Posted Thu, Dec 20, 11:02 a.m.

Interesting, relevant article: Note to Crosscut editors: I'd appreciate many more more features like this one, i.e, thoughtful observations on contemporary phenomena in our city. I could do with less of the following: - pained, nostalgia-fueled rants from the likes of Knute Berger - 1960's-era ideas about urban planning from ...

Posted Mon, Nov 5, 10:21 a.m.

Vive la compromise!: Refreshing point of view. What a novelty, in our political climate, to contemplate a centrist politics that accepts the need in a democracy for compromise. And what a pleasure it would be to send the ideological fanatics from both ends of the spectrum - including Kemper Freeman ...

Posted Mon, Oct 8, 11:02 p.m.

Not convinced.: Sims' apparent change of heart has the feel of a politically motivated stunt. His announcement seemed timed to actually avoid any possibility of constructive debate - too late for that now, with the election a month away. I don't buy at all that Sims is the only leader ...

Posted Wed, Aug 15, 1:02 p.m.

News flash: condos cost less than single-family houses: The photo caption at the top of the article implies that condos are for the wealthy. In fact, the opposite is true when you look at the real estate market as a whole. The latest quarterly report (from Zillow.com) on house values ...

Posted Tue, Jul 24, 12:07 p.m.

No room for nostalgia: I think Knute Berger confuses nostalgia with the desire for historic preservation. Preservation has to do with saving things that have inherent value. The value comes from some quality of the thing being preserved: architectural style, craft, materials, beauty, etc. It makes sense to preserve buildings ...

Posted Thu, Jul 19, 12:02 p.m.

more on NYC pricing: Excerpts from NYC Mayor Bloomberg's statement on deal permitting congestion pricing in NYC to go forward: "This agreement to move forward with congestion pricing marks a critical milestone in our efforts to make PlaNYC a reality, and to provide a better quality of life for us ...

Posted Thu, Jul 19, 11:56 a.m.

congestion pricing alive in NY: Maybe the NYC plan will go through after all: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/19/ deal-at-hand-on-congestion-campaign-finance-bruno-says/ This is encouraging news. Adoption in NY will make it easier for other municipalities (Seattle!) to introduce congestion pricing schemes of their own.

Posted Mon, Jul 16, 4:34 p.m.

bridges: Oh, good! By all means, Foster for 520.

Posted Mon, Jul 16, 2:41 p.m.

any viaduct rebuild is a mistake: As an architect, I don't need to be convinced of the value of design. So naturally I'm in favor of hiring high caliber architects like Norman Foster to design our civic projects. But design has its limits. In the case of a viaduct rebuild, ...

Posted Tue, Jun 26, 12:05 p.m.

Denny's should go: I'm encouraged that the remarkably ugly Ballard Denny's is slated for demolition, to be replaced with retail and condominiums. This supports the transformation of Ballard's town center into a lively, walkable place. There may also be an opportunity to get a volume discount from the wrecking company: ...

Posted Mon, Jun 11, 11:15 a.m.

tolls are necessary: I support tolling, especially variable-rate congestion pricing schemes that target peak travel times. Tolls not only address the externality costs associated with the impacts of car travel, like air pollution, noise, etc., but will also reduce non-essential trips and keep traffic moving. I'm willing to pay a ...

Posted Mon, Jun 4, 12:06 p.m.

let's do it: Great article, excellent recommendations. We need to start experimenting with Euro-style dedicated bike routes. A small test project might be just the ticket - part of the problem is the public has trouble imagining how some of these things might work. When they see it - they'll ...

Posted Mon, May 7, 10:14 a.m.

It's about time..: Thanks for an informative piece. My office is around the corner, and I wondered if anything would be done about that deadly wall. The investment in landscaping and sidewalk improvements sounds great; the addition of retail or restaurant/cafe in the middle of the block would be ideal.

Posted Mon, Apr 30, 11:11 a.m.

Bulldoze the Fun Park, create a real park for city residents: Should the Center remain what it is today - a tacky time-capsule experience catering to 12 million tourists from Topeka? Surely not. We can do better than that, by remaking it as a park and civic gathering place to ...

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 2:07 p.m.

Destroy Seattle, in order to save it?: "I do want to destroy Seattle with pollution, crime, and the pox." Well, don't you? "Seattle needs to reduce its appeal if it is to recover its "livability." That's why we should either retrofit or rebuild the viaduct. Not only are these options ...

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 10:55 a.m.

shoe-box dweller applauds you: Many thanks to Williams-Derry for taking the time to refute Berger's logic-challenged ramblings.

Posted Mon, Apr 16, 6:09 p.m.

Bring in da density!: So Berger is against building new housing stock in the city, or, it seems, planning for growth in general. But he's awfully vague about the alternatives. What is the no-growth platform, exactly, and how is it achieved? I'm not sure he knows. It might be instructive ...

Posted Tue, Apr 3, 12:02 p.m.

ditto on the total disagreement: I'm a native of the PNW, but - unlike Mr.Berger - I recognize that as population has grown, we can't all live like hermits in the woods anymore. Times change. The transformation of the city into a dense, pedestrian-oriented residential center is happening. And that's ...