Unfortunately Philadelphia has ignored safety and schools for too long. I'm hopeful that Nutter will set the foundation to turn these issues around long term. Perhaps if crimes like muggings, assaults, and break ins could be seriously reduced, a lot of people living outside of the city would consider buying in the city limits. Yet to do this, jobs have to come back to Philadelphia. I had lived in Philadelphia for 31 years, yet I've never had one job in the city, even as a teen I worked in the suburbs. The trek from North Philly to Collegeville on a Septa bus was not fun!

Hey, I go to auto shows and happen to be very much pro-sustainable urban living. Sometimes guys just like to gawk at 600 horsepower italian sportscars. There's nothing wrong with that

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"What's up Pops!" - Lebron James to Bush 41.

the parking lot behind our building was so full and at a standstill for hours. The effect was weird....the exhaust somehow fogged up our windows and dirtied them.

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Well, that's one of the reasons I am excited about Nutter. I think he gets it. Does that mean he'll magically bring jobs back to the city, fix schools and eliminate all crime? No, but I think he can point us in the right direction.

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"What's up Pops!" - Lebron James to Bush 41.

You can go here ( http://www.walkscore.com/ ) and type in your address, and it comes up with a walkability score for your neighborhood.

I was happy with the score my address was given -- 83 out of 100. Not bad.

I like the walkability of Philadelphia.

I like driving my car fast on the wide open roads of the Midwest.

It's a big country. There's room -- and a need -- for both.

(And people with kids will continue to flee the city as long as their kids can't get a safe, high-quality education.)

But be careful what you wish for. A rise in gas prices has not corresponded with increased affordability of city life. Cities are actually becoming more expensive. Transportation is only one cost people have to cover. Rising gas costs raise the prices of a lot of things, in including things that are frequently cheaper outside the city. Rising gas prices may well push middle-class families into the suburbs even faster.

Utilities in the city are definitely higher than what is found in many suburbs. My gas/electric bill combined is about 40% than what I was paying for gas alone in the city.

Very cool. My addy got an 89.

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Cheers,
Jayfar
--
“I am indeed well aware of the history of Conventional (sic) Hall, both globally and locally, and can assure you that we are carefully exploring avenues for its future.” -- Penn President Amy Gutmann 5 days before demolition began.

On topic: That article is interesting. Do note, the author owns 'Arcadia Land Co.' a suburban development comany.
http://www.arcadialand.com/

The only completed projects look like typical suburban stuff. Its nice to see he is capitalizing on the new trends and jumping into New Urbanism. Nice guy. I wonder is 'green' is ever muttered in his presentations. Id like to read something like this written by Blatstein

Semi ot Hey Niel,

Most people aren't car *fanatics*. Big difference. If you count the 'want' not need parts that enthusiasts bolt on their cars annually, you are looking at a $40b business, with insane growth coming from Asia for another 50 years or so. This of course does not include the cost of the vehicle, the fuel, the 'service' items etc.

Of course, most people both WANT and NEED cars. Basic transportation that gets them where they want, when they want. Pretty simple concept really.

Yes, city people like cars. Sorry, its true. Most people in the city aren't CC yuppies who spew anti car crap whenever they get a chance (that is not directed at you personally, but I must admit this is an odd quote "round and round you go, your life dominated by your four-wheeled master."). Multi generational city people who lived all over this city...like cars. Even your new 'hood, FMT is jammed with cars. Many residents are new city folks...and they all have cars. Everyone knows its really hard finding parking in FMT...almost as bad as SPhilly. In EF, I park my 1 car on the street in front of my home every night.

Do you still own 2 cars? If so, you have 1 more than me, a 'car fanatic.' If not, congrats...its about time you started to practice what you preach here on PB.

FWIW: I am not a car zealot. I LOVE PCS and what they are are doing. I take a train as much as possible when it make sense. (NYC and Lancaster namely) I recently moved to a place where I have a train at one end of my block, and a bus stop at the other. I grew up in Philly on the EL and didn't start driving till I was 19. My mom has never driven in her life. Also, while I love a gas guzzling hot rod, I spend a lot of my time volunteering in the alternative fuel world. Believe me, the technology is there (and hybrids are NOT the long term answer) GM, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, have publically boasted about spending countless billions on new fuel sources. That is just the tip of the real investment...

Cars are (obviously) here to stay. Oil is not, but there are so many viable alternative fuel sources in the labs right now...no one is sweating. The mass transition from oil to X will be a *difficult* one, but it will only open up new business opportunities. The economy will be booming. Unfortunately, I might not see it with my own eyes...but it will happen.

Walk score 98/100!