Cascadia Report

Category: Cascadia not cities

  • Lesson from Japan: Leadership needed

    One surprise I found during my recent visit to Japan was the frequent discussion of what Nicolas Sarkozy might accomplish in France. The new president was on magazines and TV shows, and I had several conversations with Japanese who were enthusiastic for the tough reforms he seems to represent.

    The issue matters for Cascadia because, as Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire likes to put it, in a globalized economy we’re more like a small nation than a state. The economy of Cascadia is in better shape than in either Japan or France, which makes it more difficult to generate the leadership needed to fix our fundamental problems.

    The weekend I arrived, the former longtime leader of the Socialist Party — the only true opposition to hold briefly hold power in Japan in the postwar era — was on the top Sunday TV talk show discussing opposition to changing the no-military clauses in the constitution. Setting aside the specifics, what’s remarkable is that the entire political opposition seems to think that saying no is adequate policy. The comments were amazing because she said exactly the same things when I interviewed her six years ago.

    The same is true for economic leadership. Though Japan’s huge economy continues to grow and there are far more opportunities than ever before thanks to reforms, there hasn’t been nearly enough deregulation or revamping of policies. With a sclerotic opposition and lack of strong leadership, cynicism will only spread. Sarkozy came up as an example of the sort of change agent Japan needs.

    You could argue that our situation isn’t much different. In King County, the passing of Prosecutor Norm Maleng opens up opportunities for younger politicians. Someone needs to spell out a not just that globalization is an opportunity, as Gov. Gregoire has, but a vision for how this region can prosper. Today’s properity is all the more reason to develop this leadership now.

  • Thinking big about urban spaces

    Here’s an example of the kind of grand thinking that the Seattle area can’t seem to do anymore: a contest to design an urban park.

    Governors Island Preservation and Education CorporationNew York City is asking desgn firms for ideas how to configure Governors Island, a chunk of land a half mile off Manhattan. Check out the latest in last week’s New York magazine.

    Then contrast that with the process to revamp the Seattle Center to meet the current and future needs of this city. There’s a citizens’ panel hashing out ideas, which appear likely to yield a series of half steps that satisfy no one.

  • France is more efficient than Cascadia

    Here’s an interesting take on the contrast in efficiency between Cascadia and France. Guess who comes out on top?

    Consider intercity trains:

    In fact, I had a bad case of high-speed train envy after taking the TGV from Paris to Marseilles. This trip, which is about the same as going from Portland to Vancouver, British Columbia, takes about 3 hours. The Portland-to-Vancouver trip takes 7 hours on our moribund Amtrak system (and you can’t even ride the train all the way there–instead, you have to get off the train in Seattle and ride a bus to Vancouver).

    I’m not sure if all the arguments about French households being more efficient translate to the Northwest. But there’s plenty to learn on transportation. For example, Seattle is building a proto-streetcar that may one day match what Paris launched months ago.

  • The case for transit and roads

    A package of transit and road projects for the Seattle area is nearly ready for this November’s ballot. It deserves support because it’s the best compromise.

    Roadstransitmap0529071The plan approved last week extends light rail beyond the starter lines currently underway. It also fixes several road bottlenecks that would make bus transit more workable (such as along 520 and 167). True, it would expand 405 perhaps too much, but it also has money to study how to incorporate the Eastside rail corridor into the future transportation network.

    The package is barely ready but there’s already plenty of opposition. One viewpoint says I should vote against any project that doesn’t directly improve my commute. Maybe the standard of living will deterioriate so much that people will stop coming here?

    I’d argue that that point is still far in the future because, even if it deteriorates, the Puget Sound will remain a better place to live than other big cities. Instead, we should invest in transportation projects that are finally beginning to be paired with development planning. It’s not enough, but it’s a start to capturing the benefits of more people and economic activity without destroying this place.

    Financing for this transit-and-roads package remains an issue, but not in the way this Seattle Times article frames it. The true cost isn’t the debt to pay for the projects, which may still be less than perfect. It’s the crippling cost of — yet again — doing nothing.

  • Canadian dollar soars, confusion ahead

    The Canadian dollar topped 94 U.S. cents for the first time in the 30 years this week, and the currencies could reach parity this year.

    There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about the economic impacts of the loonie’s rise. But I’m still worried about the confusion over which coins to use where.

  • Organic farms growing in B.C.

    One more thing to think about when you buy organic food: the impact.

    Consider that British Columbia has converted more land to organic farming — reportedly one in six farms are now organic. That’s despite the pressure of urban growth and rising costs that are reportedly squeezing small operators. Still, compared to the rest of Canada, the enthusiastic conversion in B.C. seems wise.

  • New competition for seaports

    China’s biggest shipping company plans to launch the first service to a new container port in Prince Rupert, British Columbia later this year.

    The new container port, which has uncongested rail access to markets in the Midwest, is the latest competitive threat to ports in Vancouver and especially Seattle and Tacoma. Last month plans were floated for another new container port on Oregon’s coast.

  • What threatens the arts

    Cuts in federal funding and programs at schools threatens the arts in the Seattle area, according to this column.

    That’s a good, well-worn point. But it may be that the area’s rising costs are a bigger hurdle to a vibrant arts scence, which is a key asset for retaining top workers and making the regional livable. Consider that Portland’s lower cost of living reportedly is attracting musicians and other artists from Seattle.

    Of course it’s important to support local arts organizations, which can become hubs for activity. For example, Novelist Tim O’Brien captivated a sell-out crowd at Richard Hugo House last night with his thoughts on writing. (Note: I’ve been serving on the board there.) I have to wonder how many would-be writers in the audience are forced compromise their art because of Seattle’s costs.

    A couple of partial solutions: boosting the supply of urban housing and improving all forms or transit. Pocketbooks — and career choices — would be directly affected if more of Seattle were walkable and a car were less necessary.

  • Outsourcing local journalism

    What’s good enough for widget makers, software engineers and lawyers ought to be good enough for journalists, right?

    Pasadena Now, a Web news outfit, plans to outsource coverage of local news events to India. The story appeared last week and has sparked predicatable indignation from journalists everywhere. For one thing, will they make it clear that the reporters are in India rather than, say, at Pasadena City Hall? Huffington Post weighs in here.

    Few have figured out how to make money online from original reporting — especially the expensive stuff that requires expertise or lots of time. But you have to think that eventually readers will reward quality their time. At least that’s the hope.

  • Guess where the nicest drivers are

    The Northwest comes out far ahead, according to this article.

    But don’t tell bicyclists. Here’s a summary of the increasing number of accidents involving bikes and “nice” drivers.