risk of paying an even greater share of the project. Today I'll highlight how Indiana is stepping into a potential quagmire by agreeing to take responsibility for building a … [Read more...]
Indiana’s Bridge Deal Boondoggle, Part 2: Hoosiers to Pay Even More With Tolling
In part one of this series I examined how Indiana managed to give away $1.7 billion to the state of Kentucky in renegotiating the project cost split for the Ohio River Bridges Project at Louisville. Despite a series of scope changes that reduced total cost by $1.5 billion, Indiana's share of the cost actually went up by nearly $200 million. Some might object that the project cost split is essentially meaningless because the project will be funded via tolling in a public-private partnership like the Toll Road deal. Unfortunately, this is not … [Read more...]
Indiana’s Bridge Deal Boondoggle, Part 1: A Financial Fiasco
- Indiana gives away $1.7 billion to Kentucky - - Indiana's costs up by $200 million while total project costs decline by $1.5 billion - - $432 million diverted from other projects to close funding gap recreated by Indiana's botched negotiators - - Tolling likely to mean Indiana pays well over half the project - - Indiana potentially exposed to major risk by agreeing to build a tunnel in Kentucky through Louisville's most affluent suburb that the state has no expertise to construct -I've noted before how the Indiana Toll Road lease was a … [Read more...]
Review: Urbanized – A Film by Gary Hustwit
Urbanized is the third entry in Gary Hustwit's so-called "Design Trilogy," the first of which was Helvetica (which I saw and enjoyed greatly) and Objectified (which I have not yet seen). Because I liked Helvetica so much and because of the hype surrounding this film in the urbanist community, I was really looking forward to seeing it. Alas, Urbanized turned out to be a disappointment. This is a weak film that did not in my view measure up to Helvetica. Here are a few reasons why. 1. No narrative or thematic coherence. Urbanized consists of a … [Read more...]
The Gated City
Update: Ryan posted a reply to some of the points I raise here. It's definitely worth reading. The Gated City is a mini-ebook by Ryan Avent that makes the case for removing restrictions on densification in cities. In addition to being a left-leaning economist, Avent is also a journalist who is an editor at the Economist magazine and a principal contributor to its Free Exchange blog. Avent's journalism skills make him one of the more articulate and easy to read economists out there. This book brings Avent's signature readability to the … [Read more...]
The Cost of Congestion, The Value of Transit
Last week the Texas Transportation Institute released the 2011 edition of its benchmark Urban Mobility Report. It is packed full of useful statistics about roadway networks, congestion, and public transit, though is not without its critics (see below). I'd like to highlight some of the more interesting findings out of this. The Value of Transit One of the values TTI estimates is the number of additional hours of delay each peak hour commuter would incur annual if public transportation were discontinued. In effect, this is one key benefit to … [Read more...]
Globalization and the Airport
I had originally planned to position this as a day late and dollar short review of Greg Lindsay's book Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next. Yet I think in a way the title misleads. The word "aerotropolis" conjures up dull visions of depressing airport development, security lines, and power points at conferences. But what Lindsay has done with this book is really something much bigger: He has told the story of globalization as seen through the lens of the airport. Because of that, the book isn't entirely convincing. Air travel and shipping … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- …
- 32
- Next Page »