ByShareAre economic development megadeals worth the price—and the risk? With cities trying to outbid each other for , it’s worth examining potential cautionary tales.the recent Foxconn deal in Wisconsin, a blockbuster, multibillion-dollar investment in bringing more manufacturing to the state, is indicative of the sad state of big-ticket economic development deals, and even more tragic in light of the cheaper, more effective options available.“Cities feel like there’s no alternative,” says Greg LeRoy, executive director of , a Washington, D.C., policy center that promotes accountability in...…ByShareAre economic development megadeals worth the price—and the risk? With cities trying to outbid each other for , it’s worth examining potential cautionary tales.the recent Foxconn deal in Wisconsin, a blockbuster, multibillion-dollar investment in bringing more manufacturing to the state, is indicative of the sad state of big-ticket economic development deals, and even more tragic in light of the cheaper, more effective options available.“Cities feel like there’s no alternative,” says Greg LeRoy, executive director of , a Washington, D.C., policy center that promotes accountability in...WW…

Filed under:The idea is gaining traction on the WestsideDel Rey resident Matt Wersinger says he tries to walk around the block with his wife and daughter daily.It’s a simple activity, but one that can be tricky and stressful to accomplish while obeying orders from public health officials to keep at least six feet apart from others .“We walk around our neighborhood and we see there’s not enough room for people to pass each other,” Wersinger says.Wersinger, who chairs the Del Rey Neighborhood Council, suggests a simple solution to this problem: Close certain streets to cars, and open them up...…Filed under:The idea is gaining traction on the WestsideDel Rey resident Matt Wersinger says he tries to walk around the block with his wife and daughter daily.It’s a simple activity, but one that can be tricky and stressful to accomplish while obeying orders from public health officials to keep at least six feet apart from others .“We walk around our neighborhood and we see there’s not enough room for people to pass each other,” Wersinger says.Wersinger, who chairs the Del Rey Neighborhood Council, suggests a simple solution to this problem: Close certain streets to cars, and open them up...WW…

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our . Please also read our and , which became effective December 20, 2019.By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.I Accept☰×Now more than before, it makes the city’s heinous income gap painfully evidentOn April 7, local resident Jack Dorsey—the cofounder and CEO of publicly traded Twitter and Square, and...…We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our . Please also read our and , which became effective December 20, 2019.By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.I Accept☰×Now more than before, it makes the city’s heinous income gap painfully evidentOn April 7, local resident Jack Dorsey—the cofounder and CEO of publicly traded Twitter and Square, and...WW…

Filed under:During what would have been Masters week, most Atlanta links (but not all) have closed to fight coronavirus pandemicThe vast majority of sports encourage the clumping together of humans, fighting over balls, tackling opponents by their appendages, and, generally speaking, groping others.Not golf.As this Masters week typically reminds us, the sport thrives on casual meandering and a series of tactful swings, courteous nods, and hushed clapping—perhaps apt activities during a public health crisis like modern America has never seen.That being the case, one of Atlanta’s premier golf...…Filed under:During what would have been Masters week, most Atlanta links (but not all) have closed to fight coronavirus pandemicThe vast majority of sports encourage the clumping together of humans, fighting over balls, tackling opponents by their appendages, and, generally speaking, groping others.Not golf.As this Masters week typically reminds us, the sport thrives on casual meandering and a series of tactful swings, courteous nods, and hushed clapping—perhaps apt activities during a public health crisis like modern America has never seen.That being the case, one of Atlanta’s premier golf...WW…

There is a certain formula for what constitutes good urbanism that is so set it has become a meme: density, walkability, and good, equitable transit. From the New Urbanist dogmas of the 1990s, which brought us the marriage of postmodern architecture with planned communities featuring walkable downtowns, to the newer, more online hotspots like the Facebook group New Urbanist Memes for Transit Oriented Teens, there is a consensus that densely developed cities with multimodal transportation are right for our planet. Almost all urbanists believe in combating sprawl and its undesirable effects,...…There is a certain formula for what constitutes good urbanism that is so set it has become a meme: density, walkability, and good, equitable transit. From the New Urbanist dogmas of the 1990s, which brought us the marriage of postmodern architecture with planned communities featuring walkable downtowns, to the newer, more online hotspots like the Facebook group New Urbanist Memes for Transit Oriented Teens, there is a consensus that densely developed cities with multimodal transportation are right for our planet. Almost all urbanists believe in combating sprawl and its undesirable effects,...WW…

