Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

A Tale Of Two Cities, Similar, But Also Quite Different, Chester Smolski

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"Five years ago I wrote a column for this paper about a visit to Worcester, especially to explore the newly opened Worcester Fashion Common OUtlets. When I told my daughter who works in the area that I was going for a weekend in Worcester, she asked 'Why?' The report that I wrote was not a positive one."

Congratulations On City's Renaissance, Chester Smolski

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"The excellent and comprehensive front-page story on the Providence Renaissance by Bill Van Sicen in Sunday's Providence Journal of May 21, 2000, nicely brought together all of the exciting development from the recent past, the present, the planned future and the vision of what the long-term future might be for the capital city's center. And the map, which depicted the location of these 18 development sites, was impressive in the sense that so much of the downtown and nearby areas have been and will be affected by this development. Oh, how different from the recent past."

Where Are We Going? Tv Show Seeks Answers, Chester Smolski

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"How will the future Rhode Island look, and will it be better than today? Where will new development take place? How will this development affect cities and towns? Will there be adequate and affordable housing, and where will it be built? Will there be enough land available for future growth, as well as water, sewers, roads and other infrastructure to accommodate this additional population? And will communities try to prevent growth or work to accommodate it? The future is in our hands, and how we address such issues will determine how well our children will live in the not too …

One Grim View Of Life For The Aged Is Disputed, Chester Smolski

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""The way the United States treats their elderly is a total disgrace... they cant live on the amount of money from Social Security... It's even worse than the poverty level." Thus spoke a Cranston senior citizen when Vice President Gore was in town recently to discuss the future of Social Security."

Cultural Contribution Of The Capital City, Chester Smolski

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"I like Providence, but it was not always so. As a youngster, growing up between Boston and Providence, my friends and I very seldom ventured south into that city of corruption, clutter and crime; after all this was where the Mob was centered. Rightly or wrongly, that was the image that was conveyed."

On Students, Standards, Employers And Jobs, Chester Smolski

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"The recent an first national census survey on hiring, training and management practices in business in this country statistically reaffirmed the complaints of business leaders made a decade ago--young people coming out of our schools are not ready nor qualified for the workplace."

Visiting Worcester Makes One Appreciate Providence, Chester Smolski

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"A friend of mine works in the Worcester area, so I thought she would be the one to ask about things to do there. When I told her that we were going to New England's second largest city for the weekend, she asked 'Why?'"

In R.I. Bad Driving Is A Way Of Life, Chester Smolski

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"A transplanted Rhode Islander, now living in Portland, Oregon tells an amusing story about Rhode Island drivers. Having lived in Oregon's major city for two years and driving there every day, she became accustomed to the good driving habits of the residents of that city and its suburbs, containing a population about 50 percent greater than that of the Providence metropolitan area. She claims that in those two years of driving she was never once frightened by someone cutting into the traffic lane in which she was driving, until recently. And then it happened, the car to her left cut …

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

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"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 …

The Portland Of The Pacific Beguiles, Chester Smolski

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"When Amos Lovejoy of Boston and Francis Pettygrove of Portland sought to name the clearing in the Oregon forest called 'Stumptown' (because of the tree stumps remaining from frequent fires set by the Indians), each wanted to honor the New England city from which he came. By the toss of a coin, Pettygrove was the winner, and the Portland of the Northeast had its counterpart in the Portland of the Northwest."

Which Is 2nd Safest? City Or Area?, Chester Smolski

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"Buried in a recent two-column story in the national Parade Magazine section of the Sunday newspapers and obscured by the advertisements that took up most of the two pages, John Tepper Marlin's headlined story, 'The Safest Places To Live,' was designed to grab one's attention. And that it did, especially if your city ranked second in the nation."

Growing Old: A Look At Rhode Island, Chester Smolski

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"The series of lectures and discussions on 'Growing Old in America' recently held at Brown University brought together authorities from across the country to examine some of the issues confronting our aging society.

Ranging from health care to business opportunities to life after 60, the aged in America represent a growing number of citizens who must be considered from may different perspectives: this the speakers did on a national level. But what of Rhode Island?"

What Determines Our 'Best' Cities?, Chester Smolski

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"A friend of mine and I grew up in the same small town, and both of us still have fond memories of that typical small New England community. The military, then college, marriage and family took us away, although we still maintain contacts there. But now we have a different attitude toward the town."

Glory Days Of Suburbia Are Over, Chester Smolski

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"Most Rhode Islanders would undoubtedly agree with Donald Wyatt's sterling endorsement of suburbia (Commentary Page, Sept. 7) and many would envy the wonderful experience he says he has had living in Warwick these past 40 years. After all, the suburbs are the habitat of most Rhode Islanders as well as most other Americans and, it sis presumed, these folks live there through choice."

