I bet that cable car system in Medellin really helps those poor young gangsters move drugs and bodies throughout the City - see, we're just like them!

Bow at the alter of the New Religion!

That "Portland, US" segment is probably the most nauseating (short version) load of Portland crap I have ever seen.

"We consistently focus on the long-term and involve the community in our effort. We put the right policies in place. And finally, we try to maintain a focus on how people like to live."

'Nuff said.

Translation - Community or people really means the pod in Sam's office.

"We find when you focus on helping people live an easier more robust life, the environment wins too," says Susan Anderson, the director of the city's bureau of planning and sustainability."

Except for that whole Hayden Island thing, and that South Waterfront thing, and that river Superfund site thing, and that Big Pipe thing, and that increasing tapping of groundwater to meet rising demand thing, that disappearing salmon thing, that increasing water pollution thing, that declining air quality thing, that high unemployment thing, that increasing gang violence thing, that running out of land so we grab farmland instead thing, that unaffordable housing thing, that rising poverty thing, that disappearing middle class thing...

You know, other than that, it really has been a win-win for people and the environment.

Green Susan's slathering of information to the chorus publication of "Smarter Cities" is laughable. They state "despite rapid [population) growth" carbon dioxide emissions have only increased 2%. The population of Portland has only increased by 15,000 people from the 2000 to 2010 census. That's less than a 1/4 of a percent increase in population! I guess it's that old argument, "It coulda been worse".
Spin Susan.

The fundamental belief of the Office of "Planning" and "Sustainability" is the cognitively dissonant "triple bottom line", that the relationship between environment and society is nothing more than...tradeoffs between economic and ecological cost. But really there's never a tradeoff--and you can guess which one *always* (Hayden Island) wins (South Waterfront).

Susan Anderson is no protector of the local and regional ecology--she's a spokesmodel.

For example (and for comic relief), here's an example of the spokesmodeling. If you finish the video thinking "based on the reality I see, that all sounded like a load of crap", you got the picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJqvbMCcOX8

"Except for that whole Hayden Island thing, and that South Waterfront thing, and that river Superfund site thing, and that Big Pipe thing, and that increasing tapping of groundwater to meet rising demand thing, that disappearing salmon thing, that increasing water pollution thing, that declining air quality thing, that high unemployment thing, that increasing gang violence thing, that running out of land so we grab farmland instead thing, that unaffordable housing thing, that rising poverty thing, that disappearing middle class thing..."

Ecohuman, I had to laugh outloud when I read this. Let me add the developers pressuring decisionmakers thing.

Such transparent hogwash; I am amazed how the legend of Transportation Secretary Neil Goldschmidt diverting highway funds to transit has endured. It is unfortunate that idealogues have made real discussion of the pros and cons of "smart growth" too difficult until preventable mistakes take their toll on the economy and environment.

The fundamental problem is that advocates of "smart growth" who ridicule all other forms of growth forget that they all share the same noun--and no matter how and in what parts of the yard you pile the dogs*it, eventually you run out of yard and start stepping in it.

We got our latest installment of pretty color sustainable porn in the today's mail.

This may be off-topic. I am renting a house down in Manhattan Beach, California for a few months. Three things stand out, compared to Portland.

One, there are no street bums picking through my trash looking for recyclables.

Two, the city is still spending gobs of money... they sweep the streets every WEEK here, and most busy intersections have wage-earning people to guide pedestrians across during rush hour.

Three, every house on the block I am on has weekly gardening service (including this rental).

These are 3 rather astonishing things that never happen in Portland. Weird.

(From these observations I conclude that all is ostensibly well with the economy down here!)

Manhattan Beach is one of the wealthiest coastal towns in California, with six-figure median incomes, an average age of almost 40, and only a modest number of children.