Geography Education

The federal government's relentless expansion has made Washington, D.C., America's real Second City.

From 1890-1990, Chicago was America's second largest city.  Since then Los Angeles has been the second largest city, acting as the west coast capital for the United States. Both of these cities have declined in economic and political importance in the recession, and in this article Aaron Renn argues that Washington D.C. (although demographically not in the same category) could be considered an emerging second city and chronicles it's historic development.  Readers may also be interested in how Renn ("the urbanophile") argues that all our impressions about Detroit are inaccurate. 

Tags: Washington DC, urban, historical, unit 7 cities.

Music video by Counting Crows performing Big Yellow Taxi. (C) 2002 Interscope Geffen (A&M) Records A Division of UMG Recordings Inc.

This music video is a vivid portrayal of the cultural power of place and the deep emotional connection many people have to their neighborhoods.  What types of urban geographies are being critiqued by the original lyrics (orginally performed and written my Joni Mitchell) of this song?  What do the images portrayed in the video say to further this critique?  What type of urbanism are these performers advocating?  Given the context of this video, what priorities do you think city planners should consider when building and reshaping cities? 

In urban centers around the country, local governments are looking to attract emerging industries and the next generation of entrepreneurs.

This video shows a panel of urbanists presenting at the Aspen Ideas Festival.  The panelists specialize in revitalizing cities and creating economically and culturally vibrant urban centers.  They focus not on public policy, but rather finding ways to implement the locally produced ideas of people from the neighborhood with an intimate knowledge of the community as well as a vested in strengthening the local networks.  They also highlight the arts, sense of place and the culture of a neighborhood as key components create attractive cities.

More videos from the Apsen Ideas Festival on urbanism, see: http://www.aspenideas.org/session/advice-megacity

http://www.ted.com Jaime Lerner reinvented urban space in his native Curitiba, Brazil. Along the way, he changed the way city planners worldwide see whats po...

Jaime Lerner does not see cities as the problem; he sees urbanism as the solution to many global problems.  This video outlines practical plans to rethink the city to be more sustainable.  To see an trailer for a documentary about the urban changes in Curitiba, Brazil, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swQTTG3NcYY

This cycling blog occasionally will have some political and urban commentary, especially arguing for more bike paths within our urban areas. 

Cities from Los Angeles to Atlanta are making big bets to revitalize their downtowns by bringing back a form of transportation many abandoned decades ago: the streetcar.

The streetcar was a staple in urban development projects generations ago and was subsequently abandoned.  Many mid-sized cities today (and a few large ones) are returning to that 'outdated' mode of transportation and hoping that streetcar stops will encourage businesses to open shop in those neighborhoods. 

More than half of the world now lives in urban areas. In the U.S., urban dwellers make up 83 percent of the population, and it's growing every day. What does it mean to live in a city today? What are the challenges for cities going forward?

This NPR special series, NPR cities, is an acknowledgement of what we already knew: cities are becoming increasingly important. To understand humanity in the 21st century, we need to understand cities. Included in this marvelous feature are numerous podcasts, infographics and articles about urban themes such as transportation, cultural amenities, economic and neighborhood revitalization.

Our car-dependent lifestyle has led to a dramatic rise in obesity-related illnesses. But we can do something about it.

What does urban planning have to do with our health?  Plenty.  More walkable cities not surprisingly have citizens that are healthier and more fit.   

Channel 5 - Behind closed Doors Series on Container City at Trinity Buoy Wharf...

On my daily commute, I drive by a colorful container building in Providence, RI.  In terms of it's spatial configuration and aesthetic statement within the urban landscape, I found it fascinating.  After doing some more research, I began to appreciate this as a form of sustainable housing that 1) costs less than traditional structures, 2) can be built MUCH quicker that standard buildings and 3) has the potential to be an effective recycling method.  For more on 'Container Cities,' see: http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/kaidbenfield/40875/shipping-container-cities-bring-creative-funky-approach-green-construction

TED Talks Eduardo Paes is the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, a sprawling, complicated, beautiful city of 6.5 million.

What should city planners be doing to maintain a vibrant city?  The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro explains his vision for cities and city management for the future. 

In The Wall Street Journal, Wendell Cox writes that government planners intend to herd millions of new state residents into densely packed urban corridors. It won't save the planet but will make traffic even worse.

This is a article/video against many of the regulations that embody the 'Smart Growth' movement that would serve as a good ideological counterweight to many of the other sources that are available.  Would more dense neighborhoods create transit problems?

A few years ago, at a highway safety conference in Savannah, Ga., I drifted into a conference room where a sign told me a “Pedestrian Safety” panel was being held.

This 4-part series on walking is more than a nostalgic look at an era when more people walked in our cities than used automobiles.  While all countries have seen a decline in pedestrianism with the advent of the automobile, this decline is the most pronounced in the USA.  It answers the underlying question "why don't Americans walk more?"  In part there are cultural factors, but also the urban infrastructure plays a role in declining pedestrianism.  Many urbanists want to design more 'walkable' cities, but places like Jacksonville, FL, Charlotte, NC, Forth Worth, TX and Nashville, TN ranks as the least walkable cities in the country (NYC, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia are ranked as the best).