The American Abroad

I've enjoyed reading Ethan's musings: Travel, Relationships, and the New Twenty, including lots of Olympics coverage.

News

Two news items of interest: latest on programs to encourage green roofs in NYC (NYT), and article on neglected (city-owned?) property in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Daily News) - Mentions new construction and farmers market in the area (my friend Devanie, of the Brooklyn Rescue Mission is coordinating a nearby farmers market once a week).

Cool map

cool overlay of historical maps over google maps

Google Mapping

Brooklyn Mugging Map and Discussion

2007 Crime Mapfrom NY Magazine and discussion

And a newspaper article on the trend, from the UK Daily Mail

The Kitchen Sink Post

This is the kitchen sink post. It's the place I put anything that I've found while blogging that I think is really interesting, but hasn't yet worked it's way into a formal post of its own on Changing The Court (or doesn't fit there). So far, some incomplete notes on urban revitalization and preservation and a few of my favorite non-criminal-justice-related blogs and websites.

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For several years, U.S. cities have promoted themselves as "cool cities" on the premise that young, highly educated "creative class" individuals are the key to revitalization and economic growth. However, a new study by the Center for an Urban Future indicates that first generation immigrants and working class folks who are rising into the middle class are an important engine of economic vitality for cities - entrepenuers and small business man - in places like the Bronx.

This highly discussed article from the Atlantic Monthly suggests that as more of the population returns to urban centers, car culture wanes, and the subprime mortgage collapse proceeds, the McMansions and ex-urban subdivisions of the past decade may be the slums of the new century. Some places are already experiencing social problems - drugs and crime - that are normally associated with urban decay.

Here's an enjoyable, New York-Centric blog on public spaces - things like "placemaking" - what are the charactoristics of safe, vibrant public spaces? Bird to the North

Fascinating blog: Ecology of Absence: The Biocultural Geography of Abandonment, Deindustrialization and transition in St. Loius and the Greater Midwest.

Urban Planet: The BBC's great coverage of emerging urban trends world-wide.

Rebuilding Space in the Urban Place: "This blog focuses on place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging." Amazing links sections on a variety of urban issues.

How much debris and litter is on the average mile of highway in America?

(click to enlarge)

Where does it come from: Manhole ?

Where does it come from: Asphalt?

How do you make your own rain barrel: Spigot assembly, directions ?

Case Studies:
Chicago green alleyways program, Project for public spaces, New York Restoration Project, NYC Greenstreets Program.

I found a fascinating report by the Milano School of Public Policy: A Schoolyard in Brooklyn: Strengthening Families and Communities through the Innovative Use of Public Space. It's a case study of how a community organization can partner with government to transform a public space.

Interesting map showing neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-income people who commute more than 1 hour for work.

Fascinating: The Viele Map (No pop-up blocker)

User-friendly, very informative map of homicides in nyc. (Plots three years worth of data in Google Maps, with date/time, location, demographic information of victim and suspect, and motive, if known in all homicides citywide)

another map - up to the minute incident reports across the five boroughs

Great Blog: Strange Maps

New York City Parks on Wikipedia

What makes a place safe?

More walkers and bikers means greater safety


Safe Haven Program is in decline: On the Upper West Side of Manhattan... According to the Westside Crime Prevention Program the number of members in the Safe Havens network (stores, marked by decals, where children can take shelter if they are being harassed or bothered on the street) has declined from 350 to 250 in the past two years. The bank branches and national chain stores that are replacing mom-and-pop establishments aren't suitable for the program - employee turnover is high and corporate headquarters have refused offers to enroll their franchises. (from this article in the New York Times).

One picture of what a very safe space looks like:

"Comments on Comments"

"There's been a bit of a backlash recently against the angry commenter on newspaper websites. Some are calling for newspapers to stop allowing comments sections all together. But what about democracy on the web? Bob, with the help of "This American Life"'s Ira Glass, ruminates on the dark side of the comments section."

LINK: http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2008/07/25/03