Seattle has plenty of questions about the height of its increasing development, some in its so-called urban villages like Ballard and West Seattle but also in the center of the city. An interactive feature in the New York Times today looks at Manhattan's intense development and finds that, in essence, it may be lucky that the heart of the city developed under looser standards than currently apply. Among the conclusions, "a new New York" — one built under current rules — would be less dense and have shorter buildings. New York instituted the first zoning codes exactly 100 years ago this fall, the article notes, "meant to promote a healthier city, which was then filling with filthy tenements and office towers."
"40 percent of the buildings in Manhattan could not be built today," the New York Times.
It will soon be the season for road trips, a chance to explore Washington state and the rest of the West. CityLab from the Atlantic reports on a project examining the rapid urbanization of 11 Western states in the continental United States. Every two and a half minutes from 2001 to 2011, according to the Center for American Progress and Conservation Science Partners, a football field's worth of natural land was lost in the West, mainly to urbanization but also to transportation and energy projects (including wind farms). There are lots of good maps. The report ends on an upbeat note: There is still a great deal to save.
"Mapping America's 'Disappearing West,' " CityLab.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lost his cool, and maybe some of his cool image, in a House of Commons incident on Wednesday. It occurred during parliamentary maneuvering where he became concerned that a New Democratic Party opposition leader, Gordon Brown, was being delayed in getting to his seat. The sober National Post's report includes this passage:
NDP MP Tracey Ramsey claimed Trudeau swore at MPs as he tried to grab Brown, saying, “Get the f–k out of the way” she wrote on Twitter. Video clearly showed NDP MP Ruth-Ellen Brosseau crying out in pain as Trudeau elbowed her in his attempt to drag Brown to his seat so the vote could start.
"Chaos in the House," the National Post.
