Some Links from Planetizen

I just caught up with my Planetizen reading. Here are some of the interesting articles I found.

Portland's streetcars get C-U wheels turning: "If renaissance and streetcar in the same sentence appears to be an overstatement, consider this Portland statistic: The streetcar triggered $1.5 billion in new construction along its line, boosting property taxes 40 percent." The Twin Cities once had an extensive street car system, stretching from Lake Minnetonka in the west to Stillwater in the east. It was ripped up in pique of crony capitalism in the 1950s. We could -- and should -- rebuild it.

Lessons in suburban sprawl: "Laurence Aurbach, a new urbanist and geographer from the University of Maryland, identified key characteristics of the suburban landscape that seemed to abet the sniper and prevent law enforcement from detecting and capturing him." When I first heard about the DC sniper capping people at gas stations, I wondered if he wasn't a pissed-off New Urbanist with a score to settle...

Going for a Sunday Drive. What would Jesus Drive? Christianity as environmental activism. I just think this article is funny.

Island cities planned off Israel's coast: "Two artificial islands, each a square-kilometre in size, could soon be given the go-ahead for construction off Israel's Mediterranean coast. One would house a new international airport, the other a new city of homes and businesses." This reminds me of those crackpot libertarian schemes to build island nations out in the middle of the Caribbean.

Revving Up Their Engines Against SUVs. Describes Arianna Huffington's SUV parody of the government's anti-drug ads which say drug money funds terrorism. You can get much the same effect by purchasing the Thank you for financing global terror sticker.

Twentieth Century Architecture as a Cult by Nikos A. Salingaros. "How does the architectural profession so successfully repel attempts at reform? I believe that the answer is to be found in a system phenomenon. Architecture is a cult..." Salingaros is one of Christopher Alexander's colleagues. [Note: this essay will probably move to http://www.intbau.org/essay3.htm as soon as INTBAU puts up another essay].