Posted in Uncategorized on April 25, 2008| Leave a Comment »
From Randy Vines in St. Louis:
St. Louis GLUEster Michael Allen was interviewed recently on KWMU’s (local NPR affiliate) “St. Louis on the Air” about the importance of preserving our built environment. In an age of soulless suburban sprawl, our city’s historic fabric has become its leading competitive advantage. Listen here.
Posted in Uncategorized on April 21, 2008| Leave a Comment »
When I first moved back to the Detroit area, I asked people how to best get reacquainted with my hometown, and a number of them told me to listen to Detroit Today on Detroit Public Radio – which I have been doing ever since. It’s become one of my favorite radio shows, and is an incredible resource for Detroiters. It covers a wide breadth of topics and perspectives; yet somehow, each show feels relevant to me as a listener. Abby and I were interviewed on Detroit Today last Thursday (I was thrilled to the point of unprofessionalism when we received the invitation).
Abby and I talked with host Craig Fahle about how far GLUE has come, and our hopes for its future. You can listen here.
Posted in Uncategorized on April 21, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Detroit
Below are the remaining Sticky Meeting results, again, unfiltered, from those meetings held on Thursday, April 10. (Duluth had to cancel due to a blizzard warning, sadly – I guess we’re not the same in EVERY way).
Detroit Brainstorm + Reply from Toledo, 4.10.08
Cleveland Brainstorm + Reply from Detroit, 4.10.08
St Louis Brainstorm + Reply from Pittsburgh, 4.10.08
Posted in Uncategorized on April 18, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Margaret Weber has been a coordinator of a Detroit local drop-off recycling facility for 18 years. She and other Detroit-area environmentalists and activists, including members of the Sierra Club, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Rosedale Recycles, and Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, have recently formed the Coalition for a Clean and Green Detroit (which is new enough that no website yet exists) to make sure that Detroit seizes “the once in a generation opportunity we have now,” according to Margaret, “to totally change the way we treat the business of waste in Detroit.”
The Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority (GDRRA) has been incinerating most of Detroit’s trash since 1989. According to this Metro Times article, the city of Detroit currently recycles only 3% of its waste – a paltry amount compared to other cities. The rest is burned at the GDRRA, at a cost to the city of $90 million in 2006-2007 over the incoming revenues.
In addition to the financial cost, there are the health concerns. Some studies link proximity to waste incinerators as significantly tied to increased rates of asthma, mercury and dioxin levels, and lung and other cancers, although the GDRRA claims that its emissions are below “safe levels” of toxins set by the EPA.
Detroit’s debt obligation with the GDRRA is set to run out in June 2009. But the city will be deciding in the next few weeks whether to buy the incinerator, renew its lease, or to change how it treats its trash.
Said Margaret, “I can’t overstate the uniqueness of this opportunity. Moving to a new system that includes curb-side recycling will create jobs and have lasting effects on our health and environment.”
Lee Gaddies, a community activist with the Bagley Community Council (and a candidate for State Rep in the 7th District), believes this is about not just economics and health, but a needed change in the relationship between business and government. He urges, “We have to demand that our politicians muster the courage to do what’s right for all the citizens of Detroit – not just the business owners who financed their campaigns.”
On Monday, April 14, 2008, Detroit’s City Council passed a resolution that states, “Council will only support a budget proposal for waste disposal for FY 2008-09 that includes assurances of the following provisions, [including] A systematic plan adopted by GDRRA to transform Detroit’s solid waste system to one of materials recovery utilizing a materials recovery facility (MRF) with comprehensive curbside recycling, and landfills to supplement this system.”
As with many governmental decisions, the decision to buy, lease, or walk away from the incinerator will be made not through a vote or a public process, but during budget negotiations.
That means, if you’d like to weigh in, you have to act quickly. According to Margaret, citizens who wish to effect the outcome should offer expressions of support for the Council’s recent resolution. You can write a Letter to the Editor, contact Council members, or write a letter to the Mayor. You can also get involved by emailing Margaret at mmgweber@gmail.com.
Posted in Uncategorized on April 18, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Chris Briem, one of the Pittsburgh area’s most beloved bloggers, brought my attention to a Richard Florida piece in the April 12th edition of The Wall Street Journal.
The money quote?
The real driving force of the world economy is a new and incredibly powerful economic unit: the mega-region.
And where do we line up?
The world’s largest mega is Greater Tokyo, with 55 million people and $2.5 trillion in economic activity. Next is the 500-mile Boston-Washington corridor, with some 54 million people and $2.2 trillion in output. Also in the top 10 are mega-regions that run from Chicago to Pittsburgh, Atlanta to Charlotte, Miami to Tampa, and L.A. to San Diego. Outside of the U.S., you can find megas around Amsterdam, London, Osaka and Nagoya, Milan, Rome and Turin, and Frankfurt and Stuttgart.
