Authors@Google: Jonathan Mahler

Keepon Dancing to Zeppelin

Keepon dancing to Spoon's

Stop Acting Shocked

It seems like one of the major qualifications for a career in politics is the ability to seem shocked and surprised at the self evident effects of one's decisions and by that measure we have some pros here.

"Quite frankly, we aren't pleased. We need to work more diligently to come up with a design that's satisfactory to our design experts and the community and the task force," he said.

Mr. Ford said after yesterday's task force meeting that he is concerned about the impact the huge block-like garage, with more than 3,800 spaces, could have on views of the city skyline from Mount Washington and the Fort Pitt Bridge.

"We probably have one of the most scenic vistas and gateways into our city in the entire country. I don't want a garage of that size to be plopped on our landscape to be visible now for the next 50 years. That's something that is unacceptable," he said.

"We've got world-class facilities over there. We don't want any of those to be obstructed or detracted from by a 3,000- or 5,000-space parking garage."

Nothing will speak more eloquently of what Pittsburgher's think of their city and it's potential than looking down one this sea of ugly garages and empty holes on some of the cities most valuable land. At least in this case, there is chance for the casino to not be a tax hole as well. For the record, a Lower Hill location would have been even more damaging.

StreetFilms-San Francisco PARK(ing) Day

StreetFilms-PARK(ing) Day in San Francisco

Keepon dancing to Spoon's

Hipster Olympics

StreetFilms-Press Conference:Prince Street

StreetFilms-Gridlock Sam Schwartz Part 1 Interview

The Open Planning Project founder Mark Gorton in NY talks with "Gridlock Sam" Schwartz about about history of DOT in NYC, car-free Cental Park, and general transportation policy. It gives a great history of the evolution of transportation thinking and policy in NY over the last 40 years.

The interview was transcribed so you can read it here.

"A (Sam Schwartz): The traffic department came out of the police department around 1950. There was no profession in traffic until the 1960s and 1970s. It was mostly cops and some engineers. I joined in 1971. Around 1975 the mayor's wife got caught in a traffic jam around the Upper East Side and complained, so we were told to open Central Park to cars. At the time it was closed from 10am to 4pm. I was given the assignment to justify the change, and I came back not exactly justifying it. One of the senior engineers at the time tried to explain my position. He said, "You have to understand Sam. He lives in the city and rides the subway." They were all suburbanites driving to work."