Urban Stewards: the creation of Neighborhood Maintenance Districts. An Ecosystem Services Proposal for cities.
Cities across the country are struggling to provide public services in this time of economic difficulty. While there is growing recognition of the potential environmental improvements that could be provided by the use of ecosystem services in cities -- services like trees, infiltration zones, climate appropriate landscaping and so forth -- paying for the requisite transformation of the urban fabric and for its subsequent maintenance is a challenge.
Posted: 7/14/2009
The Time Has Come
The Time has Come. California is the 11th economy in the world, the nation's leader in environmental legislation. It is also governed by a State Constitution that dates from 1879, a 2/3rds majority vote for passing a state budget, and facing a $21.3 billion deficit... What is to be done?
Posted: 5/20/2009
The Los Angeles River: Restoration, (Re)Invention? The Politics of Nature in L.A.
Plans are pending for a project to restore the Los Angeles River and return it to life. But is this restoration or the (re)invention of the river?
Posted: 1/21/2009
Water Bonds
Water scarcity is again on the agenda in California. This is a recurring theme, and drought is a recurring fact in the Golden State (Golden due to hot, dry summers). How do we get to this crisis again and again?
Posted: 8/18/2008
The Middles: Who are the Middles?
The Middles are the middle management government employees, those in charge of developing new programs and finding ways to implement them. They are neither directors, nor elected and generally they are well trained, smart, and dedicated to public service.
Posted: 7/18/2008