Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

For Providence, Another Era Of Greatness?, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Providence has come a long way from just 20 years ago when a visitor coming into the city by rail would find sprayed across the walls of the nearly empty Union Station such epithets as 'Providence is the pits' and 'Welcome to dead city.' And it was. I know because I lived there."

Rhode Island Teachers Ahead Of The Crowd, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"For teachers this is the time to enjoy the summer break to travel, stay home with their own children or just take a vacation. But for the majority there is something called professional development. Summer is the usual time when teachers go back to school to hone their skills, learn more about their subject area, work for advanced degrees or pick up some new practices for that high tech equipment sitting in the classroom. Like may other professionals who want to advance their careers and keep up with new ideas and practices, teachers also take courses during the school year …

Retaining And Revitalizing Teachers, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Bankers do it; corporate members do it; even non-refundable profits do it, so why in the world can't teachers do it? What I'm talking about is the opportunity to get away from the job for a short period to have some free time, to contemplate, to talk with your colleagues, be pampered and to learn. This so-called retreat provides the opportunity to relax and reflect on your life and your work, to refresh yourself and to be recognized for the important work that you do. This is what they do for teachers in North Carolina, the only state to have …

Hud Report Hails City's Revival, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Recent rankings of Providence have given it high grades, ranging from restaurant reviews to being named by Money magazine as the best city in the Northeast in which to live. All of these tributes have received considerable publicity. But the best endorsement of the city's revitalization likely comes from a publication not commonly seen by the public, the annual State of the Cities report published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development."

Sprawl Is The Enemy; Victory Might Need A March In Reverse, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"SPRAWL--the word even sounds ugly Webster's definition is "to spread out carelessly or awkwardly," and it might have added inefficiently and expensively. And that is exactly what is happening as development takes place in the suburbs of Rhode Island and throughout the country."

Census Bureau Seeks Partners In Business, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"By now you should have seen the advertisements for the U.S. Census Bureau to apprise us of the forthcoming census on April 1, 2000. And there will be plenty more since the Bureau has budgeted $167 million on this push for public awareness, something it has never perviously paid to do."

Without Jobs, R.I.'S Place On Livability Lists Is Weak, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"All of us like to know and be part of the best places, whether this be restaurants, hospitals, colleges, golf courses, or whatever, so we rank them. These range from the international, where we rank levels of corruption by countries, to the local, where we rate the best clam shacks. And though we may not agree with some of the rankings, we find most of them useful in terms of making connections with places we know."

James Rouse--A Man For All Seasons, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said it best: he 'did more to revitalize American cities than anyone this century.' Recognition of this fact came last September when President Clinton awarded him our nation's highest civilian honor--the Presidential Medal of Freedom. James W. Rouse, died at the age of 81, just 17 short days before his 82nd birthday on April 26--a long life with long-lasting achievements by a humanist and an urbanist, a man often referred to as a 'real Christian' and an 'urban visionary.' Where does one begin?"

Cincinnati: From Porkopolis To No. One City, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"It was 152 years after the settlement at Providence n 1636 that this Midwestern present-day metropolis was established. Its location on what was to become the country's most industrialized river, the Ohio, provided its accessibility, starting with the first visit by a steamboat in 1811. In 1819, one of the largest city universities in the nation today, with 35,000 students, was founded And by 1850, with its location next to the rich farming areas of the country, it ranked as fifth largest city in te country and had earned the title of Porkopolis because of its status as the world's …

We All Benefit From A Clean Providence, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Walking along the newly relocated Woonasquatucket River and observing the new walks, roadways and bridges, one cannot help but be impressed by this continuing evidence of the revitalization of the capital city's downtown. Equally impressive is the general overall cleanliness of this area and the rest of the city center. It was not always so."

Providence's Unending Quest For Cash, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"The mayor of Providence has a big problem. How can he balance a budget that addresses the needs of an increasingly large number of people, yet deal with a declining tax base that is less able to pay for theses extra services?"

Why Not 'Soak' The Visitors?, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Providence Mayor Vincent Cianci has a financial problem, which is not uncommon these days for just about any mayor. Center cities are faced with a host of problems that require sizable expenditures to address. And with the downturn in an economy making a feeble effort to recover, available resources are in scarce supply."

Bringing Geography To Life!, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"When Gil Grosvenor, president of the National Geographic Society, called a meeting of Kit Salter and other geographers from California nearly a decade ago, he had no idea that the discussion would have a profound impact on the teaching of geography in the nation's schools."

How Goes The American Dream?, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Americans are a hard-working lot. The ambitious American worker has fewer holidays, less vacation time and other benefits than Western Europeans. They are well-rewarded for their pursuit of the American dream. Home ownership rates in this country are among the highest rates in the world. The typical American worker has more cars and more kitchen gadgets, electronic hardware, recreational gear and more computers in his home than any other worker in the world."

