The city of Savannah is moving ahead with the planned conversion of Price Street from two lanes one-way with no on-street parking to a new concept with one lane of traffic, on-street parking where conditions allow, and a bike lane.…
I’ve previously written about proposed removal of the I-16 flyover in Savannah. The project would actually improve traffic flow (according to the Georgia Department of Transportation), add dozens of acres to the private tax rolls, and add hundreds of yards…
Russell Shorto’s op-ed in the NYT — The Dutch Way: Bicycles and Fresh Bread — is a must-read for those who think America needs to break its addiction to automobiles, especially in congested urban centers. Before I quote from it,…
I went out on a friend’s boat on Saturday and obviously took along my camera. We picked up the Savannah River near Elba Island and went all the way into Garden City. It’s a fascinating trip that reveals all the…
Some good news that got sort of lost on a rather grim news day. Automakers and the Obama administration today officially announced an agreement that almost doubles the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 54.5 miles per gallon by…
I’ve been writing a lot lately about transportation issues. In today’s column, I follow up to last week’s column about the proposed new regional sales taxes to fund transportation infrastructure projects. That proposed 1% regional sales tax, which will is…
In my City Talk column today, I focused on two issues: the shaky status of the I-16 flyover removal, which didn’t quite make the cut for funding via the proposed sales tax for transportation that is part of the state’s…
Back in 2008, I wrote a column about Green Bridge Farm, a small sustainable development in Effingham County about a 30-minute drive from downtown Savannah. Michael Maddox’s family has owned the property since the 18th century, and he’s now crafting…
An article in today’s AJC — Feds open up funding for Atlanta streetcar project — reflects a couple of trends worth watching. The entire Atlanta area, even some of its farflung suburbs, seem to be in the midst of a…
Savannah River Landing — the big empty spot at the east end of River Street next to the Marriott — is by far the most visible sign of the real estate bust in the Savannah area. It’s also an area…
Everyone knows we have an aging population in America, but what does it mean for American cities? Check out this fascinating AP piece: “Aging boomers strain cities built for the young“. Apart from some painful prose — like “silver tsunami”…
No, this is not a cautionary tale about how to avoid decline in an urban area. I pretty routinely hear people talk about Savannah or Atlanta becoming the “next Detroit”. There’s sometimes a racist edge to those statements, which often…
I’m not really trying to stir the proverbial pot with the provocative title to this post, but it’s a fair conclusion based on the news of the past few days. Two weeks ago, 7-year-old Javon Roberson was savagely mauled by…
Even the Huffington Post is now covering the enforcement of zoning in Chatham County that might mean the end of Paula Deen’s chickens. But I’m betting that the end result won’t be Paula Deen — or anyone else in the…
