Economics | ModeShift

Reason? at Reason Foundation

by Keith SchneiderMarch 30, 2007April 1, 20072

It’s essential to stay abreast of what opponents to a reasoned development strategy have to say about Smart Growth. And there’s no more unreasonable voice on these issues than the social theorists at the libertarian Reason Magazine.Â This week Sam Staley and Ted Balaker published their newest assessment of the value of public transit,Â why Americans won’t ride new trains and buses, and how to relieve congestion. TheyÂ come to this conclusion: “The planning gurus who are supposed …

New Quality of Life Measure: Retail Percentage

by Keith SchneiderMarch 18, 2007March 18, 20071

Last week the Traverse City Record-Eagle, whichÂ does a decent job reporting on northwest Michigan’s population growth and business development, published an article with these facts.Â In 1997, shoppers in Grand Traverse County spent 58 percent of their money for retail sales in the Traverse City. Last year, according to a new economic analysis, the city attracted just 12 percent of those sales. As a measure of the quality of life, the percentage of retail sales held …