About Daily Links
February 17th, 2009If you aren’t already using del.icio.us to keep track of your bookmarks, I would really encourage you to start. It is incredibly functional, especially when used as an add-on to your browser (I use Firefox) which enables the “tag” button in your toolbar.
One cool feature I just recently discovered is the ability to blog your tagged links in the form of a daily digest (see below). I frequently come across sites that I think are interesting and I want to share, but they don’t always necessarily deserve a dedicated post. Well, hopefully this will provide a happy medium.
By the way, if you ever come across anything on the web that you think is interesting and related to the topics we discuss – email me or add a comment under the daily links. Thanks!
February 17th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Blair, thanks for the invitation to bring something to your attention. I just finished reading this NYT Op-Ed piece entitled “I Dream of Denver.” Would love to learn your thoughts on the ideas expressed here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/opinion/17brooks.html
February 17th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
George, that is a great piece.
Count me with those that sometimes dream of Denver. I have always said that if I could choose a city based on location, amenities, and city form – not including friends, family, memory of place, etc in the decision process – Denver would be it. Of course, snow skiing is my favorite activity and this weighs heavily on the thought process, whether I would actually ski that often remains to be seen. Apparently, I am not unique in this regard as the research revealed this dream for an outdoor lifestyle is pretty common:
“These are places you can imagine yourself leading an active outdoor lifestyle.”
I think it is interesting that natural features continue to dictate city choice. Historically it was access to water for irrigation, or good cropland, and later natural harbors; and now it is about mountain views and recreational activities.
That said, I think it is important to point out that all of the places listed are said to be car-dependent. I know this site sometimes reads like “make-okc-pedestrian-friendly.COM”, but I appreciate the value of the car (in fact, I brought an old Explorer up to Boston this semester in hopes of taking some weekend trips around New England). And this is definitely encouraging for OKC, as we are car-independent and any change in that regard is not going to happen anytime soon (25+ years). Even without some of the natural features, I think OKC can become a very attractive place to live. We just need to work on providing and/or improving some of the other quality of life elements that they mention the other cities having:
“These places are car-dependent and spread out, but they also have strong cultural identities and pedestrian meeting places. They offer at least the promise of friendlier neighborhoods, slower lifestyles and service-sector employment. They are neither traditional urban centers nor atomized suburban sprawl.”
There is a lot to learn from the cities listed. Denver provides a great model for a modern, progressive city on the American plains. We would do well to emulate a lot of what they have done, especially with transit. Also, I would love to have something similar to the 16th Street area. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a pedestrian mall, but walkable downtown retail with streetcars would be a nice addition to what Oklahoma City has to offer and I think N. Broadway could be adapted to provide such a district. Also, Portland has done some amazing things and I am planning to highlight Pioneer Courthouse Square soon – it is a terrific urban public space that is very well used.
Anyway, thanks for the article. Now what are your thoughts? I know you have had to relocate to a city before, how does what the article list compare to what your thought process was?
February 17th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Oh, forgot to mention. Denver was the site of the 2009 ULI Design Competition. I decided to wait until the finalist were announced before releasing our stuff, but hopefully I will be able to show you what we came up with sometime later this week or next.
February 18th, 2009 at 3:03 am
Okay- I’m giving it a shot- I’ve never understood del.icio.us, but I’m starting to figure it out I guess… I’ll have to play with it a few more weeks.
Personally, I’m addicted to StumbleUpon which takes you to random blogs/websites based on your interests. Or you can StubleThru a site like Flickr or YouTube. Entirely too much wasted time is involved. http://www.shibumi.org/eoti.htm
February 18th, 2009 at 3:06 am
Glad you are on the del.icio.us bandwagon – at least for now. I have never used StumbleUpon, but I am going to have to give it a shot!
February 18th, 2009 at 3:07 am
Ha…tried the link! Funny stuff.