Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Global Cities Are Coastal Cities Too: Paradox In Sustainability?, Herman L. Boschken

Herman L. Boschken

Worldwide, most global cities are located in coastal zones, but a paradox of sustainability is especially striking for American global cities. This article examines such paradox drawn between globalization-induced development and coastal ecosystems. It focuses on two developmental components found principally in global cities: (1) the agglomeration of foreign waterborne commerce and global business services and (2) the accelerated activity and mobility habits of a global professional class. Despite formidable gaps in research, some anecdotal evidence suggests unique hazards exist for the coastal ecology as globalization pressures expand a global city’s urban footprint.

Death By A Thousand Curb-Cuts: Evidence On The Effect Of Minimum Parking Requirements On The Choice To Drive, Rachel R. Weinberger

Rachel R Weinberger

Little research has been done to understand the effect of guaranteed parking at home –in a driveway or garage—on mode choice. The research presented here systematically examines neighborhoods in the three New York City boroughs for which residential, off-street parking is possible but potentially scarce. The research is conducted in two stages. Stage one is based on a Google Earth© survey of over 2,000 properties. When paired with the City’s tax lot database, that survey served as the basis to estimate on-site parking for New York City neighborhoods. With parking availability estimated, a generalized linear model based on census tracts …

Engineers And Communities, Earthea Nance

Earthea Nance

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Edward L. Glaeser, Triumph Of The City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, And Happier (The Penguin Press 2011), David J. Reiss

David J Reiss

It is always a bit unnerving to read someone else’s love letters, but even more so, when you have the same object of desire. Edward Glaeser’s TRIUMPH OF THE CITY is a love letter to cities and to New York City in particular. Glaeser provides a theoertical framework of the city, arguing that “Cities are the absence of physical space between people and companies. They are proximity, density, closeness.”

Glaeser prescribes three simple rules to protect the vitality of the urban environment: First, cities should replace the current lengthy and uncertain permitting process with a simple system of fees. Second, …

Unpacking Preference: How Previous Experience Affects Auto Ownership, Rachel R. Weinberger, Frank Goetzke

Rachel R Weinberger

As environmental concerns mount alongside increasing auto dependence, research has been devoted to understanding the number of automobiles households own. The 2000 US census public use micro sample is used to demonstrate the importance of preference formation in auto ownership by studying auto ownership among recent movers. Using a multinomial probit model, the paper demonstrates that residents in the US transit cities who moved from major metropolitan areas are more likely to own fewer vehicles than counterparts who moved from smaller metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas. It is concluded that these results are due to learned preferences for levels of …

Are Profits From Subdivision Development Higher In Areas With More Regulations? A Case Study Of South Kingstown, Rhode Island And Some Implications For Land Use Planning, Rayman Mohamed

Rayman Mohamed

Little is known about the relationship between regulations and profits from residential subdivision development. This article presents data that for the first time determines profits from subdivision development in a heavily-regulated market. This study found an average profit, measured by internal rates of return, of 29 percent, comfortably above what scholars consider normal. Profits decreased as time increased to complete the subdivision. Profits also decreased because of delays due to regulations and voluntary delays by developers. These results suggest that implementing smart growth policies may be challenging in more-regulated areas and easier in less-regulated areas. The findings suggest that higher …

Making The Case For Community-Based Laboratories, Earthea Nance

Earthea Nance

No abstract provided.

Growing Greener, New York Style, Rachel R. Weinberger

Rachel R Weinberger

No abstract provided.

Rebuilding Transportation, Rachel R. Weinberger

Rachel R Weinberger

No abstract provided.

Rising Temperatures: Rising Tides, Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Transboundary environmental problems do not distinguish between political boundaries. Global warming is expected to cause thermal expansion of water and melt glaciers. Both are predicted to lead to a rise in sea level. We must enlarge our paradigms to encompass a global reality and reliance upon global participation.

Strategic Planning Of Seaport Development In A Global Economy: Observations Of An Executive Port Director, Herman L. Boschken

Herman L. Boschken

Seaport management is central both to the use of coastal resources and to the needs of a global economy. As a major point of supply-chain activity along the coast and as a source of pollution, ports need to be administered strategically to provide the greatest benefit according to economic and environmental demands. This article is an annotated conversation that provides a practitioner's insight into the management of change along the coastal zone. To address the problem, we probe organization theory for new insight and attempt to apply concepts to practice.