"Livability" Should Not be a Strictly Urban Concept

From conception, the transportation and growth policies of the Obama administration seemed to be focused on urban environments.  Maybe its the documented growth of urban populations in the U.S. or the redevelopment and infill that's occurring in many of the country's big cities.  Or maybe its a bit of my own personal slant.  

In any regard, though, I believe most people who read about "transportation alternatives" and "livability" think of these as concepts relevant only to urban environments.  Stephen Lee Davis of Smart Growth America both disputes that perspective and wonders why it is so prevalent in Washington, D.C., even among representatives of rural constituencies.  He relates his own experiences living in Bentonville, Arkansas, during a time when the city was booming under Walmart's influence.  (Bentonville is home base for Walmart operations.)  As a resident of the town's historic center city, he was able to observe the geographic expansion of Bentonville and contrast his lifestyle in Bentonville to those who inhabited the new suburban residential developments.  That contrast originated largely from the planning and layout of those newer "communities."

I will let Mr. Davis tell you the rest of his story, in Part I and Part II.  I have a hard time arguing that livability doesn't have as much rural applicability as it does urban.  After all, is choice not essential to freedom? 

Some Health Care Stuff

The link below is a good resource for anyone who wants a relatively concise explanation of some of the new health care bill's provisions, particularly as they relate to Medicare, the CHIP programs, and the low-income persons and families that participate.

http://ccf.georgetown.edu/index/cms-filesystem-action?file=ccf%20publications/health%20reform/health%20reform%20package%20final.pdf

I am interested to see if and how opponents' perspectives might change about the reform bill as some of the benefits begin to become apparent.  I have a feeling some folks who have been opposed to reform in principle might find some of the provisions quite beneficial, particularly if they have health problems, problems finding affordable insurance, or are currently unemployed.  I could be wrong about that; only time will tell, I suppose.

Sharing

If I were going to write a health care post in the wake of Sunday's vote, I probably would have written something like this.  But instead of the hypothetical scenarios I would have posed, these are real.

Plus, the flyer in this post is flat ridiculous.  Free speech is great and all, but seriously...

Dooce.com: This is mommyblogging

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Don't Drink & Drive.

Bueller . . . Bueller . . .

Sorry for the radio silence lately.  I have engaged some other projects that have forced me to neglect my effort here, though not completely by choice.

If you can't get enough of me, you can find me writing at other places right now.  I've been hired on to ghost write for a law firm blog that you can find here.  I was honored when my post about a repeat DWI offender made the annual St. Patty's "don't drink 'n' drive" lesson. 

I'm also working on a blog that is tailored more toward the law practice that is my real job.  Some of the topics will overlap, though the writing is meant to be more informative and less ranting.  You can find that blog over at davidmcdaniellaw.com. 

I hope to be able to pick this back up as time allows.  Until then . . .