by Mary Baker | Jun 5, 2012 | International, National, Sustainable Development |
Sustainable development principles are intended to balance environmental protection with economic development. This concept, which is the main focus of this year’s Rio+20 Summit being held in Brazil, is lauded by advocates all over the world as the requisite paradigm...
by Mary Baker | Jun 1, 2012 | Exurban/Suburban |
In recent history, there has been no greater example of eminent domain abuse–where the taking of private property was transferred from one private entity to that of another for the purpose of economic development–than the court case of Kelo vs. New London....
by Mary Baker | May 30, 2012 | Muses, Urban |
Yarn bombing is the latest global street art phenomenon. Sometimes called “Grandma Graffiti,” the idea is to clothe ordinary, mundane objects with brightly colored knitted frocks. Artists sneak out into the night and crochet just about anything that suits...
by Mary Baker | May 25, 2012 | Exurban/Suburban, Free Range Life, Sustainable Development |
Out here in exurbia we coexist with nature. Surprisingly, the first sounds of the day are not from cars, school buses or children walking to school, they are from the yelping coyotes or screeching barn owls at dawn followed by the sounds of ravens, hawks, roosters,...
by Mary Baker | May 24, 2012 | International, National, Sustainable Development |
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is a highly funded organization that was created in 1948 for the purpose of “evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species” and to open dialogue between...
by Mary Baker | May 18, 2012 | Exurban/Suburban, National, Rural, Smart Growth, Sustainable Development, Urban |
Today and in the past, social engineers have been defining the ideal plan for human settlements. The Thoreau Institute published an article in May 2005 called Smart Growth and the Ideal City.1 In the article, what appears to be a contemporary description of smart...
by Mary Baker | May 18, 2012 | Exurban/Suburban, National, Rural, Smart Growth, Sustainable Development, Urban |
Every American has the opportunity to own private property and for those who own land or who dream of owning land, their American Dream is threatened by a massive initiative known to us now as Smart Growth/Sustainable Development. As our country copes with dwindling...
by Mary Baker | May 16, 2012 | Exurban/Suburban, Free Range Life, Smart Growth |
newgeography.com just published My Free Range Life! This is a great honor. Newgeography is a national blog that focuses on “economic, demographic and political commentary about places”. In the vast ocean of public commentary about land use and the...
by Mary Baker | May 14, 2012 | Exurban/Suburban, National, Smart Growth, Sustainable Development, Urban |
Recently, while scanning the news in the San Diego Union Tribune, I came across this article about “Taking Inventory of County’s Trees”. The article describes Robin Rivet’s “ambitious effort to map every urban tree in San Diego...
by Mary Baker | May 12, 2012 | Exurban/Suburban, Rural, Smart Growth, Sustainable Development, Urban |
The American Planning Association developed a smart growth planning ‘newspeak‘ during the 90s. Planning departments all around the country are adopting this new language. Click here for more buzz words. These photos are evidence that smart growth planning...
