William Graham Sumner and Franklin Roosevelt had different definitions of “The Forgotten Man.” Amity Shlaes writes of the two in her book,
Planning
Economy, Government Spending, Libertarians, Planning
Wait, Herbert Hoover Wasn’t a Libertarian? – Reason Magazine
by JOHN ADAMS •
No, he wasn’t! Yet, one often hears — erroneously — that Hoover was a laissez faire Republican, and that Roosevelt’s election marked a sharp break from those policies. That’s not only false, but wildly false. Hoover was a big-government Republican. (It was Coolidge — who had numerous disagreements with Hoover — who was a defender…
City, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
At the Whitewater, Wisconsin Business Park
by JOHN ADAMS •
Scenes from a local, overly-planned economy — Whitewater, Wisconsin’s Business Park. This empty building alone is half the size of a planned Innovation Center, and has more vacant space than the Innovation Center now has signed rental space (rental space for two related, publicly-funded, non-tech agencies).
Free Markets, Planning
Associated Press: Cuba embraces 2 surprising free-market reforms
by JOHN ADAMS •
Best reform would be a true free market…. Cuba has issued a pair of surprising free-market decrees, allowing foreign investors to lease government land for up to 99 years — potentially touching off a golf-course building boom — and loosening state controls on commerce to let islanders grow and sell their own fruit and vegetables.…
Government Spending, Planning
Chris Rickert: What problem would commuter rail solve?
by JOHN ADAMS •
…. when I look around the Madison metropolitan area, I wonder, what problems would trains solve? Relatively speaking, commutes to Madison are short and parking is not only plentiful but cheap. Plus, local officials seem more than willing to look kindly on the kind of dense, urban development trains inspire — even without any actual…
Development, Economy, Planning
Richard Florida Discusses the Great Reset of Urban Development in Economic Downturns
by JOHN ADAMS •
Richard Florida, author of The Great Reset, discusses how this recession may change American life as did the depression of the 1870 and the Great Depression. Florida is interested in national trends, and especially the great cities of America. He contends that transportation infrastructure was, and may yet, be a good investment. Nonetheless, he acknowledges…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
Buildings in Tokyo, Japan and in Whitewater, Wisconsin
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an intriguing video on YouTube that records in time-lapse filming the construction of a tower in Tokyo. It’s the Tokyo Sky Tree. The video depicts work over an extended period. (Although the description on YouTube somewhat misstates the timespan of the recording, it’s still fascinating.) Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb8MUeZrxbc. Despite all its beauty, the video invites…
City, Planning
Whitewater’s Planning Commission Meeting for 8-2-10 (Live Blogging)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s the format I will be using for live blogging tonight’s Planning Commission meeting. I’m interested in experimenting with live blogging to produce commentary more quickly. (My comments will remain after the meeting for later viewing.) The window will become live just before 6 PM, and comments will appear with the newest remarks at the…
Government Spending, Planning
Edward Niedermeyer (of The Truth About Cars): G.M.’s Electric Lemon
by JOHN ADAMS •
Government Spending, Planning
Transportation secretary: ‘There’s no stopping’ high-speed rail
by JOHN ADAMS •
Development, Elkhorn, Planning
WCEDA tabs executive director — GazetteXtra
by JOHN ADAMS •
Planning
Wisconsin State Journal: Unsatisfied with Candidates, City [Madison] to Start Search for New Planning Director
by JOHN ADAMS •
Very sensible: Better no one that the wrong one. Better still, why no one for a year or so, to see whether this role matters so much? Whitewater, Wisconsin would have benefited from that more relaxed approach for about a half-dozen different positions. See, Unsatisfied with Candidates, City to Start Search for New Planning Director
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning
Whitewater’s Publicly-Funded Innovation Center on Sunday, July 18th
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Planning, Politics, Uncategorized
Persistence in the Wrong Course
by JOHN ADAMS •
At the conservative Commentary, Peter Wehner offers a critical assessment of the federal administration that I think would be more apt for the municipal administration of Whitewater, Wisconsin: Its policies are failing, its popularity is sinking, its excuses aren’t working, and its incompetence is showing. Yet the administration appears incapable of admitting – even to…