« October 10, 2004 - October 16, 2004 | Main | October 24, 2004 - October 30, 2004 »
October 22, 2004
City living holds back aging?
Yes, apparently by 4 to 12 years.
News articles are reporting results of a new study, Suburban sprawl and physical and mental health, from the journal, Public Health. Here's an abstract:
"Sprawl significantly predicts chronic medical conditions and health-related quality of life, but not mental health disorders. An increase in sprawl from one standard deviation less to one standard deviation more than average implies 96 more chronic medical problems per 1000 residents, which is approximately similar to an aging of the population of 4 years."
Based on study results, that means the residents in a community with a suburban density like, but not specifically Riverside, CA will live 12 years less than the residents in an average community with a density like, but not specifically New York City, with 23% less heart disease, 35% less stroke, 16% less physical disability, 20% less arthritis, 6% less diabetes, 3% less asthma/allergies, 30% less emphysema/lung disease, 20% less migraines/chronic headaches, and for goodness sakes, even 8% less cancer. See the study for the full list.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
October 21, 2004
See your home near transit rise in value...
A study shows that demand for compact housing near transit is likely to more than double by 2025. That means you should buy now if you want to benefit from the rise in value your property will enjoy.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Capturing the Demand for Housing Near Transit estimates that more than 14.6 million households will rent and buy housing near transit by 2025, double the number that live in these neighborhoods today. That requires 2,100 new residential units near each of the 3,971 stations in the study. Sure beats seeing another farm or hiking spot go by the wayside, and if done right, see some pretty cool new neighborhoods instead.
The study was sponsored by Reconnecting America's Center for Transit-Oriented Development" and conducted by the Federal Transit Administration.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
October 20, 2004
How do you create a great outdoor place?
Think about what makes a great indoor destination - a memorable, well-defined space, an inspiring creatively-designed room rather than a series of long hallways amid small, compartmentalized spaces. Yet the latter is how most of our streets are designed.
Church Street in Burlington, Vermont is an extremely popular outdoor destination mainly because it doesn't feel like a street. It feels like a grand room. One side is terminated by a grand building, and either side of the streets are alive with unique buildings, trees, and patrons at the outdoor dining rooms.
Now imagine an endless stream of cars zooming down this street. That's the typical city street in the U.S., and why so many people eat at strip malls, fast food joints or in front of their TVs. The good news is cities are realizing how wonderful (translates to profitable) these outdoor rooms can be.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
October 19, 2004
Want to grow your local businesses? Print your own money
Want to build a stronger sense of community? Print your own money.
That's what the people in Burlington, Vermont, and 4000 other communities worldwide (not so sure how accurate that is) are doing. Yes, Burlington Bread is a legal currency, called slices instead of dollars, and in $1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations. Even the City of Burlington is involved in its growth.
Circulation began in 1998, and merchant membership is around 40 or so, with some well-known local venues, like coffeehouses and cafes, doing trial runs. "Slices" can only be spent by merchant members who agree to accept them, and they can't be exchanged for US dollars. There's even an online bank, with checks/credit in the works.
While the concept is great, I would suggest one thing to vastly improve circulation, mainly because I can't see spending any significant dollars at the member merchants, like herbs, house sitting, and massage therapy. I would allow one major merchant to be able to exchange them back into US dollars, and let that be the City Market, the downtown grocery market (and a co-op to boot). I can pretty much guarantee circulation would more than double overnight.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
October 18, 2004
Does affordable housing mean less profitability?
Not at all, but we need to make one distinction - there's a difference between what we perceive affordability and attainability to mean. Affordability often means government subsidy, as in, affordable housing program. People are just a bit edgy about living in anything associated with the words 'government project' - especially if you look at the results.
The closest you'll find today of government subsidy is inclusionary zoning, requiring 15% of all new housing to be a certain % below the median price. Which really isn't much at all, and only two states (Wisconsin, Maryland) have it.
Attainability, however, is to be able to live in your ideal neighborhood, the one you never thought you had enough income for. For the creative class, that means places like Manhattan, San Francisco, Boulder... Affordable? No way. Attainable? Yes. It may mean smaller units and/or shared housing with multiple bedrooms and no backyard, but it also means having better restaurants, cafes, coffeehouses, nighlife, parks, workplaces and mobility freedom as a result.
We just need to build more of them attractively.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
