![The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria](https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Post-American-world-Fareed.jpg)
The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria has written thoughtfully and widely on geopolitics and global society. He also discusses issues in a refreshingly interactive way with world leaders on CNN. His recent book, The Post-American World, despite its gloomy title, forecasts a happy ending to the next leg of the American journey. One of Mr. Zakaria’s catchy catch phrases is “the rise of the […]
![Hot, Flat and Crowded, Why We Need a Green Revolution – And How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman](https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Hot-flat-crowded-book-4.29.jpg)
Hot, Flat and Crowded, Why We Need a Green Revolution – And How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman
A great summary of our situation; a challenge to the things we value and want to preserve. What confrontsus is a void. We have yet to re-state our fundamental values as a people in the post-Cold War period. We have yet tofind our next destination and the path towards it…and theworld is not waiting for us. […]
Local Government Capacity: Building in a Flat, Hot and Crowded Post-American World.
A Coherent Picture of the Future. The United States has always had a strategy for defining and advancing America’s interests based on the idea that the government closest to the people was the best. Our nation started with a declaration based on principles of independence and freedom. As unlikely as it may seem, the lessons applicable […]
Governing the Character Town: The Town’s Equity Mechanism
THE SYSTEM. The system for governing a small city or town relies on the citizen-legislator to be the locally elected officials serving on the town council or city commission. They have direct contact with their constituents and they set policy for the city staff through a professional manager. Small cities or towns that cannot afford […]
Downtown Mobility: Getting Anyone Anywhere at Anytime, Cheaply and Safely
DOWNTOWN MOBILITY. Downtowns host a wide variety of uses and activities. Access is all about mobility; mobility thrives on multiple modes of travel. The goal of the system is to enable anyone to safely and cheaply get anywhere at any time. Multi-modal systems planning is required for the general population, the elderly, the young, the […]
![Transportation for Livable Cities by Vukan R. Vuchic](https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Vukan-04-21-.jpg)
Transportation for Livable Cities by Vukan R. Vuchic
Profession Vuchic has produced a useful book that examines the history and current [1999] state of livability transportation thinking. His use of photos, lists and figures greatly facilitates an understanding of his ideas and conditions affecting the topic. His extensive use of the experiences of international peer cities emphasizes his point that we in America […]
![The Big Nine. How the Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machine Could Warp Humanity by Amy Webb](https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/The-Big-Nine-04-21.jpg)
The Big Nine. How the Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machine Could Warp Humanity by Amy Webb
Implications for the American City. Artificial Intelligence [AI] is, and will continue to, inculcate every aspect of human endeavors. While the technology is rocket science, ordinary people, including the leaders in city hall, can understand the concepts, the goals of the providers and the applications. The Big Nine is a great read, a great education and a […]
![Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam](https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Bowling-Alone-book-pic.jpg)
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam
Nearly 20 years after publication, Bowling Alone still stands as the seminal work of the socialization of American twentieth century society; establishing the idea of social capital and putting sociology and sociological issuesback in the realm of community planning. Professor Putnam extensively surveyed and analyzed participation rates in clubs, organizations, leagues and volunteer activities over the twentieth […]
![“Palaces for the People” by Eric Klinenberg](https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/22Palaces-for-People22-book-pic.jpg)
“Palaces for the People” by Eric Klinenberg
Character towns rely on social infrastructure. “In Palaces for the People, Klinenberg, a sociologist and director of New York University’s Institute for Public Knowledge, builds upon his 2002 book, Heat Wave. That work reported social isolation and neighborhood breakdown as key reasons so many people died in Chicago during one torrid week in the summer of 1995. […]
Case Study: From a traffic stop to a new car seat, KCPD social services program showing success.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In December 2016, the Kansas City Police Department launched a pilot program to embed a social worker with a group of officers. Today, that program is a fixture of the department, with social workers housed in each of the city’s six division stations. In November 2018, one of those social workers, Tori Cawman, […]