After two years of writing this blog, it has come to my attention that I am simply a placeist. Not in the Urban Dictionary manner that sort of has undertones of being a racist or any other -ist that is negative. It’s in the sense that I see benefits in all types of land use… Continue reading Becoming A Placeist-The Black Urbanist on its Second Anniversary
Year: 2012
What Happens To A Mall Deferred?
Brother Langston’s classic poem “Dream Deferred” is heavy on my mind today. I woke up this morning after dreaming once again that my beloved enclosed mall, the Four Seasons Town Centre, is dying, along with our surrounding neighborhood. The mall had many glory days from the time it opened in the 1970’s, but starting in… Continue reading What Happens To A Mall Deferred?
Does It Matter Who Owns the Corner Store?
Recently, a friend on Facebook asked this somewhat quintessential question: Why don’t black folks own businesses in their own neighborhoods? One commenter to this status mentioned that it may be because we (as in black folks) have forgotten to help our own as we have achieved higher and higher financial goals and wealth. I myself… Continue reading Does It Matter Who Owns the Corner Store?
Finding Happiness in the “Generic” City
So I was looking for jobs about six months ago and I came upon my current position through my network of grad school friends. On paper I knew I had what it takes to get the job. I also knew that this was a job that I could grow into and also be myself. Later… Continue reading Finding Happiness in the “Generic” City
North Carolina- A Microcosm of the Nation
North Carolina, my home state,represents a microcosm of the nation. How does it do that? Land use,economic development patterns, and population. Land Use Within a 7 hour drive, one could be at the peak of a mountain or digging their feet under sea level. In between there are rivers, lakes, swamps, hills of red clay… Continue reading North Carolina- A Microcosm of the Nation
Urban Wonkbook- Names Do Matter
Good morning folks. Every once in a while, but generally once a week, I try to cull all of my favorite links into one place, write up some commentary and give some love (or wise constructive criticism) to a few other fellow writers. The name Wonkbook comes first from my friend over at the Washington… Continue reading Urban Wonkbook- Names Do Matter
Getting Human Transport Outside Of The Box
A human is not a box. However, we still prefer to transport ourselves as such. Then again, we do live in a world, namely in the United States, where corporations are people and those “people” often make things that come in boxes. Yet, we are failing ourselves by only making our transportation systems work as… Continue reading Getting Human Transport Outside Of The Box
Actually Being Urban Part #3-Working Downtown
For the past three months, I’ve been engaged in my third experience of working in a dense, downtown environment. Hands down this has been my best experience and the most personally fulfilling. I work to promote the presentation and the funding of humanities projects throughout the state of North Carolina. This means that I get… Continue reading Actually Being Urban Part #3-Working Downtown
Identity Crisis- When Your Suburb is Really a Town
What makes a suburb a suburb? It’s one of the major questions that is at the center of the battle for how governments or independent communities of people should regulate and create public space. This issue has been on my mind quite a bit in the last few months. First, it was Emily Badger’s Pseudosuburbanism… Continue reading Identity Crisis- When Your Suburb is Really a Town
Actually Being Urban #2- Finding Diversity and Cleaning Clothes At the Laundromat
So your clothes are dirty. The hamper is overflowing. No big deal right? The washer and dryer are in the closet. Or maybe you have to lug them downstairs, but nevertheless, laundry machines are never too far away. Unless you are me and living in Downtown Greensboro, without the rental machines that cost way too… Continue reading Actually Being Urban #2- Finding Diversity and Cleaning Clothes At the Laundromat