Filed under:Now more than before, it makes the city’s heinous income gap painfully evidentOn April 7, local resident Jack Dorsey—the cofounder and CEO of publicly traded Twitter and Square, and —.Generosity like this—plus his hyper-success story and —is why Dorsey is “adored” by his employees, fellow celebrities, and the public at large, as Vanity Fair’s Nick Bilton wrote, but it’s also a critique. Among the flaws and contradictions in American society made glaring by the novel coronavirus pandemic is the enormous gap between what the public needs and what the government can provide, a...…Filed under:Now more than before, it makes the city’s heinous income gap painfully evidentOn April 7, local resident Jack Dorsey—the cofounder and CEO of publicly traded Twitter and Square, and —.Generosity like this—plus his hyper-success story and —is why Dorsey is “adored” by his employees, fellow celebrities, and the public at large, as Vanity Fair’s Nick Bilton wrote, but it’s also a critique. Among the flaws and contradictions in American society made glaring by the novel coronavirus pandemic is the enormous gap between what the public needs and what the government can provide, a...WW…

Deep dives on cities, architecture, design, real estate, and urban planning.A dozen cars idle in standstill traffic on a dark winter morning; the rain and the quivering reflections of headlights on a wet street are the only signs of movement. A red light turns green. The line doesn’t budge.The back-to-back vehicles are waiting for a slow-moving train to cross this main artery of Portland’s morning commute along the west side of the Willamette River.I’m pacing and stretching next to traffic; the train has blocked my running route. I can’t see the faces of drivers through the rain, but the...…Deep dives on cities, architecture, design, real estate, and urban planning.A dozen cars idle in standstill traffic on a dark winter morning; the rain and the quivering reflections of headlights on a wet street are the only signs of movement. A red light turns green. The line doesn’t budge.The back-to-back vehicles are waiting for a slow-moving train to cross this main artery of Portland’s morning commute along the west side of the Willamette River.I’m pacing and stretching next to traffic; the train has blocked my running route. I can’t see the faces of drivers through the rain, but the...WW…

Filed under:“Maybe the reason NIMBY-flavored arguments remain so entrenched in the region is that, in a frustrating twist, sometimes NIMBYs are right”Those who push for more housing development in San Francisco—from politicians and developers to economists and academics—present a simple, time-tested argument: If you want to lower housing prices, then build more housing. It’s all about supply and demand, the simplest market principle, right?Not so fast.In the Bay Area, an oft-cited contra-hypothesis holds that you’ll never lower home prices by building more—at least not at market rates ( in...…Filed under:“Maybe the reason NIMBY-flavored arguments remain so entrenched in the region is that, in a frustrating twist, sometimes NIMBYs are right”Those who push for more housing development in San Francisco—from politicians and developers to economists and academics—present a simple, time-tested argument: If you want to lower housing prices, then build more housing. It’s all about supply and demand, the simplest market principle, right?Not so fast.In the Bay Area, an oft-cited contra-hypothesis holds that you’ll never lower home prices by building more—at least not at market rates ( in...WW…

Filed under:It comes with a circular drivewayAtop the Oakland Hills sits this clearly contemporary abode that once housed living legend Kevin Durant, former player for the (struggling) Golden State Warriors.The home, which he rented, is now listed off-market for a cool $5,998,888Featuring seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and an ample 9,084 square feet, is practically a mansion (usually any pad measuring 10,000 square feet or more gets the arbitrary manse moniker, but who’s counting?). This sprawling home comes with floor-to-ceiling windows, an in-home theater, a curbed staircase (leading to...…Filed under:It comes with a circular drivewayAtop the Oakland Hills sits this clearly contemporary abode that once housed living legend Kevin Durant, former player for the (struggling) Golden State Warriors.The home, which he rented, is now listed off-market for a cool $5,998,888Featuring seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and an ample 9,084 square feet, is practically a mansion (usually any pad measuring 10,000 square feet or more gets the arbitrary manse moniker, but who’s counting?). This sprawling home comes with floor-to-ceiling windows, an in-home theater, a curbed staircase (leading to...WW…

Every product is independently selected by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn New York a commission.It’s not quite the prairie, but Hoboken feels downright roomy. Wander down the wide, busy sidewalks of Washington Street, the city’s main strip, past the poke joints and (so-so) bagel shops, or through the unusually narrow side streets that run east and west, and one thing becomes clear. Specifically, oncoming traffic. A pedestrian doesn’t have to play the same perilous game of New York City crosswalk chicken, where you squint through the windows of a massive metal box to...…Every product is independently selected by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn New York a commission.It’s not quite the prairie, but Hoboken feels downright roomy. Wander down the wide, busy sidewalks of Washington Street, the city’s main strip, past the poke joints and (so-so) bagel shops, or through the unusually narrow side streets that run east and west, and one thing becomes clear. Specifically, oncoming traffic. A pedestrian doesn’t have to play the same perilous game of New York City crosswalk chicken, where you squint through the windows of a massive metal box to...WW…