ARTICLES
The Original Articles archives of CharacterTowns.org presents papers that discuss practical and conceptual ideas for designing, building and managing character towns and small cities that are interesting, pleasant and prosperous places for residents, businesses and visitors.
Does 5G pose health risks?
The 5G mobile network has been switched on in some UK cities and has led to questions about whether the new technology poses health risks. So what are the concerns, and is there any evidence to back them up? What’s different about 5G? As with previous cellular technologies, 5G networks rely on signals carried by […]
Downtown Community Theaters, “Edu-tainment” Emporiums.
Historical Role of Main Street Theaters in Small Cities and Towns. Movies begat movie theaters. From the late 19th century until sound sprung forth in 1927, movies and movie theaters were like novelties. The Nickelodeons inhabited thousands of storefronts. The first single theater in Pittsburgh in 1905 became many theaters across America by the 1920s. […]
Downtown Mobility
Downtown mobility has the objective of enabling anyone to get anywhere at anytime in a safely, conveniently and cheaply. Small cities and towns host a wide variety of uses and activities that require access by residents, customers and visitors. Access is all about mobility; mobility thrives on multiple modes of travel. The multiple modes available […]
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 […]
Drones and City Planning.
TECHNOLOGY USUALLY OUTPACES REGULATION. Drones have been with us for a while, but they are beginning to intrude in daily life, in the neighborhood and throughout the city. Many will welcome 30 minute deliveries of items under 5 pounds. Many will appreciate Amazon’s hybrid shopping idea along with robotic personal assistants. These “improvements” will happen, […]
Drones used by Walmart for Deliveries
Walmart teams up with Zipline to test limited on-demand drone deliveries “Walmart (WMT) is teaming up [with] Zipline to test drone delivery early next year, as the world’s largest retailer continues to explore the future of on-demand delivery. “Starting next year, Zipline will begin making on-demand deliveries for Walmart for “select health and wellness products […]
Earth’s Cryosphere Is Vital for Everyone. Here’s How NASA Keeps Track of Its Changes.
Due to ice’s important role in the Earth system, NASA is committed to studying it extensively. Everything on our planet — the land, the water, the air, people — is connected by the various chemical, physical and biological processes that make up what we call the Earth system. One of the key components of that […]
The 10 Best Cities for Job Seekers
Economic development is at the heart of this report. The 10 Best Cities for Job Seekers presents the criteria for classifying cities as great sources of employment; a trait of a character towns of any size. http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/01/10/the-10-best-cities-for-job-seekers/ RANKING CRITERIA Population Growth 2010-2012 Median Monthly Homeowner Costs Median Income Unemployment Rate FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
Economic Prosperity: Private Economic Development and Public Financial Planning.
The City’s Economic and Financial System. Sustainable urbanism requires that there be money in the economic sphere to productively collaborate with the physical and social spheres. The economic sphere has two components: privately lead economic development and publicly lead long-range comprehensive finance planning for local government. The purpose of the Economic Development Plan is to […]
Edible Education Experience operating the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House & Culinary Garden.
“Nestled in a residential neighborhood of one of Orlando’s most vibrant communities, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House and Culinary Garden stands as a place of education and inspiration. “Our team of educators is eager to bring you to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the fascinating journey our food takes from seed to table. […]
Ekistics and Doxiadis
Following a Thread… Here’s a thought-journey for you. It starts with a headline to a NYT’s article – “When Architects Made Worlds” by Michael Kimmelman, Feb. 19, 2022. The article mentions Doxiadis, a Greek architect/city planner from the 1960’s with visionary ideas and an international practice. I remember both the 1960’s and Doxiadis as an […]
Electricity explained
Electricity in the United States is produced (generated) with diverse energy sources and technologies The United States uses many different energy sources and technologies to generate electricity. The sources and technologies have changed over time, and some are used more than others. The three major categories of energy for electricity generation are fossil fuels (coal, […]
Elevated Chicago
City of Chicago’s first-ever Equitable Transit-Oriented Development policy plan. Elevated Chicago is a partnership of organizations committed to transforming the half-mile radius around transit stations into hubs of opportunity and connection across our region’s vast transit system. Elevated Chicago views station areas as optimal locations where arts and culture, urban design, social programming and development […]
Energy Sources of Electric Generation
Until fusion is perfected for commercial use, there are only a few sources of energy available to produce electricity or steam. Natural gas, coal and petroleum produce about 60% of our electricity. Non-GHG producing sources, nuclear and renewables, produce about 40% of our electricity. FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
Entitlements: Regulating Infill and Redevelopment.
Entitlements-regulating-infill-and-redevelopment. The city’s approach to regulating development in the downtown district is very site specific and increasingly driven by technology. The coming combination of blockchain technology and GIS will enable one accessible, safe and transparent file to contain property specific data files with ownership, real estate transaction and land us entitlement information. General future land […]
Envisioning a Town with Character.
The Idea of Vision. The vision of a character town is an image of the future in your mind; a visual picture, probably in color, possibly a video. It is inspirational; it is motivational. With a consensus vision of the town’s future, the community’s dreams are more likely to be realized. The community’s vision, when […]
EPA Publishes its 2021 Climate Adaptation Action Plan.
WASHINGTON (Oct. 7, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Climate Adaptation Action Plan, which describes steps EPA will take to address the impacts of climate change on communities across the Nation, as part of President Joe Biden’s whole-of-government approach to confronting the climate crisis. EPA also launched a new Climate […]
EPA Strategic Plan
The detailed programs for each of the five Priority Actions in The Climate Adaptation Action Plan and description of the strategic objectives in The EPA Strategic Plan are worth a look. FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
Essential Downtown Venues
The Basic Idea. Downtowns are the focal destination of every character town. Main street is the “there there”. For main street to be viable, it needs activity, interesting places where people either want to go or need to go. The public sector, specifically the city, is the lead investor and city hall is the lead […]
‘Everything Going the Wrong Way’: Dollar Stores Hit a Pandemic Downturn
Another interesting and revealing article from The New York Times. It seems Dollar Stores in all their manifestations are not only a blight on downtown main streets, but their business model doesn’t work when under stress…the unfortunate lose-lose. “Their business model is being tested by worker burnout, pressure to raise wages, supply chain problems and […]