Graphic designer Tor Weeks captures the essence of the bicycle culture in San Francisco by classifying the types of bikes by neighborhood. ... Read On 

The Barnes and Noble in Georgetown has given up its lease, giving way to an unnamed retailer paying an unusually high $65 per square foot. Why the closing of a large chain store struck a particular chord with Georgetowners (and others) is that it was a perfect "Third Place." ... Read On 

How the hell can we spice up a gray and boring business district? It's one of Amsterdam's main concerns. The so-called Zuidas, the city's financial center under construction, is suffering from the current economic situation and bad urban planning. Bored bankers and the few posh people living in the too expensive penthouses have proven not to contribute to a more vibrant environment. Let's import some creativity. What about an indoor campsite? This is what the architects of Ontwerpers A'dam and Another Architecture Office came up with. ... Read On 

If anything can possibly save the United States from looming fiscal, economic and environmental calamity it is the human species' remarkable capacity for innovation. ... Read On 

In North America, people with choices, for the most part, do not ride buses. Even ones gussied up and all pretty. As long as buses have to travel long distances, and parking, gasoline, gasoline excise taxes, and tolls (if they exist) are relatively cheap for motor vehicles, transit has a hard time competing. ... Read On 

Tim Sheehan of the Fresno Bee has a new article out at California Watch on the "ballooning" costs of high speed rail. It's a classic example of how the media in the United States obscure more than they reveal in their reporting, and shows the unstated assumptions that often drive reporting on public spending. ... Read On 

Barely 14-kilometres long, this ancient city's long-promised light-rail line, which finally opened for business this month, has drawn controversy disproportionate to its length. ... Read On