I walked along Oil Creek in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on a sunny afternoon. But if you could find a time machine and go back 150 years, 4 months, and 22 days (that is, to August 27, 1859), you’d be with Colonel Edwin L. Drake as he struck oil right here for the first commercially drilled oil well in the United States.
How Luzerne County and the City of Wilkes-Barre are integrating the riverfront with downtown, through the creation of a new riverfront park, with giant flood control portals cutting the embankment.
Two leaders in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, speak of how diversity can lead to a healthier regional economy.
“Steamtown” is a national park site in the heart of downtown Scranton dedicated to railroading. I worked on the initial plan for Steamtown back in the 1980s when I was a National Park Service planner — and was quite curious to see how Steamtown looked (and worked) today.
During my visits in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre I heard about a number of challenging land use and development issues. But one group that seemed to be missing from the picture was planners.
Enjoying a day off in a unique American small town: Cooperstown, New York.
In Cooperstown, New York, I met with Terry Bliss and heard about the job of a rural, small county planning director — who loves baseball (and is sure in the right place for that!)
No, I’m not encouraging Red Sox fans to take down Derek Jeter! What I’m talking about is Tom Buchanan, a member of the Windham Regional Commission, and his encounters with the Entergy Company, owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
The residents and business owners of Saratoga Springs, New York, treasure their downtown. Two planning priorities: increase the amount of housing downtown and ensure retail on the ground floor of buildings.
Those are the words that Stephen Coronella used to describe the role of the Putney, Vermont, public library. Like a harbor. It provides a place where people can dock themselves for a while, socialize with others, and feel some comfort and security.
I returned to the small town of Richford, Vermont, as the starting point of my travel plans for this Spring. I had visited Richford last Summer to first learn about the Main Street Mill redevelopment.
