In the landscape of the American roadway, four colors seem to reign supreme for background signage: green, yellow, orange, and blue. Green (with white lettering) is the status quo across freeways and most municipal markers for value-neutral guidance and wayfinding. Yellow (with black lettering) is most pervasive in signaling a permanent aberration: e.g., a change
Whether it offers breathtaking natural features, a historic landmark, or simply a place for viewing other phenomena, a park can serve as an amazing magnet and catalyst for economic development. A destination park—usually state or national, and one that typically requires admission fees to enter—can yield such spinoff economic benefits that it invigorates the neighboring
It’s not my custom to feature two articles in a row with a short video, but what can I say? With these two, I can think of no better way to capture a scenario defined by motion. And, far removed from the desert metropolis of my previous animated article, this one teleports the reader to
As I strive to meet my January quota of five articles (having only achieved two so far for the month), I hesitate to focus on this subject—artifacts along the PA Turnpike—mostly because these contemplations seem to drip with condescension toward smaller towns. Anyone who has read a half-dozen of my articles knows that is not
Through this blog, I strive to be a “noticer”. In many instances, no doubt, I’m realizing shifts or trends that unfolded many years ago, either so slowly that almost everyone failed to notice them (the boiling frog condition), or I’m just slow at catching on. Hopefully not the latter, and preferably neither, as far as
Rarely a day goes by without a collective crie de coeur regarding the housing affordability crisis. Less visible, perhaps in some respects because it is in some respects a niche subset, is the lodging crisis—a shortage of temporary, leased, overnight accommodations with varying amenities attached to the lodging purchase. This shortfall, no doubt, in part
All the contextual evidence suggests that Hagerman, Idaho is a minor city of at least a few thousand people. Viewing a map or aerial, the street grid shows at least forty blocks. People in the metropolis of Boise (almost 100 miles to the northwest) seem to know about the place, at least from my passing
It’s hard to find an old single-screen move theater that’s thriving, even in affluent urban areas. When it comes to those walkable, revitalizing main street districts—where people collectively demonstrate their affection for old architecture by refurbishing and repurposing old buildings for niche businesses—the vintage movie theaters from the Golden Age of Cinema should ride the
Belfield, a city (per the legal definition) in southwest North Dakota just a brief drive from one of the state’s biggest attractions, has seemingly bucked the trend of similarly sized communities throughout the Great Plains. Specifically, it isn’t dwindling to nothing. Instead of experiencing dramatic population loss, Belfield has largely hovered around 1,000 persons for
Sure, there’s a big canvas tarpaulin-like thing covering the kiosk here on the sidewalk, so it may not be entirely clear what’s underneath. But an assessment of the surrounding area should make it obvious: it’s a parking meter, and this town uses seasonal meters. And it’s late September. The town in question is Rehoboth Beach,
In the landscape of the American roadway, four colors seem to reign supreme for background signage: green, yellow, orange, and blue. Green (with white lettering) is the status quo across freeways and most
Whether it offers breathtaking natural features, a historic landmark, or simply a place for viewing other phenomena, a park can serve as an amazing magnet and catalyst for economic development. A destination park—usually
It’s not my custom to feature two articles in a row with a short video, but what can I say? With these two, I can think of no better way to capture a
As I strive to meet my January quota of five articles (having only achieved two so far for the month), I hesitate to focus on this subject—artifacts along the PA Turnpike—mostly because these
Through this blog, I strive to be a “noticer”. In many instances, no doubt, I’m realizing shifts or trends that unfolded many years ago, either so slowly that almost everyone failed to notice
Rarely a day goes by without a collective crie de coeur regarding the housing affordability crisis. Less visible, perhaps in some respects because it is in some respects a niche subset, is the
All the contextual evidence suggests that Hagerman, Idaho is a minor city of at least a few thousand people. Viewing a map or aerial, the street grid shows at least forty blocks. People
It’s hard to find an old single-screen move theater that’s thriving, even in affluent urban areas. When it comes to those walkable, revitalizing main street districts—where people collectively demonstrate their affection for old
Belfield, a city (per the legal definition) in southwest North Dakota just a brief drive from one of the state’s biggest attractions, has seemingly bucked the trend of similarly sized communities throughout the
Sure, there’s a big canvas tarpaulin-like thing covering the kiosk here on the sidewalk, so it may not be entirely clear what’s underneath. But an assessment of the surrounding area should make it