Apr

6

More power for women means less climate pollution | Grist

Filed Under Environment, Politics, Sustainability, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Respect your mother

A recent Grist post notes that communities with women leaders have better environmental policy:

…even when controlling for a variety of measures of “modernization,” world-system position, and democracy, nations where women have higher political status — as indicated by the length of time women have had the right to vote and women’s representation in parliament and ministerial government — tend to have lower CO2 emissions per capita. This finding suggests that efforts to improve women’s political status around the world, clearly worthy on their own merits, may work synergistically with efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and avert dramatic global climate change. …more via More power for women means less climate pollution | Grist.

We couldn’t agree more. Great City is fortunate to be blessed with awesome women among its leadership!

Apr

4

Real Estate Market Segmentation – Seattle Transit Blog

Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Luxury Apartments under Construction, 4th and Madison, 1900 (wikimedia)

In liberal Seattle, almost everyone agrees that affordable housing is important, although people are as not as quick to speak well of its cousin, reduced housing prices. Meanwhile, new, dense development is both accused of eliminating affordable housing and being the ultimate source to provide it. I think both sides end up talking past each other because both positions contain a caricature of the segmentation (or lack thereof) of the market.

On my side, there’s a very heavy reliance on the law of supply and demand. Build more units and prices should go down. The dynamic turns up again and again in human endeavor and carries a strong presumption of truth. But if we view the real estate market not as a single pile of commodities but as a series of smaller markets segmented by taste, demographics, and income, the situation gets more complicated and obscures the debate sufficiently to allow people to believe many different things in good faith.

For one thing, even a higher mean unit price may not indicate that housing has become less affordable. In an economically marginal neighborhood, replacing a parking lot with a luxury condo tower will almost certainly increase the mean cost of a housing unit in the neighborhood. However, the impact on the actual existing stock of “affordable” housing is  less clear. There is certainly more supply for people who especially want to live there, driving prices down; however, an influx of wealthier people will bring objective improvements in some senses, particularly in nearby retail property value, local school performance, and so on. As a density guy, I’m inclined to applaud objective improvements in quality of life; I’m not worried about “gentrification” per se, but displacement.… more: Real Estate Market Segmentation – Seattle Transit Blog.

Apr

2

DSA asks Seattle’s urban families: What would keep you downtown?

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What’s that one thing? Check out the link below…

But first, here’s an interesting roundup of the challenges of living downtown as a parent:

  • Hard Impossible to get strollers onto buses (but easy on light rail!)
  • No “safe” open spaces/parks/playgrounds to connect with other downtown parents
  • While there are some parks (SLU, Denny, proposed Westlake park), they don’t keep kids entertained for very long due to a good playground structure
  • People wanted playgrounds not just parks – and playgrounds for kids of different ages
  • Lack of public schools (or knowledge surrounding public schools if you live downtown)
  • Variety of housing types that allow for more space (i.e. cities like Vancouver offer townhouses at the base of big apt/condo buildings)
  • Lack of programs downtown specifically targeted to downtown families (i.e. YMCA doesn’t even offer kids swimming lessons!)
  • Difficulty connecting with other parents and families who live downtown

via The New Pioneer Square – Families: What would keep you in downtown Seattle?

Apr

1

The Simple Math That Can Save Cities From Bankruptcy – Jobs & Economy – The Atlantic Cities

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Before:

After:

And, if you think that looks good, check out the tax revenue:

Via The Simple Math That Can Save Cities From Bankruptcy – Jobs & Economy – The Atlantic Cities.

Mar

30

Seattle, circa 2062

Filed Under Sustainability, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Seattle’s 2nd annual “Dream a Sound Future” competition is open for entries. Share your dream for the Emerald City, 50 years hence, and you could win $1,000.

Check it out:

What are your Dreams for Seattle in the Next 50 Years?

 

The Happiness Initiative, Sustainable Seattle, and the Next 50 present the 2nd Annual Dream A Sound Future Competition

 

The Happiness Initiative is a national project offering tools and resources to communities and individuals seeking to enhance their well-being.  The mission of the Happiness Initiative is to work for a just, healthy and resilient society where all people have the opportunity to pursue happiness. Based on the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative indicators for sustainability, you can present your ideas on how you see the region in the next 50 years and the steps to get there. Think of the year 2062. Imagine thriving economy, culturally diverse society, carbon emissions free highways, healthy oceans and lush forests. How do we arrive at such a future? What is our best-case scenario?

 

The Dream a Sound Future Competition is calling all visionaries to express these ideas through art, spoken word, dance, song, video, formal presentation, or other medium of choice.

 

One of our contestants for the Dream a Sound Future 2010 competition was Karin DeWeille. Karen’s dream is that we all quickly adapt our behavior and so more quickly create a sustainable future. Step one in Karen’s dream is for all of us to give up using non  recyclable cups by dedicating ourselves to using only reusable cups for three weeks — there by forming the habit and collectively seeing how easy it is to create collective positive change.

 

Grand Prize: $1000 Cash Prize along with other prizes

 

Ready! Set! Go!

 

First, go to www.happycounts.org and take the Happiness Survey.

 

Second, go to www.sustainableseattle.org/programs/dream-a-sound-future/163-library-of-dreams and view our Library of Dreams for inspiration and past contestants.

 

Third, go to www.sustainableseattle.org/dreamasoundfuture read the rules

 

Finally, start formulating and mapping out your dream

 

Open to all Puget Sound Residents

 

Submissions accepted until April 23rd

 

Award Ceremony on May 12th, 2012 at Seattle Center – Prizes, Performances, and Fame!

 

www.sustainableseattle.org/dreamasoundfuture

 

Join our mission to help guide Seattle into a Sustainable Future

 

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