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.
Robert K. Merton and the Social Sphere of Sustainability.
Robert K. Merton is a social scientist in the tradition of the founders of sociology contributing to an understanding of sustainability’s social sphere. The works of Merton and his colleagues are important contributors to those planning the future of the city. City planners need sociologists. FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail
Russia in the Arctic
CharacterTowns.org has been following a number of activities related to climate change, geopolitics and the Arctic. Three recent articles highlight the activity in the region. Another article in this issue presents NOAA’s 2020 Arctic Report Card. Not since the Northwest Passage was first traversed a century ago has the prospect of a northern maritime connection […]
Russia’s Siberian Waters See Record Ship Traffic as Ice Melt Accelerates
From the Wall Street Journal The Arctic has gone through its warmest summer on record, and with the ice melting, more ships than ever are sailing along Russia’s Siberian coast, underscoring its role as a growing energy transport corridor and potential as a new ocean trade route. The Northern Sea Route, which runs from Alaska […]
Sanford FL East 1st Street Community Venues.
In Downtown Sanford, between the lakefront park and downtown’s main street “active zone” is the Post Office [1], the community theater [2], the public library [3], the community center [4] and the local history museum [5]; all with ample sidewalks, on-street parking and proximity to restaurants. From the library [with the green roof] at the […]
Sidewalks and Trails
From CT.org…FDOT has done a great service in describing their ideas and specs for sidewalks. A useful guide plus links to three other resources. From FDOT…”To meet the needs of all pedestrians, designers must have a clear understanding of the wide range of abilities that occur within the population. Sidewalks, like roadways, should be designed […]
Sidewalks and Trails
From the Florida Department of Transportation From CT.org…FDOT has done a great service in describing their ideas and specs for sidewalks. A useful guide plus links to three other resources. From FDOT…”To meet the needs of all pedestrians, designers must have a clear understanding of the wide range of abilities that occur within the population. […]
Site Analysis: A Checklist
Site Analysis, A Checklist, presents a worksheet to use when evaluating the developability of a parcel of land. This checklist can be used for private or public property analysis. Small cities and towns develop parks, libraries and civic buildings; and they review and approve private builders who do the same. A sound process for examining […]
Small Cities and Towns: 2050.
Find the Role for Main Street. As e-commerce continues to intrude into the downtown market place, as the next generation of ride sharing and autonomous vehicles become more prevalent, as communications become more immediate and visual, and as the have – have not dichotomy grows, it becomes harder and harder to anticipate outcomes.What is “known” […]
Small Cities and Towns as Players in the Global Economy: The Character Town as an Entrepreneurial Town.
A vision that many small cities and towns may have is to be a participant in the global economy. With 21st Century communication and transportation systems, it is realistic to expect to have successful businesses in the local economic base that have customers, employees and suppliers located throughout the world. In fact, it is highly […]
Small Cities and Towns Can be Global Cities.
The Idea of a Global City.There are two well-established types of organization that operate throughout the world independent of their national affiliation: the global city and the multi-national corporation. Global cities, while bound physically within a nation, transcend this anchor with imagination and infrastructure. Global cities are economic development machines connected to their value-added counterparts […]
Small Cities can Prevent and Reduce Plastic Pollution.
The Issue Character towns and small cities can prevent and reduce plastics in their waste stream. Plastics have enriched us all, consumers, producers and service providers. Like all good things, too much is too much; and that may be where we are with plastics. Cities are taking action, as shown below. The Pacific Ocean sumps […]
Small Cities and Towns: Host to Businesses and “Talent” of the New Innovation Economy
Small Cities and Towns are great hosts to businesses and “talent” of the New Innovation Economy. Small cities and towns with character and internet connections to global systems are ideal locations for businesses and the workers high-tech businesses need to recruit in the New Innovation Economy. Small cities make great global cities and can be very […]
Small City Amphitheaters: Edu-tainment al fresco
The Greeks. Amphitheaters have been with us for a long time; perhaps since the beginning of human existence. Formal amphitheaters go back at least to the Greeks around 600 B.C. These ancient amphitheaters, like modern ones, held up to 15,000 people. Contemporary capacities seem to fall into two ranges: 5,000 or 20,000 people with a […]
Small City and Town Aesthetics
THE IDEA OF COMMUNITY BEAUTY. Beauty is of paramount value in many cultures. Everything is designed with both function and beauty in mind. In some cultures, function is the primary and sometime only guide to the design of everything from bridges to door hinges. Some cultures believe that design costs more, which it doesn’t have […]
Small City and Town Economic Policy
POWER. Local governments may not realize they have the power and obligation to have an economic policy for their town. Economic development and public finance programs managed with purpose and creativity can create local jobs and family incomes while also generating taxes and fees for the public coffers. PURPOSE.The reduction in the unemployment rate is […]
Small City and Town Innovations.
SMALL CITY INNOVATION ADVANTAGES. Small cities and towns have a tremendous advantage over larger communities when it comes to innovation. Small cities have simpler systems and fewer competing social and economic interests. Communications are more direct and personal. Bad ideas are sorted out quickly and good ideas are appreciated. Size and character are the keys. […]
Small City Climate Action Plans
A Role for Small Cities. One can easily assume that climate change and actions to mitigate its impacts seem to fall to national and state governments and large corporations. Not so fast… Small cities can strike a vision of a carbon-free city and prepare strategies and actions to meet their vision. “The Iowa City Climate […]
Small City Dashboard
Vision. A dashboard is a single place, call it a Data Analysis Center, with a broad range of selected real time information designed as a System for collecting, viewing, analyzing and responding to the information displayed in a timely manner. Strategy. The essence of the idea is to use existing streetlight and power distribution poles […]
SMALL CITY DASHBOARDS…
Small cities can be smart cities. Vision. A dashboard is a single place, call it a Data Analysis Center, with a broad range of selected real time information designed as a System for collecting, viewing, analyzing and responding to the information displayed in a timely manner. Strategy for Implementation. Like many journeys, the key is […]
Small City Support for Main Street Businesses.
OVERVIEW. Small cities depend mightily on their main street businesses and ambiance. Neighborhoods, development corridors and open space systems have needs that require long-term attention, but they tend to care for themselves in the short run. In the short run, when disaster occurs, main street suffers quickly and severely; mostly because the basic element of […]