Category Archives: Economics

Bicycle Tourism I

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

What’s the potential for Round Lake Beach to capture a piece of the “Bicycle Tourism”  action once both of the following are finished: – the Rollins Road & Rt. 83 interchange work – Millenium Trail (and connectors) It’s not too early to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Economics, Planning | Leave a comment

Can RLB become a “Great Place”?

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

Does your dream of “doing something” with Round Lake Beach end almost as soon as it starts, with the realization that we just don’t have the budget to do very much? There is a critical part near the beginning of … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Planning, Walkability | Leave a comment

STROADS

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

(Chuck Mahron of Strong Towns has a great perspective on one of our biggest infrastructure challenges. We begin with his definition of a common feature in American municipalities, examine how that effects us locally, and finish with his video presentation … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Economics, Planning, Transit | Leave a comment

My Car Sucks $7,000 A Year Out Of The Local Economy

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

A nod to the “My Wheels are Turning” Blog for this one… When we must use vehicles for transporation, we spend a lot of money on their upkeep. A LOT of money. “Using numbers from AAA, the average American spends … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Economics, Transit | Leave a comment

Farmers Markets & Low-Income Communities

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

“Will we ever get a Farmers’ Market here in the Round Lake area?” We hear that question a lot, and will continue to explore that over several posts like this one, which deals with a common mis-perception about the cost … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Farmers' Markets, Local Food Production, Planning | Leave a comment

Snowy cul-de-sacs cost more in city services

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

Now that the snow has finally arrived, this article [.pdf] in “Milwaukee Magazine” might be of interest for those of us living in the newer part of town on the north side. At some point we have all experienced the effects of traveling through a neighborhood … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction / Maintenance, Economics, Planning | Leave a comment

“As land use planning changes, ‘zoning’ is no longer appropriate”

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

If you’ve read anything in this blog yet, you’ve quickly discovered that we’re not big fans of “Zoning”, legislating land use based on function or use, and then only single-use at that. Fortunately, there is a rapidly-spreading awareness of everything we’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Economics, Planning, Transit, Walkability | Leave a comment

Upcoming Webinars: “Economic Impact of Women Bicyclists” and “Promoting Cycling and Walking”

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

… and the kicker is that both of these (while free) are scheduled for the same day and the exact same start time a week from now! Q: Are any of our local village officials making use of these free … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Economics, Meeting / Webinar, Walkability | Leave a comment

“Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” Works!

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

Here’s another example of what can happen when the people actually living and working in a place get to decide what to do with it! The Department of Transportation (DOT) approved the Fulton Area Business (FAB) Alliance’s application to make the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Planning | Leave a comment

Suburbia and the American Dream

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Ed Fuhrmann

This article most certainly is in the category of “If you can only read a couple of posts, make this one of them”! Article Link at Strong Towns: Suburbia and the American Dream Suburban sprawl, characterized by enormous houses, big-box … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction / Maintenance, Economics, Planning | Leave a comment