Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Stop and Move: The market approach to the Union Pacific problem
Stop and Move: The market approach to the Union Pacific problem: Union Pacific is the largest railroad in the US, and they are also strongly against passenger rail. Concerning Amtrak, UP has been a pain in...
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The self-proclaimed "raisin capital of the world"
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA is located in the middle of California's San Joaquin Valley at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The self-proclaimed "raisin capital of the world" is conveniently located less than 90 miles from Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks and just three hours from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Big Sur, the Monterey Peninsula, and Morrow Bay. The location of Metro-Fresno is prime for its' residents and visitors. The immense lack of green space in the city is remidied by the neighboring national parks, lakes and rivers. However, as Fresno continues to grow, the imporantce of areas or reprose are greater.
In a city like Fresno, known globally for agriculture, more and more of the farmland is being replaced by houses. What remains in the city limits are mostly just fruit stands (try the figs, fresh sweet grapes, strawberries so sweet they don't need sugar). In southeast Fresno, you can still pick oranges right off the tree (though the local farmers may not appreciate you taking part of their crop). Farmers are being pushed outside metro-limits and they're taking their crops with them. Fresno offers excellent entertainment and art venues, in areas such as, the Tower District and the emerging Cultural Arts District. Unfortunatly, the majority of residents and visitors are not familiar with these to vibrant neighborhoods due to transportation issues. With a population of over 1.5 Million in Metro-Fresno, the city lacks a viable transportation system. The current Fresno Area Express bus system is limited due to newly enacted budget restraints. In spite of tremendous growth - including numerous attempts at a revitalized downtown - the metro-Fresno area retains the wonderful qualities of an intimate, familiar community. What must happen now, as the city continues to expand, is provide the foundation for positive growth - providing areas of repose, parks, recreation, public space, transportation and a focus on urban sustainability.
In a city like Fresno, known globally for agriculture, more and more of the farmland is being replaced by houses. What remains in the city limits are mostly just fruit stands (try the figs, fresh sweet grapes, strawberries so sweet they don't need sugar). In southeast Fresno, you can still pick oranges right off the tree (though the local farmers may not appreciate you taking part of their crop). Farmers are being pushed outside metro-limits and they're taking their crops with them. Fresno offers excellent entertainment and art venues, in areas such as, the Tower District and the emerging Cultural Arts District. Unfortunatly, the majority of residents and visitors are not familiar with these to vibrant neighborhoods due to transportation issues. With a population of over 1.5 Million in Metro-Fresno, the city lacks a viable transportation system. The current Fresno Area Express bus system is limited due to newly enacted budget restraints. In spite of tremendous growth - including numerous attempts at a revitalized downtown - the metro-Fresno area retains the wonderful qualities of an intimate, familiar community. What must happen now, as the city continues to expand, is provide the foundation for positive growth - providing areas of repose, parks, recreation, public space, transportation and a focus on urban sustainability.
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