Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage
What is the future of suburbia? A freakonomics quorum
Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics (blog at NY Times)
… Several months ago, we ran a quorum here about urbanization, pegged to the fact that more than half of the world’s population now lives in cities. Given the economic changes of the past several months, particularly those in the housing market and in energy prices, it seemed like a good idea to run a new quorum on suburbia, even if it might cover some of the same ground. (Indeed, we even invited two participants from the first quorum to respond to this one as well.) So we gathered up a group of smart people — James Kunstler, Thomas Antus, Jan Brueckner, Gary Gates, John Archer, Alan Berube, and Lawrence Levy — and asked them the following:
What will U.S. suburbs look like in 40 years?
Their answers are informative and often fascinating. As always, Kunstler is vastly entertaining as he advocates what one critic calls “apocalyptic utopianism,” while Antus gets a bit Swiftian on us. Brueckner and Archer are far more measured (and, if I had to lay money on the future, closer to reality)…
(12 August 2008)
Watch where you’re walking (walkability website) (audio, slideshow)
Shawn Allee, Environment Report
Just how easy is it to hoof it in your ‘hood? A Seattle software company called FrontSeat created WalkScore.Com. The programmeers claim the site indicates whether a neighborhood offers residents enough amenities to get out of their cars. They hope people will consider the site’s “walkability” scores when choosing a place to live.
Picking a place to live can be a huge environmental decision. Some people argue if you can walk to everything you need, you’ll stay out of your car, and that will cut air pollution. But how do you compare how ‘walkable’ one place is to another? Shawn Allee looks at a Web site that aims to make that a breeze:
(11 August 2008)
Kunstler: Anti-Urban Bias (audio)
James Howard Kunstler, KunstlerCast via Global Public Media
This installment attempts to explore America’s anti-urban bias. Topics include: environmentalists and the human habitat, suburban-style housing projects in “the ghetto”, white flight, and Alice and Ralph Kramden’s apartment in The Honeymooners tv show. James Howard Kunstler also gives advice to those of us who are required to visit the burbs to see our families.
(14 August 2008)
