It’s our pleasure to pass along this update from the Ward Three Neighborhood Association. As you can see, major issues are facing our ward. Citizen input is welcome. Re: Update on Our Activities From: Jerry Budgar, President This has been an extremely busy year for your Association, and we’ve been discussing a wide spectrum of […]
Continue reading An Update from the Ward Three Neighborhood Association
It is our pleasure to publicize this announcement from the Ward Three Neighborhood Association. Visit their website at http://www.wardthree.com/ The Ward Three Neighborhood Association Invites you to a Strawberry and Lemonade Afternoon Social and a Bridge Street Cemetery Historic Tour Led by Historic Northampton Saturday, June 14, 2008 2-5pm (Rain date: Sunday, June 15, 2008) […]
In the back of the Sustainable Northampton Plan, you’ll find results from a 2006 opinion survey (Appendix B, p.71-80). At first blush, it appears that Smart Growth principles such as densification and transit-oriented development are popular: 89% of respondents agreed that “Development Should Be Encouraged At Densities And Locations That Can Support Transit”. The problem […]
Continue reading Portland, Oregon Voters Sour on Densification Over Time
Condo ownership presents some special hazards during an economic downturn. Even you personally are solvent, your fellow condo owners might not be. Today’s New York Times reports: Collateral Foreclosure Damage for Condo Owners When people buy condos, they expect their monthly fees will cover many of the responsibilities that they would otherwise have as owners […]
Continue reading New York Times: Downsides of Owning a Condo in a Downturn
Northampton’s Best Practices Committee hosted its first public forum on May 13. Dozens of citizens and several city councilors attended. The goal was to brainstorm about ways to improve the city government’s decision-making process. Jason Heffner facilitated. This Google video shows about one hour of the two-hour-long meeting. Quiet periods and small-group sessions are omitted. […]
Continue reading Best Practices: Pictures and Video from the May 13 Public Forum
Randal O’Toole of the Thoreau Institute tells the story of Halle-Neustadt, a case study in compact, transit-oriented development in East Germany. He draws parallels between certain soviet planning concepts and Smart Growth. O’Toole does not claim, nor do we, that Smart Growth itself is the work of communists. What we do see, however, is the […]
Continue reading Halle-Neustadt: A Case Study in Compact, Transit-Oriented Development
Giving wetlands their space is crucial to easing environmental pressures on amphibians. Defenders Magazine reports on the current state of affairs: Slipping Away: Frogs, salamanders and other amphibians are sliding into oblivion (Spring 2008) …It’s not just the colorful, exotic rainforest species that are disappearing, but also the common frogs, toads, newts and salamanders that […]
Continue reading Habitat Loss and Pollution Pummel Amphibians
The May 9 Wall Street Journal notes that a softening real estate market has made conservation a more attractive option for some landowners: Real-Estate Drop Has a Green Lining There’s a green lining to the real-estate cloud: Developers are dropping plans to build on some choice pieces of land and instead are selling it for […]
Continue reading Wall Street Journal: “Real-Estate Drop Has a Green Lining”
Northampton’s Planning Board took 30 minutes on May 8 to discuss issues with the implementation of a parking and traffic plan worked out last year for the soccer fields at the Oxbow. The board seeks heavier usage of an auxiliary parking lot to reduce traffic on Island Road. Here is a video of the discussion: […]
Continue reading Video: Planning Board Sharpens Up Parking Recommendations for Oxbow Soccer Fields
Randal O’Toole of the Thoreau Institute most kindly assembled a photo tour of Portland, Oregon for us. For a generation Portland has been a stronghold of Smart Growth planning. Mr. O’Toole provides the following narrative: What we see happening is that planners are never satisfied — let them densify you a little bit, and they […]
Continue reading Portland: A Photo Tour of Spiraling Densification