Has Romney ever heard of the racial wealth gap?

In his speech, Mr. Romney mentioned two books that had influenced his thinking about nations — “Guns, Germs and Steel,” by Jared Diamond, and “The Wealth and Poverty of Nations,” by David S. Landes. Mr. Diamond’s book, Mr. Romney said, argues that the physical characteristics of the land account for the success of the people living there, while Mr. Landes’s book, he continued, argues that culture is the defining factor.

“Culture makes all the difference,” Mr. Romney said. “And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things.”


--


An interesting response:


"I wonder if "culture" -- rather than being born Caucasian and with a silver spoon in your mouth -- would be your preferred explanation for why you're a multi-millionaire, while Latinos and African Americans struggle to make ends meet."


http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/romney-comments-on-palestinians-draw-criticism/?smid=tw-share

"The Olympics gaffe was just that. This comment is something more - a haughty misunderstanding of the real conditions, suffering, and history of peoples and regions. Basing foreign policy on the assumptions Mr. Romney exposed within himself would be unconscionable and dangerous."

Wish you lived in Newark so you could vote for Cory Booker?

A story of bravery:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/14/nyregion/mayor-cory-booker-says-he-felt-terror-in-fire-rescue.html?_r=1&hp

Real reason behind DC's economic boom? Population blossoms but number of cars registered stays flat

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/transportation/2012/02/more-district-residents-getting-rid-cars/309136

Car registrations in the District have hovered around 275,000 over the last decade, according to D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles Director Lucinda Babers, even as the city's population ballooned by more than 40,000 people in that time.

"Whether it is addition of bike lines or pedestrian plazas, congestion pricing or rising tolls, the once-exalted automobile is under siege."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/realestate/developers-eye-garages-and-parking-lots.html?_r=1&hpw

NYTimes on parking and condominiums in NY City. Wish Newark had this problem? Comment here.

High crime neighborhoods encourage driving & discourage walking, cycling & transit

New report: "Neighborhood Crime and Travel Behavior: An Investigation of the Influence of Neighborhood Crime Rates on Mode Choice"

http://www.transweb.sjsu.edu/project/2802.html

New Haven Journal: How about a Roundabout and Trees, instead of a Highway?

Interesting articles on New Haven's proposals to tear up a highway that runs through the city center.

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/rte_34/


http://newurbannetwork.com/article/rescuing-botched-expressway-removal-15096

Which freeways could we remove from Newark?

DIY Kit for the Urban Interventionist

An excerpt from the well known design blog, Places Observer, at http://places.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=24308, talks about tactics to reclaim cities for people:

Our current recession is inspiring its own strategies and tactics: It's increasingly a catch-all for a host of urban interventions. This is a trend that I like to describe with a mouthful of a title: Provisional, Opportunistic, Ubiquitous, and Odd Tactics in Guerilla and DIY Practice and Urbanism. With this verbaciousness, I hope to capture the tactical multiplicity and inventive thinking that have cropped up in the vacuum of more conventional commissions. These days vacant lots offer sites for urban farming, mini-golf, and dumpster pools. Trash recycles into a speculative housing prototype (see the Tiny Pallet House). Whether it’s The Living’s Amphibious Architecture or Mark Shepard's Serendipitor, the built environment speaks through mobile devices. Retail spaces hit by the recession are fodder for reinvention, as the art organization No Longer Empty transforms unleased storefronts into temporary galleries. Even the street itself is reclaimed. REBAR’s annual initiative, Park(ing) Day, urges global participants to use a pranksters wit to turn parking spaces into pocket parks, one quarter at a time.

Why the Verrazano Narrows Bridge (VNB) Needs Access for Bicyclists and Pedestrians

Having better bike lane access from NJ to Brooklyn, via the VNB, would no doubt benefit bicycling in Newark. This from an insightful Streetsblog comment by StevenF:

The Verrazano Narrows Bridge has never been finished: the bridge was designed for two bicycle/pedestrian paths. But Robert Moses took the paths out in last year of construction, 1963, because he was worried about the negative impact of suicides on his TBTA bond ratings. Moses thought that removing the paths would prevent suicides. So instead of people quietly walking up, thinking about it, and walking down, they drive up, during rush hour, dump the car, block traffic, and then jump. One poor guy got up there in a taxi.

