There Are Things That I Like

Where I put my wonderful tweets and occasional viewpoints on urban things. It's a test, a prototype for a new future. It could be pretty sexy. Lets see what happens!

[inspectorvalvert]

:3

[stroadtoboulevard-blog]

Land use choices from Walkable Dallas.

The land use on the left moves about 250,000 people per day, all of them in cars. Land that is not paved for cars is utterly wasted: nobody would enjoy picnicking or living there, even if you were allowed.

The land use on the right moves 584,000 people day, about 500,000 of them on foot. (That’s more than double.) It takes up half the space, and the land around it is some of the most valuable in the world.

Do the regulations, guidelines and laws in your city encourage the development pattern on the left, or the development pattern on the right?

[roryamy]

[johnyungphat]

I will always remember when the Doctor was me.

[johnyungphat]

Streetcar Remarks for Council

I am speaking today as a resident of Cincinnati in support of the streetcar project.

Two weeks ago this council voted to pause construction to look at the numbers. Those numbers have arrived. The difference is whether the city wants to spend the remaining $70 million to finish the project and reap the benefits of the beginnings of a modern light rail system or waste up to $80 million to solidify the negative national reputation our city receives for being the only city to cancel not one but two transit projects.

There are no economic benefits for being known as the graveyard of failed half built public works projects.

On Monday this council approved $20 million in capital bonds to finance the much needed MLK interchange. No audit was needed, no projection of 30 year costs were provided or asked for. UC's Economic dept study was cited as the foundation for the need, whereas their study for the streetcar is discredited.  The bond action, which also raised property taxes, sailed smoothly through council.

Lets talk about road financing. In an age where the federal gas tax barley finances half of the nations highway and bridge construction, where was the call for tolls for MLK? Why are road users not paying their fare share for road construction and maintenance? If the demands for revenue neutral transportation projects were real why are these questions not asked for all transportation projects?

But back to the streetcar. Some people today spoke skeptically of the financials. They say its for the "urban elites." Well it turns out that over 71% of the city's tax revenues come from areas from downtown to uptown. And with hundreds of abandoned and under preforming properties, these areas not even operating at full potential. Downtown and Uptown fuel the city and its many neighborhoods so investing in projects like the streetcar moves the city towards realizing the full potential of its core.

The last time council met on this project hundreds of supporters spoke in favor of the project over the course of three days. In the interim, they organized and formed a petition drive around the streetcar. They combed all 52 neighborhoods and changed some minds, over 10,000 minds. They became a movement. And that's not to mention members of the business community that have stepped up. There are plenty of paths forward to save this project and ensure its success. I'm hoping some of you will embrace that path tomorrow.

Support the future of Cincinnati, build the streetcar! 

Thank you.

[steamwhistlepress]

[over-the-rhine-blog]

Points of Interest in Over-the-Rhine by Steam Whistle Letterpress

[sherlocks]

Doctor Who, The Power of Three, Season 7 Episode 4

[johnyungphat]

I'm not running away from things. I'm running to them before they flare and fade forever.

[thefrogman]

Otis vs the TARDIS.

[the video is much cooler!]

[kamokachan]

I remember everything...

[doctorwhoquotesfuturama-blo-blog]

[doctorwhoquotesfuturama-blo-blog]

[johnyungphat]

A classic quote!

[doctorwhoquotesfuturama-blo-blog]

[taestell-deactivated20181217]

Views from my rooftop.

[johnyungphat]

#beautifulbellevue Rain garden!

[johnyungphat]

Weird morning sky from last week. #thisisotr

[johnyungphat]

And then @5chw4r7z got Iowa drunk at the Orchard.

[ughleni]

[johnyungphat]

Are You My Mummy?

Don’t Blink

Silence Will Fall

Ink and Copic Markers

[thefluffingtonpost]

Meet Trotter, the Most Fashionable Pup on Instagram

Mobile photo network Instagram is known for fashion photos and pet pics, but the best of both worlds are married by Trotter, a San Francisco Frenchie who knows how to step out in style.

She prefers to work with only one photographer, Sonya Yu.

“Sonya really captures Trotter’s essence,” says Randy Zed, the pup’s longtime publicist. “When it comes to high dog fashion, there’s really no one else on the scene today.”

Via Sonya Yu.

[npr]

Treat yourself! — tanya  b.