Trying to grasp the interplay between the US homeless crisis and the capital housing market can be a tad tricky at times. So often homelessness is viewed as the fallout of addiction or bad life choices, or the after affect of incarceration. After the housing market crash which saw hundreds of thousands of Americans lose… Continue reading Hawaii Proposes Radical Prescriptions for Curing Homelessness
Category: Fortress America
Is America Ready for Its Own Arab Spring?
Well, the nightmare we knew was coming is finally here. Donald Trump is in charge of America. In a matter of hours he proved just how belligerent his administration will be towards workers, women, scientists, and immigrants alike. Yes this nightmare is now reality, and no amount of drinking will change that. I know, I… Continue reading Is America Ready for Its Own Arab Spring?
AirBNB, Displacement, and Freezing the Homeless to Death
On Martin Luther King Day it was reported an infant, possibly only hours old, had died in a homeless camp near a bus stop in downtown Portland, Oregon. First responders rushed the baby to OHSU, but it was too late. Reports were inconclusive as to whether the child was in fact stillborn, or died shortly after… Continue reading AirBNB, Displacement, and Freezing the Homeless to Death
Fighting for Life Against the Death Cult of Capitalism
In a week this total fraud of an election will be over, and among the great number of things they have in common, one of the two disaster candidates elected will be in full support of the Dakota Access Pipeline. We could have had Bernie Sanders. We could have had Jill Stein. But nope. The… Continue reading Fighting for Life Against the Death Cult of Capitalism
Yes, We’re Still Going Broke Subsidizing Sprawl
Over the last couple years I’ve critiqued the ways urbanists have promoted unaffordable hi-rise condos as being somehow sustainable, how they’ve perverted notions of density and equity for PR purposes with the ultimate goal of making money in real estate. It’s true, making cities so unaffordable that workers can no longer live there is a mistake.… Continue reading Yes, We’re Still Going Broke Subsidizing Sprawl
The Betrayal of Bernie Sanders
Bernie and Hillary may be at opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they do have one thing in common: they both want you to take Donald Trump very seriously. As do a lot of voters claiming they’re terrified of Mr. Solid Gold Dumpster Fire. Hillary’s only chance requires distracting us from her record by reinforcing just… Continue reading The Betrayal of Bernie Sanders
Public Space Is Fundamental to Democracy, No Wonder It’s Under Attack
A true public space is overtly political in that it is a democratized space. That is, there is no regular programming which dictates the goings on within such a space. Instead, the day to day happenings are largely decided by those who use the place. City government or other municipalities can manage or maintain public space,… Continue reading Public Space Is Fundamental to Democracy, No Wonder It’s Under Attack
Detroit’s Arson Crisis: ‘We Don’t Need No Water, Let the Motherfucker Burn’
In Flint, you can’t drink the water. In Detroit, you can’t turn on the water. Thousands of Detroiters have had their tap water cut by the city for late bills in what the United Nations considers a humanitarian crime. At the same time as water won’t flow from the tap, hundreds – if not thousands – of the city’s fire… Continue reading Detroit’s Arson Crisis: ‘We Don’t Need No Water, Let the Motherfucker Burn’
The Sound and Fury of Portland on November 29th 2014
It took over a year for Portland’s Citizen Review Commission to issue a ruling regarding the police action of November 29, 2014. In January of this year, the panel came to a 5-3 decision stating that orders issued by the Portland Police Bureau to hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters were in fact unlawful. CRC’s investigation was the… Continue reading The Sound and Fury of Portland on November 29th 2014
The Radical Urban Agenda of Bernie Sanders
Urbanists are always complaining presidents and other federal officials don’t focus enough on urban issues. They’re right to. National politics is framed around the Heartland of America, not dense urban centers where most of us actually live. That could soon change. Bernie Sanders is currently waging an insurgent campaign for president inside the other corporate… Continue reading The Radical Urban Agenda of Bernie Sanders