I wouldn’t have started this project if I didn’t believe our ‘mega-region’ stretches beyond Chicago and Pittsburgh, but it is heartening nonetheless to see this idea find its way into another major American opinion page. And yes, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Detroit Free Press are major opinion pages, thank you very much.
Posted in Uncategorized on April 18, 2008| Leave a Comment »
We’ve previously talked about the clear economic benefits of Great Lakes restoration. The Brookings Institution’s Healthy Waters, Healthy Economy report demonstrates that implementing the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy would, with an investment of $26 billion, create between $80 and $100 billion worth of benefits. But while this report made a convincing argument that we’d see a return in increased property values, tourism, fishing, and decreased municipal costs, among other categories, it didn’t answer the question: where?
Now Brookings and partners (the Council of Great Lakes Industries, the Healing Our Waters Coalition, and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative) have created a supplement that might be sufficiently local to get the attention of our local leaders. You can read the press release here, and the Place-Specific Benefits report here. An excerpt from the press release:
“Millions of people depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, recreation and way of life,” said Andy Buchsbaum, co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “This analysis shows us that restoring the Great Lakes isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. Cleaner lakes mean a healthier regional economy and a healthier place to call home. The time to act is now.”
Posted in Uncategorized on April 17, 2008| 2 Comments »
From Ann Mestrovich in Buffalo:
From June 24th through June 27th, thousands of Buffalo natives and anyone interested in experiencing the Queen City at its best will come “home” to rediscover what makes this city so great. This event was started in 2006 by a grassroots group of volunteers looking to celebrate the city and bring others back. This year’s outreach will include a home-grown campaign to “Bring the Herd Home,” where locals will be asked to register and invite five friends home for the event.
For more information visit: www.buffalohomecoming.com
What is Buffalo Homecoming?
Buffalo Homecoming 2008 is a celebration of the best of Buffalo for those who are in Buffalo because they want to be, and for those who are not in Buffalo, but wish they were…
What Are We REALLY Trying To Accomplish?
We believe that the Buffalo Homecoming event can play a critical role in:
• Keeping those who want to be in Buffalo here
• Bringing back those who have left but would prefer to be in Buffalo
• Attracting creative class urban professionals of all ages to Buffalo
• Showcasing Buffalo’s many often over-looked assets and revealing the Buffalo and Western New York area as a vibrant, growing community
• Showing why Buffalo Niagara is a great place to live, work, play and invest to a broad group of individuals who care
Posted in Uncategorized on April 17, 2008| 1 Comment »
As you surely know if you’ve read What is GLUE?, this project came about after Abby and I moved back to our hometowns, Pittsburgh and Detroit, respectively, within six months of each other. We started talking – a lot – about the similarities we were finding. As a metro-Detroiter, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone knew how much our two cities have in common? We have so much to learn from Pittsburgh!” Through thoughts like that, the comparative conversation that became GLUE was born.
People often ask us which of the cities we visit now are “dying,” and which are on their way “back.” We like to try to point out the flawed assumptions that underlie this question.
First, we exist on a spectrum of city health. Pittsburgh’s resilience, as discussed in this article urging Detroit Freep readers to look to Pittsburgh for some positive ideas about our potential future, is evidence. Thirty years ago, people might have described Pittsburgh as “dying,” but today, despite its continued challenges, no one would make that mistake.
Second, we don’t want to go “back.” Even in their 20th century heyday, our cities weren’t exactly Urban Gardens of Eden. What we have now is the opportunity to refuse to repeat the same bad decisions – highways that wipe out neighborhoods and make fleeing to the suburbs easier, for instance – that we made in the 1950s and 60s. We have the opportunity not to return to the conditions of the early 20th century, but to move to an economically, socially, and physically healthier future.
Let’s all look to our other GL friends for ideas about how to achieve that.
Posted in Uncategorized on April 16, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Uncategorized on April 16, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Last week, GLUE held its first-ever, region-wide local brainstorming sessions. At these Sticky City Meetings, participants in each city listed their homes’ greatest challenges and most promising ideas or valuable assets. After each city finished its brainstorm, participants’ notes were sent to another GL city, who responded to the similarities, differences, and with ideas worth sharing. Everybody wanted to keep talking after the 1.5-hr meetings were over – evidence to the GLUE Team that people are ready for this kind of conversation. The topics of future meetings will be set based on the commonalities that emerged during Meeting #1. Stay tuned to GLUE’s Local Page for future events.
Below are links to the results: raw notes scribed during the simultaneous meetings on 4.8. Analysis, and the product of the five meetings on 4.10, to follow.
