Pawtucket, R.I., is a scenic little seaside town in Providence County. This is where tall ships rub shoulders with shore-bound artists and lobster fishermen bringing in the day’s catch. As the fourth largest city in the state, Pawtucket derives its … Continue reading →
Ever driven by an overgrown, weed-filled, debris-strewn vacant lot and thought, “That field’s a huge blight on our neighborhood. Wish I could afford it; I’d buy it and really fix it up.” Well, in Akron, Ohio; Memphis, Tenn.; Beatrice, Neb.; … Continue reading →
Solar storms are a real possibility, according to Eric Waage, director of Hennepin County Emergency Management. “I think that people who run utilities and plan for disasters really need to have this on their radar,” said Waage. “But I think … Continue reading →
Picture it: blue-shadowed snow covering gently sloping mounds and painting country roads white-on-white with nearby forests covered to the hollow. It all makes for a lovely winter scene for artists, but for the Iowa Department of Transportation, the panorama turns … Continue reading →
Grandview Heights, Ohio; Port Richey, Fla.; and numerous other cities are promoting literacy by partnering their parks and recreations departments together with libraries in an effort to make reading fun and educational. Eileen McNeil, patron services director and librarian … Continue reading →
In 1997, Erie, Pa., started a single large item program, which allowed residents to discard large furniture items — broken tables, old couches, etc. — with their normal household trash. Years later, in May 2018, the city began a three-month large item pickup pilot … Continue reading →
Traffic has been increasing phenomenally in cities, and planners have had to make adjustments with their curb space in order to accommodate pedestrians as well as vehicle parking, ride-hailing services, micromobility services, trash collection, loading zones and front stoops. Waiting … Continue reading →
Civic pride encourages competition among cities for enviable titles and distinguished awards while hoping such acclaim will draw in new residents, businesses and tourists to their hometowns. A mortified southern Texas town, however, walked off with a humiliating title in … Continue reading →
“Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink” are perhaps the most quoted words from English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s immortal “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” This precious life-giving liquid is essential to our health and well-being — so much so that … Continue reading →
We can thank the Germans who in the 1930s gave rise to a new word: Verkehrsberuhigung, literally translating to traffic calming. This practice protected residential areas from through traffic by means of speed bumps, narrower roads, physical design, traffic control … Continue reading →
Now that spring is finally here, people are coming out of their musty winter caverns and enjoying pure, warm sunlight again, including venturing into the heart of their cities. Those who work in offices yearn for the outdoors, especially folks … Continue reading →
