Rhododendron and Mt. Hood
I finally went skiing on Mt. Hood after living in Oregon for over a decade! In the worst year for snow in a generation! I switched from snowboarding to skiing to same if I'd enjoy...
Read more AfterwordLatest writing
A compact archive for field notes, gallery posts, and urbanism writing from Low Velocity.
Alaska
A short but memorable trip to Alaska. This has been a bucket list item I’ve been picking off for 25+ years of road trips and other domestic travel. Following this, I’ve officially...
Read more AfterwordTurn, Turn, Turn
It was a busy week full of social events and soccer. My coworker had a BBQ yesterday and I hosted a neighborhood potluck at the park today. I was too busy to take many photos, but...
Read more AfterwordBeach Day
Yesterday we headed over to the coast for the day, which we hadn’t done yet this year. It was 30° cooler at Cannon Beach than it was at home in Portland (100°).
Read more AfterwordOne morning on my commute
I saw this and had to pull over.
Read more AfterwordPedal Harder
I spoke to the man on the bike once he got to the top of the hill. He said he was en route to Chehalem Ridge Metro Park.
Read more AfterwordTremendous Focus
It’s the prey drive.
Read more AfterwordSunday at the Zoo
We went to the zoo with QB’s mom and the kids—early in the day before temps rose to nearly 100°.
Read more AfterwordBattle Ground Lake, WA
We spent the middle of the week cabin camping with some good friends. It was memorable for me because the kids are at a great age to create some early memories. We swam, fished, pa...
Read more AfterwordA Chance Encounter
A mule on Penny's parents' property.
Read more AfterwordThe Future of Portland Transit Hangs in the Balance
The Oregonian podcast Beat Check recently shared an episode titled "A Perilous Moment for Portland Mass Transit" in which it highlighted the growing crisis facing TriMet, Portland'...
Read more AfterwordStanford, CA
Some photos of my trip to the Bay Area. I walked something like 25,000 steps this day and met up for dinner with my old college roommate. It was a really nice day.
Read more AfterwordPortland Auditor Releases Progress Report for Residential Infill Project
In 2017, after about a decade in the affordable housing and community development industry, my career took a turn and I landed in a position as a long range planner in the Portland...
Read more AfterwordThe Myth of the Walkable Corner Store
For decades, planners have envisioned small, pedestrian-friendly commercial hubs within residential neighborhoods. A local café, a small grocery store, or a retail shop embedded in...
Read more AfterwordThe Art Walk
I joined a MeetUp group for urban walkers.
Read more AfterwordUnraveling Urbanism: Housing, Advocacy, and the Battle for Better Cities
Land use planning has always faced scrutiny, but in recent years, the conversation has grown louder and more polarized. Social media and digital activism have brought more voices i...
Read more AfterwordDeath and Life: Rereading Jane Jacobs and the Legacy of Good Intentions
I recently finished rereading Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities. It wasn’t my first encounter with the book. I first read it in graduate school over 15 years...
Read more AfterwordDespite Our Best Intentions with Street Frontages
Automobiles are undeniably a significant part of American life. Consequently, accommodating them with roadways and parking lots has come to dominate much of the American built envi...
Read more AfterwordMt. Rainier, WA
Our getaway to Mt. Rainier. Only took me 9 years since moving to Oregon to finally drive up there and check it out. Some crowds, but well worth it!
Read more AfterwordBerry Slab Pie at Salt & Straw
One of my all-time favorites.
Read more AfterwordThe Dolomites
This is a retrospective and one of a series of journal entries recapping our trip to Italy in 2024. We continued our journey from Venice to the Cadore region where my great grandpa...
Read more AfterwordVenice
In 2020, I was officially recognized as an Italian citizen, a moment that felt like unlocking a part of myself I had only known through stories and photographs. Four years later, I...
Read more AfterwordThe Coming War on Impact Fees
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that developers and home builders in California may challenge the fees commonly imposed by cities and counties to pay for new roads, schools, sewers...
Read more AfterwordOverpromised and Underdelivered: the False Pretenses of Missing Middle Housing Developers
ADUs, or Accessory Dwelling Units, are usually small housing units people build in their basements, backyards, or above their garages to accommodate family or to rent out for suppl...
Read more AfterwordWhat Planners Know vs. What Planners Do
Why talk about what urban planners know instead of what they actually do? Because more often than not, those two things do not align. To understand that gap, it helps to look first...
Read more AfterwordGrand Rapids, MI
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Read more AfterwordBoatloads of Shame
On the Willamette River.
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