In 2013 the US was still reeling from the collapse of the housing market in 2008. While hundreds of thousands of Americans unjustly lost their homes, many foreclosed on illegally, there was one upside to this collapse. For a few years at least, irresponsible sprawl development was put on hold across most the nation. I… Continue reading The Earth Isn’t Dying, It’s Being Killed by Realtors
Category: Livable Streets
Our Cities Need Socialism
Remember in 2016 when the McResistance told us that fighting for progressive causes was getting put on hold while all effort would be focused on blocking Trump? Then, predictably, Democrats ended up confirming virtually all of Trump’s nominations and cabinet picks. Alleged maverick and new liberal darling John McCain voted for every one of them,… Continue reading Our Cities Need Socialism
Driverless Cars Will Be Allowed to Kill Us, Because Capitalism Is A Death Cult
As you likely already know, last week a ‘driverless’ Uber test vehicle made by Volvo struck and killed 49 year old Elaine Herzberg while she was walking her bike across a road in Tempe, Arizona. The vehicle was traveling at a rate of speed that guarantees a 60+% fatality rate when striking pedestrians. The Uber’s autonomous vehicle… Continue reading Driverless Cars Will Be Allowed to Kill Us, Because Capitalism Is A Death Cult
Pitting Cyclists Against the Homeless Is Peak Neoliberalism
If you read blogs about bikes you likely saw how Seattle’s DOT installed a dozen and a half bike racks in a place nobody would lock a single bike, let alone dozens of bikes. SDOT did this, quite obviously, to block homeless people from camping in the location, as everyone figured out pretty quickly. Condemnation… Continue reading Pitting Cyclists Against the Homeless Is Peak Neoliberalism
If You Can’t Bike On It, It Doesn’t Belong In the City
Last week a critical mass of mostly black kids on BMX bikes swarmed the Cross-Bronx expressway in a glorious reclamation of space from the monopoly of the automobile. Predictably the mass ride quickly caught the attention of media and the NYPD, who arrested 16 of the teenagers, prompting outcry of a disproportionate response by law… Continue reading If You Can’t Bike On It, It Doesn’t Belong In the City
Dodge Markets Their Cars to Sociopaths, It’s No Wonder Nazis Love Them
Last Saturday during a march against white supremacy in Charlottesville, Virginia, a man drove a Dodge Challenger into the crowd, killing at least one and injuring dozens more. The vehicle was traveling at 40 mph, a speed that has a 90% fatality rate when hitting pedestrians. It’s a miracle more didn’t die. The suspect is… Continue reading Dodge Markets Their Cars to Sociopaths, It’s No Wonder Nazis Love Them
The Debut of Open Streets Owosso: PHOTO ESSAY
This weekend saw the launch of yet another Open Streets event modeled on the successes of similar car-free street events in cities like Bogotá, Portland, Los Angeles, and Detroit. But what was slightly different this time was the size of the town involved. Owosso sits in the middle of Michigan agricultural land and has a… Continue reading The Debut of Open Streets Owosso: PHOTO ESSAY
Should City Driving Be Considered Terrorism?
[UPDATES: See below] When an allegedly intoxicated driver plowed into crowds of pedestrians in the heart of Times Square today, you’d be forgiven for thinking this isn’t something that happens all the time in New York. Alas, you’d be wrong. Even in the densest city in America cars are allowed to race around at lethal… Continue reading Should City Driving Be Considered Terrorism?
Melbourne Rides Against Anti-Cycling Helmet Laws
This weekend a mass of bicyclists took to the streets of Melbourne to protest Australia’s regressive bike helmet mandate. They were, of course, riding helmet-free. The fine for doing so is an absurd $200.00 AU. Organized by the group Freestyle Cyclists, the protest ride drew immediate media local media attention, which was then magnified across the globe.… Continue reading Melbourne Rides Against Anti-Cycling Helmet Laws
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