Bringing Conventions To Ri, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"On time and under budget: It's not often that one can say that about a government-sponsored and government-built project, but to date, that is exactly the status of the Rhode Island Convention Center. Assuming this pace of development continues, the center will open in December 1993 below the $290 million projected cost."

The Fortune Cookie Was Right, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"It was a typical night in Room 203 at the Rhode Island State House in March. The Land Use Commission meeting was set up for 6 p.m. but the House of Representatives was still in session, so commission members from the House would be delayed. At 6?L:30, the meeting got under way."

Cooperating For Economic Development, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"This small state has an advantage over larger states because its size allows it to share ideas more easily. With only 39 cities and towns, and no county governments, it is possible to have a meeting in Providence, attended by representatives of these communities within less than a one-hour drive."

Building Providence: Why Not Shout It From The Rooftops?, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"In the past decade, we have moved railroad tracks and built a new railroad station; we are moving two rivers; and now we plan to move an interstate highway. These were the opening remarks of Tom Deller, associate director of planning for the city of Providence to planners here for the annual meeting of the New England chapter of the American Planning Association. Just the thought of these words is mind-boggling."

Keeping The Pols Honest With Regionalization, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"The New England Governor's Conference will hold a meeting in Hartford on December 6 to address regional economic issues that are common to the six states located in the northeast corner of the country. During that same week, the towns of Warren and Bristol in Rhode Island will hold public sentiment for the sharing of schools in the two towns. As disparate as these two meetings appear to be, there is a commonality of purpose that marks both: regionalism."

The Benefits Of Regionalization, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Bristol County is unusual among Rhode Island's five counties. Not only is it contiguous with a county of the same name in an adjoining state, but it also consists of only three towns--Barrington, Warren and Bristol--and is one of the smallest of the 3,141 counties in this country."

A Note To Candidates: Look At Housing, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"The 1980s will be remembered as the time of the federal government's decimation of housing policies and programs that previous administrations had sought so diligently to design and implement. Candidates for federal and state offices need to be aware of current housing problems and possible measures that will improve housing in the state. The following are major concerns and suggested action proposals to help alleviate the housing plight of state residents.

Cape Cod's Drive To Curb Overdevelopment, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

The mid 1980s in Rhode Island will be long remembered as a time of intensive real estate development, explosive house process and manmade growth sprawling over the countryside. These phenomena also generated a reaction in the form of environmental concerns, the NIMBY syndrome, affordable housing issues and the passage of the 1988 Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act.

If Europe Can Team Up, Bristol County Can, Too, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"To regionalize or not? That may be the question facing Rhode Island's Bristol County.

It is the smallest of the five counties in the state, with its 24.9 square miles equalling only 6 percent of Providence County, the state's largest at 437 square miles. The three small towns of Barrington, Warren and Bristol that comprise this East Bay peninsula are usually given just a fleeting glance by visitors as they head south for Newport.

Right now, the three towns are faced with a decision regarding the recycling of waste, which is to take place by September. The state Solid Waste …

Wanted: Live-In Teachers, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and Cleveland all have it--a residency requirement--and so does Providence. Having to live in the city for which you work has been deemed to be an important measure in helping to bring people back into the city, and that was the reason it was included in the 1980 Home Rule Charter."

Columbia A Successful Forerunner Of New Towns, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"When center city developments such as Faneuil Hall in Boston, South Street Seaport in New York City, Harborplace in Baltimore and others are mentioned, the name of James W. Rouse is also noted in the same breath. In fact, the word "Rousification" is applied to such downtown developments. It is a tribute to his work in creating these lively retail centers in what were previously dying downtowns."

Housing Problems Grow More Acute For The Poor, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"One in seven people live below the poverty level in this rich country, and the result of this inexcusable condition is that housing is the principal problem for these more than 32 million people.

Nearly two of every three poor people rent their housing, and while home owners are experiencing increased equity because of increasing house values, low-income renters are having to pay higher rents with fewer dollars."

The Cities And Towns Look Ahead, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"What do you want your community to be? Over the next two and one-half years all communities in the state will be required to address this question, and to come up with a formal statement of what these goals and objectives are to be. And it's about time."

How To Keep Teachers In R.I., Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Should Providence city employees be forced to live in the city? The Home Rule Charter, adopted five years ago, requires them to do so. The executive secretary of the Providence Teachers' Union states that this requirement should not apply to teachers. But, is dropping the residency requirement the answer to the problem of finding adequate numbers of substitute and full-time teachers?"

Residency And The Charter, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"When Providence voters approved a home rule charter in 1980, they took a major step forward in choosing their own destiny, rather than relying on the General Assembly to approve many of their actions. To implement the resulting changes, the date for full compliance of the charter was set at 1983. And since that time, newly hired city workers are required to live in Providence."

Taking Steps To Solve The Country's Housing Woes, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"The problems of housing in today's America force us to look back almost a quarter of a century in time to the Great Society era, for it was during this period that some of the most progressive and far-reaching housing legislation in this nation was enacted."