Across the United States, few high schools attract as much national controversy as Lowell High School. This elite magnet school in San Francisco is famous for its academic rigor, competitive culture, and demographically skewed student body (57% Asian as of this writing). "This is what alumni get to brag about" -- Ian Wang Throughout California, … Continue reading The Tragedy of Lowell High School
Books
Posts inspired by particularly notable books
Memo: Regional Transport 6
What can we learn from transportation planning in the Global South? That investments need to support both mobility and place-making. This is part of a series of "reading memos" that offer a brief summary of interesting academic content along with my personal reflections. This one covers Chapter 9 (The Global South) of Cervero, Guerra, and … Continue reading Memo: Regional Transport 6
Memo: Regional Transport 5
Part of a series of "reading memos" that offer a brief summary of interesting academic content along with my personal reflections. This one covers Chapter 6 & 10 (Regional Transportation & Urban Transportation Finance) of Giuliano & Hanson's The Geography of Urban Transportation. Regional Transportation Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in the United States were established … Continue reading Memo: Regional Transport 5
Memo: Regional Transport 4
Part of a series of "reading memos" that offer a brief summary of interesting academic content along with my personal reflections. This one covers Chapter 9 (Land Use Impacts of Transportation Investments) of Giuliano & Hanson's The Geography of Urban Transportation. Summary Transportation and land use have interdependent dynamics: transportation investments influence accessibility (the ease … Continue reading Memo: Regional Transport 4
A Tale of Two Streets
An analysis of the urban design qualities of two streets, based on the works of Allan B. Jacobs, Jan Gehl, Edmund Bacon, and Kevin Lynch. Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major commercial thoroughfare in the heart of Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD). This street incorporates all of Allan Jacobs’ “requirements for great streets” … Continue reading A Tale of Two Streets
Memo: Regional Transport 3
Part of a series of "reading memos" that offer a brief summary of interesting academic content along with my personal reflections. This one covers Chapter 8 (Mass Transit) of Giuliano & Hanson's The Geography of Urban Transportation. Should transit be re-privatized? Operating transit is almost never profitable Given the long history of financial struggles faced … Continue reading Memo: Regional Transport 3
Memo: Regional Transport 2
Part of a series of "reading memos" that offer a brief summary of interesting academic content along with my personal reflections. This one covers Chapter 5 of Giuliano & Hanson's The Geography of Urban Transportation. Summary Market Theory suggests it may be possible to treat transportation as a type of market subject to laws of … Continue reading Memo: Regional Transport 2
Memo: Regional Transport 1
Part of a series of "reading memos" that offer a brief summary of interesting academic content along with my personal reflections. This one covers Chapters 1 and 3 of Giuliano & Hanson's The Geography of Urban Transportation. Introducing Urban Transportation The author begins by distinguishing between accessibility (the ease of reaching activities/opportunities) and mobility (the … Continue reading Memo: Regional Transport 1
A Treatise on Meritocracy
On paper, I could be a poster child for the class mobility promised under a truly meritocratic society. I was born to freshly immigrated parents with minimal financial resources and no ability to speak English. For most of my childhood, we were essentially in continuous poverty – bouncing between cities where my parents could find … Continue reading A Treatise on Meritocracy
The Color of Law
This is a review of The Color of Law, fairly established as required reading in most American urban planning graduate programs these days. Overview In the United States, a common viewpoint is that racial discrimination only comes in the form of individual prejudice or bias, as opposed to being something more systemic or pervasive across … Continue reading The Color of Law
Brisk Mobility 