Having no path didn’t stop suicides, it just stops cyclists, joggers, walkers and tourists from enjoying the world class view of New York harbor. It stops the 10 percent of VNB traffic that travels only 8 miles door to door from the option of traveling by bicycle. The VNB is less than 2 miles long, 10,000 feet street to street, and is a 10-15 bike ride. The 8 mile trip is 30-50 minutes – well within current driving times when the SI Expressway is backed up.

The path can be installed in the empty space waiting for it – the space under the cables outboard of the roadway, and won’t take any of the 12 roadway lanes away. Costs, documented by a City Planning engineering study, would be about $35 million for the two paths, complete.

For a quick and dirty and cheap path, install a steel Jersey Barrier to block off one lower level lane and create a two way bike/ped path. A couple million dollars and we can be riding the VNB.

December Updates on National Transportation Policy

See http://www.bikehartford.com/2010/12/federal-transportation-policy-updates.html for a list of new reports and policy updates from Transportation for America.

"Cramming bikes onto serene paths is like putting a superhighway through a schoolyard."

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-11-07-we-need-real-bike-paths-for-real-bike-transportaiton

Excerpt:

The original concept is that of the linear park -- a destination in the city or suburbs where locals of all ages can go get fresh air and exercise in a natural setting. Mellow recreation was the idea. The bicycle has always been part of this mix. But MUPs aren't always simply about recreation. The use of these paths as transportation corridors, rather than parks, is being pushed increasingly at a local level, and even promoted by the feds, including in a recent interview with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on this site.

But there's a disconnect between the speedy reality of bicycle transportation and the slow, recreational uses these trails are designed for. Multi-use paths are only required to be eight feet wide. That's fine for a stroll in the park, but when you factor in two lanes for bikes as well as joggers, skaters, and roving families, it's alarmingly narrow.

Interesting Bicycle-Related News this Week!

Compiled by Colin Bennett. These are some great links on the state of bicycling!

Bike Education Program Triples Cycling Rates in Schools
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/01/bike-education-program-triples_cycling.php

Will Electric Bikes Get People Out of Cars?
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/01/electric-bikes-getting-people-out-of-cars.php

Charlie's FreeWheels Builds Self-Esteem Through Building Bikes
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/01/charlies-freewheels.php

11 most bicycle friendly cities in the world
http://www.virgin-vacations.com/11-most-bike-friendly-cities.aspx

UK Teen Driver Tries to Kill Cyclist, Who Turns Out to be a Police Officer. Oops.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/teen-driver-road-rage-attacks-cyclist-police-officer.php

Crunching the Numbers ($$$) on Bike Commuting
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/bike-commuting-how-much-money-saved.php

Google Maps Finally Adds Bike Routes
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/03/google-maps-for-bikes

Why Do Republicans Hate Bicycles So Much?
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/why-do-republicans-hate-bikes.php

Kiwi Biker Wins Right to Bicycle Naked
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/kiwi-biker-right-to-bicycle-naked.php

The Future of Cargo on Bikes (and the Present, Too!)
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/the-future-of-cargo-bikes.php

New Urban Streets: Interesting website on city building

http://newurbanstreets.com/

Sign the Pledge for Better Transportation

From T4America:

Transportation helps make America a land of opportunity: All Americans should be able to get to their job or a grocery store without breaking the bank or enduring long, brutal commutes. Everyone should have access to a variety of transportation options and the air should be clean and the streets safe, no matter where they live.

But millions of poor people and people of color live in communities where quality transportation options are unaffordable, unreliable, or just totally nonexistent. But it doesn't have to be this way. That's why, along with PolicyLink, we're launching the new Transportation for America Equity Caucus today, already more than 65 organizations strong.

Join us - sign the pledge for affordable, clean and safe transportation options for all.

Sign the pledge today.