Urban Distractions
The most beautiful city of the 20th century is…
probably not one you would expect
The Little Tram that Could
The shortest tram line in the United States has been a success in Tacoma, Washington–even at a hefty price tag of $80 million. Not only has ridership been strong, but downtown economic development has seen a spike too: “In downtown Tacoma, the sounds of rebirth, reuse and reclamation are everywhere… The rat-a-tat-tat of jackhammers, the rumble of heavy equipment getting ready to lift another girder, move another load. Construction’s all around,” reports The Rockford Register Star. More on the little tram in Tacoma
Will We Ever Learn?
At the same time the Senate has passed a $318 billion highway spending bill, a new report by the American Highway Users Alliance has listed the 24 worst highway bottlenecks in the US. Proud owner of the number one spot is Los Angeles, with its 101/405 interchange. “There is no silver bullet. We need to look at other transportation alternatives, including busways, high-speed rail, monorail, maglev or other alternatives. Every alternative is going to be controversial, but we need to come up with solutions to the inevitable increasing congestion that we face,” explained LA Assemblyman Keith Richman.
Go Vols!
Previous tenants in my apartment subscribed to The Metro Pulse, a Knoxville-based alternative weekly, and it is still mailed to us regularly. At first, I used them for my beloved Rapidfire chimney starter but later started scanning its pages. I’ve been impressed by both the writing and art direction for a weekly in such a small market. From random articles, advertisements, and commentaries, I get the idea there is a lot of good redevelopment happening in Knoxville’s inner core. Mechanicsville Commons is one example. Good growth is even spreading to the suburbs, as New Urbanism comes to West Knox.
February 20th, 2004
