Land use lessons - from San Diego (the tech sector of all places)

San Diego business leaders set out to find ways to grow their innovation sector and unlock the door to future economic performance. According to the economist they hired, land use policy is the key they are looking for.

San Diego’s Innovation Economy, and What it Takes to Recruit “The Young and Restless”

Bruce V. Bigelow

As the chief operating officer of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. (EDC), Lauree Sahba says, “Our region’s future as a technology center of excellence depends on our ability to attract and retain the next generation of innovators and young talent.”

Yet Sahba frets that the renowned research institutions and balmy weather that drew the last generation of entrepreneurs to San Diego in the 1970s and ’80s may no longer be enough. The demographics are changing for a highly prized segment of the exponential economy—the well-educated, hard-working, and entrepreneurial adults who are 25 to 34 years old.

Portland economist Joe Cortright calls them “the young and the restless.” With their college and graduate degrees mostly behind them, the young and the restless are in their prime years of mobility. They have the greatest freedom to relocate. But Cortright says the suburban amenities that once made San Diego a kind of idyllic destination a few decades ago are not what the newest crop of the best and brightest are looking for nowadays. And a dream job offer isn’t necessarily enough to make them move either. ...More

A ride on NYC's BRT

I'm riding the newish "Select Bus" service which incorporates BRT features like off-board fare collection and dedicated lanes, although the latter appears to be enforced unevenly:





And goes away in the 2nd Ave Subway construction zone:



The Driver is semi separated from the passengers, which may afford him some additional comfort or safety,


But it doesn't stop riders from pausing upon entering to ask what to do with the proof of payment they bought at the curb:



Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NKVCD

Weekly Walk Around the News — Feetfirst

Feet First, the advocacy and educational organization that asks "What if our money for transportation was prioritized for people?" has been at the forefront of many important urbanist policy victories in the Seattle area. I just discovered today that they also are combing through the news for pedestrian policy progress, problems and proposals, so you don't have to.

Check out the Weekly Walk Around the News, from Feetfirst. I love news round ups like this and add this to my list of helpful news gatherers, which includes:

My employer, the Fearey Group, which sends out a daily local news round up called the "Local Wire."

The Sightline Institute, some of the smartest folks you are likely to find on sustainability issues in the greater Cascadia region, put out the "Sightline Daily," the latest sustainability news and analysis from around the Northwest.

The City of Seattle's Office of Economic Development helps you keep your "finger on the pulse" as my mom says with their Daily Digest - the latest business, economic, and industry news.

On the national level, The Infrastructurist gets its hands dirty in the "Daily Dig," a linkfest of transportation infrastructure investment and policy news and analysis.

If you're already a follower of walking/pedestrian issues, be sure to add this one to your list, and send along anything interesting you find to derrick@feetfirst.org.

My favorite new Tweep

Lots of people use Twitter for a good cause. Some people use Twitter because they are going through a mid-life crisis. Today I stumbled across the first mid-life-crisis-based Twitter account dedicated to saving the world from climate change, and it immediately became my favorite new Twitter account.

@EarthToTommy
Bio: "My father's mid-life crisis has taken the form of saving the Earth from global warming. He has much to do. I'm going to help :)"

It is, by far, the least embarrassing mid-life crisis I've ever heard of. You're a fortunate kid, Dani. I wish you both the best of luck!

The Low-Hanging Fruit Of Public Urban Eco-Services

by Nate Cole-Daum

Reposted with permission from CityTank:

Electric cars and charging stations have arrived, bringing with them the opportunity to reduce commuters’ carbon footprint. Nowhere is this more true than in dense urban areas.

Even if you travel by single occupancy vehicle (as opposed to transit or bicycle) living in the dense, compact-development context of multifamily housing can bring your carbon footprint down way below the national average. It is well-known that folks who live in vertical neighborhoods are far more likely to find what they need (and head out to earn their living) via much shorter trips than their single-family dwelling counterparts.

So I find it surprising how little discussion there has been about the apartment and condo context for electric vehicle owners. And that’s why I was glad to see this Transportation Nation blog post recently, featuring a condo dweller who was among the first in the nation to own the new Chevy Volt. His challenge (working with his HOA to retrofit their parking area) will hopefully be resolved; the solution celebrated and replicated.

For while there’s simply no match for a city networked with robust, convenient and pleasant public transit, walking and biking routes, rethinking a car-oriented city takes time. While we wait, making it easy for individuals to lighten the impact of their single-occupancy vehicle, especially when they’re already urban, ready and willing to pay that premium for eco-piety, behooves us all.

Here in the Puget Sound, in particular, since our grid is fed largely by lower-impact hydropower, getting urbanites off oil and onto the grid, can be low-hanging fruit.

Speaking of fruit, how many multifamily buildings have food waste pickup at this point?