Coping With Car Congestion, Chester Smolski

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"Ah, the joy of the automobile! Driving with the windows closed to eliminate outside noise and to get the full effect of the four-speaker stereo while listening to Sibelius, Brooks or Franklin, depending on one's taste; sitting in seats more comfortable than those in the living room at home; and taking in the colorful foliage along this country road in the rural wester part of the state where we are the only car on the road--how could life be any better??

Let's Get Excited About Our City, Chester Smolski

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"Suppose that you wanted to introduce a group of students to Providence, where would you take them? To the East Side? To the Brown campus and the RISD Museum? To the constantly changing Capital Center and waterfront? to the entertainment and artistic performances found in the downtown? And would these visits give a fair appraisal of the city's character?"

Why Not 'Soak' The Visitors?, Chester Smolski

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"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."

Ethnic Mix Enriches Culture, Chester Smolski

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"Rhode Island is unique. It is the smallest state in the country, has a different religious majority, has one of the oldest populations and has one of the largest varieties of ethnic groups in the country."

Gigantic Malls Bring Downtown To Suburbia, Chester Smolski

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"The recent opening of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., has probably received more publicity than any other shopping center in the nation. This behemoth of shopping malls is certainly something to experience, but the real question is whether this $650 million investment has a future."

That Precious 'Ambience', Chester Smolski

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"Colette Peters, former Rhode Island School of Design student, renowned cake baker and author of Colette's Cakes, was recently asked about her food memories of Providence. This current resident of New York said, 'Haven Brothers! We'd go to Haven Brothers for hot dogs when I was a student at RISD. It was what we could afford.'"

The Numbers Game: An Ethnic Mish-Mash, Chester Smolski

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"St. Patrick and St. Joseph would have been pleased by the special day held in their honor at the State House recently. The General Assembly session was called off, corned beef and cabbage and Italian meatballs were served and speeches were given to recognize the contributions of the culturally and ethnically rich heritage of this small state of Rhode Island."

Us Citizens Will Stand Up And Get Counted In 1990, Chester Smolski

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"The US Bureau of the Census, "Factfinder for the Nation," is starting to swing into high gear as Census Day, April 1, 1990, rapidly approaches. Ensuring that 106 million households receive their questionnaires before that date and then processing the numbers will likely total 250 million people is one Herculean task."

What The Neighbors Will Say: A Quick Guide For Developers, Chester Smolski

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"They turn out at the public meetings in large numbers, are well organized, frequently have a list of names from the neighborhood and often come with their own legal counsel. They can turn a seasoned lawyer into a quivering and stumbling idiot, cause expert witnesses to lose their confidence and invariably add to the developer's cost, both in time and money.

They are the public opinion."

Columbia A Successful Forerunner Of New Towns, Chester Smolski

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"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."

The Cities And Towns Look Ahead, Chester Smolski

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"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."

As The Population Ages, Housing Needs Change, Chester Smolski

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"The housing needs for all of us change over time, depending on one's position in the life cycle. The single person needs only a room, young marrieds settle for a rented apartment, and the family with children needs more space, both inside and out. Children grow up and still more space is needed, then the children leave the nest. Their parents become "empty nesters." A spouse dies and leaves a person single again and often dependent on others. And then, perhaps, a nursing home becomes a necessity before the person passes on."

Beating The System By Joining In Buying Homes, Chester Smolski

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"A recent national survey revealed that 84 percent of Americans would choose a single-family detached house over any other form of housing. Not surprisingly, in this country where we value individual rights, individual ownership of property is a goal to which most aspire and one that most have achieved.

But suppose that goal was not attainable and the only choice was a multifamily structure. And suppose that limited resources meant the only form of ownership was sharing with others. Given this choice, would Americans choose this form of housing?"

Some Modest Progress In Providing Affordable Housing In R.I., Chester Smolski

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"Affordable housing is a major problem in Rhode Island and the Northeast as monthly figures issued by government, realtors, builders and others constantly remind us. But as bad as the situation is, there are some encouraging actions being taken that offer hope for the future."

Suburban Sprawl Is A Tremendous Energy Waster, Chester Smolski

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"Urban sprawl has been likened to a formless web of urban development that looks like Swiss cheese with more holes than cheese, and Gertrude Stein, in her inimitable style, once described one of these spread cities as 'There's no there there.'"

Suburban Elderly Speak Out In Providence, Chester Smolski

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"The talk was designed to elicit information and reactions from the audience of elderly. And it did just that because old people do not waste words and are not reluctant to speak out, perhaps because they realize that they have little time left, so they were ready with their comments and quite willing to fill out the questionnaire."