Technology could lead to 'Silicon Beach'

".. Company representatives are seeking a $3 million matching grant .. If the money is gifted, American Maglev researchers hope to have a high-speed prototype able to hit speeds of 150 mph by the end of 2003."

It is hard to help and or nudge Bakersfield's urban, rural and agricultural development forward against three organizations such as Bakersfield Economic Development Department, Kern Economic Development Corporation and the Farm Bureau. Help in changing attitudes of our politicians and bureaucrats, as well as, developers, landowners and activists is most difficult. The faint whispers from our academic institutions about local affairs is also most disappointing.

We have expressed many "maglev" opinions in the past, which have been well founded in fact, as to Maglev's future transportation technology application for California's gridlock problems.

For many reasons these messages aired to our leadership has fallen on deaf ears. Having also presented such opinions to the California High Speed Rail Authority and our regional governing body Kern Council of Governments, as well as the County Board of Supervisors, concerning our unique geographic position in California for servicing the proposed new Maglev technology as a construction workshop and maintenance depot. It is not a commonly seen vision.

The lack of impetus for doing a smidgeon of "master planning" in the matter for a high speed ground transportation station has been met with uncommon jealousies and competitive dislike for one anothers institutions. This has resulted in a reign of status quo ---- no future planning.

This is most unfortunate as it again defers future opportunities to the bringing of wealth in the way of new transportation research and manufacturing, with resultant business expansion and job gains, to attract development for our community at large.

Whom will be our champion? Who will listen? Who will take action?

Read this above article and then wonder why we should not begin with this new form of transportation technology activity at once!

Turning Chicago into the City of Big Spokes

Mayor Daley, who regularly rides 150 miles a week, tries to create one of nation's most bike friendly cities.

The Bakersfield Map which indicates the bike-paths for our community is quite disconnected and with out a predictable pattern of either linkage or future expansion. One wishes that or exquistely dressed Mayor Harvey Hall could don a even more local patriotic colorful and appropriate attire (the Bakersfield City colors are GOLD and ROYAL BLUE)and start cycling one day of the week to work.

We very much admire his setting of an example when he uses the GET bus once a week to get to work! Maybe then we would observe a change in our forward planning and the setting of an example of miles covered in a far less inclement climate than Chicago.

We would definitely if many of us copied his example help to clean our filthy air problem!!!

What's happening to the American home?

Traditional ideas of home as a place of refuge and comfort are being challenged by a 'work-centric' culture and ever-larger houses By Marilyn Gardner

It is time for architects to push the envelope in first progamming the future house, to then follow with a "design of difference and quality" in response. Another challenge to the Golden Empire AIA!!

A SMALL NOTE:

MAKABUSI READS ALL THE ARTICLES WHICH ARE PLACED ON THIS WEB PAGE FOR YOUR INTEREST.

MOST TIMES IT IS GUESS WORK THAT THESE ARTICLES WILL INTEREST URBAN DESIGNERS.

MOST TIMES THE REASON FOR PUBLISHING THESE ARTICLES GOES WITH A SMALL WISH THAT THOSE BLESSED WITH A COMPUTER AND HAVING ACCESS TO TIME AND THE WEB PAGE --- MIGHT BE CURIOUS ENOUGH TO POINT AND CLICK ON THE ARTICLE AND TAKE A CASUAL READ .

MOST TIMES IT IS MY LONG TERM CURIOSITY THAT HAVING READ AN ARTICLE THE WORDS MIGHT CONJURE UP ENOUGH ENERGY FOR SOME ACTION!

MOST TIMES I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE ARTICLES THAT OTHER URBAN DESIGNERS READ ON A DAILY BASIS! IT WOULD BE NICE TO SHARE OR WOULD IT?

DRAFT ALL THE LAWYERS

OUTRAGEOUS!!!

Festivals, Festivals Everywhere

This summer the number of arts festivals nationwide has reached an all-time high of about 3,000, drawing an audience estimated at up to 130 million.

KATHY BUTLER OF THE BAKERSFIELD DBA THANKS FOR STARTING AND MAINTAINING OUR LOCAL FESTIVALS!

A Failure of Democracy, Not Capitalism

The real cause of spreading corporate malfeasance in America is a lack of faith in democratic institutions.

Ranchers band together to resist sprawl

Conservation agreement helps Colorado cattlemen save their ranches from the threat of development. By Todd Wilkinson