Buffalo Brainstorm + Reply from Columbus, 4.8.08
Chicago Brainstorm + Reply from Rochester, 4.8.08
Columbus Brainstorm + Reply from Flint, 4.8.08
Flint Brainstorm + Reply from Indianapolis, 4.8.08
Indianapolis Brainstorm + Reply from Chicago, 4.8.08
Milwaukee Brainstorm + Reply from Buffalo, 4.8.08
Rochester Brainstorm + Reply from Milwaukee, 4.8.08
Posted in Uncategorized on April 9, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Last night GLUE held its first set of Sticky City Round-Ups. Based on the initial feedback we received, this conversation was long overdue. To those of you who weren’t able to make it, fear not. It’s only the beginning.
I would of course be remiss if I didn’t extend a loud, bloggy thank you to our participants and organizers. Attendance at local outposts ranged from three to sixteen people. Like so many big, optimistic, complex undertakings, we’re starting small, and the contribution of every single person is significant. Future meetings will likely double or triple these numbers. Every single one of you has a role to play in this project as we move forward.
Below you’ll find a quick list of which cities talked. After TOMORROW’s meetings, we’ll be able to process all the feedback and get into the substance of these comparisons
Indianapolis gave feedback to Flint
Rochester gave feedback to Chicago
Flint gave feedback to Columbus
Milwaukee gave feedback to Rochester
Chicago gave feedback to Indianapolis
Columbus gave feedback to Buffalo
Buffalo gave feedback to Milwaukee
One particular quote made me especially happy, as it relates to our hopes for a Great Lakes Presidential debate!
(from Rochester)
Hello Chicago
We both have senators bidding for the opportunity to run for the White House – this could help to advance our causes, especially if GLUE is able to get an urban agenda into the national discussion.
Tomorrow’s round-ups will take place in Pittsburgh, PA, Detroit, MI, Cleveland, OH, Duluth, MN, Toledo, OH, and St. Louis, MO
Next month’s Round-Ups will take place on MAY 8th and MAY 13th.
Stay tuned for feedback in the coming days!
Posted in Uncategorized on April 7, 2008| 2 Comments »
On Friday, April 18th, noted Harvard Economics Professor Edward Glaeser will be in Buffalo as part of a panel to discuss his take on Buffalo and what can/should be done with our city (Resurrecting Buffalo). If you haven’t heard about Glaeser before, well then he probably hasn’t written a controversial article about the fate of your hometown.
Published in the New York Sun and in City Journal , the article — “Can Buffalo Ever Come Back?” — came out in Autumn 2007. Ok, fairly objective and intriguing so far, but then the City Journal version tacked on the subtitle: “Probably not — and government should stop bribing people to stay there.”
Though he was invited here by the University at Buffalo Regional Institute, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and the Buffalo Branch of the Federal Reserve, it may seem to some like Glaeser is attempting the journalistic equivalent of insulting your mother and then coming over to have dinner with you and all of your siblings at your parents’ house (FYI, Prof. Glaeser: I have four brothers).
As to the content of the article itself, though, aside from some broad assumptions about human wants, a somewhat ham-handed approach to local history, and the obligatory misinformed Buffalo-weather insults, there are some kernels of insight embedded that would serve to spark productive discussions on the plight of our city.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve ever thought we would be better off if the oft mis-appropriated quip “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” was applied instead to headline writers. But when the opener is so far over the top that finding the article’s merits is more difficult for most Buffalonians than finding an Ottawa Senators fan at the Anchor Bar (FYI: if you do find one, it’s probably one of my brothers, so be nice), you have a problem.
Nevertheless, I encourage you to read this article. Why? Members of the GLUE network will see pretty clearly that Buffalo herein serves merely as a trope for any Great Lakes (f/k/a Rust Belt) city. So how would you respond (in a productive way) if this article had been about your city instead, and if you had been asked to represent the ‘younger leader’ contingent here in a public forum? I have. Please post your thoughts here or get in contact with me to discuss.
I certainly have my own take on the situation here in Buffalo, but would like as much as possible to inject the perspectives of all of you out there who are not only trying to make it in the Great Lakes cities, but trying to make the Great Lakes cities better in the process.
Contact: aarmstrong@lisc.org
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged politics on April 4, 2008| Leave a Comment »
If you had ten minutes with the presidential candidates, what Great Lakes Region specific question would you ask them? Do you want to know how they’d fund Great Lakes restoration, and on what timeline? Or how they plan to turn our urban schools around? Will they prioritize urban infrastructure repair? Would they incentivize the creation of green jobs in our cities? How would they work with Canada to develop a bi-national agenda for our region?
Post a comment with your question for the candidates.
News from the Mega-Region
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