Top 5 Stories from the Week (Aug 6-Aug 10, 2018)

Here's our top content from the week.  Sign up for our email list to get this delivered to your inbox every Friday.

1. Most Public Engagement is Worse Than Worthless

by Ruben Anderson | August 6, 2018

Nothing good comes of public engagement in which the public isn’t asked questions they can meaningfully contribute to answering. This is not how you build a trusting relationship: a strong foundation on which to work together. This is how you corrode trust.

2. Growing Lasting Wealth in Cobb County

by Connor Nielsen | August 8, 2018

Communities like Cobb County, Georgia must address the problems that have plagued them from the outset by encouraging the style of development that produces true value per acre.

3. Cobb County's Triple-A Bond Rating is a Joke

by Charles Marohn | August 7, 2018

County leadership continually brags about its low tax rate and high amount of services. But if you doubt the fundamental math behind that equation, there’s no need to look behind the curtain because the ratings agencies have given Cobb top marks.

4. When Extra Parking Might Be a Good Thing

by Austin Maitland | August 8, 2018

Typically, the thought of converting an old subway tunnel into parking would send shivers down the spines of urbanists. But this project may be a surprisingly beneficial way to catalyze redevelopment in Rochester, New York’s recovering downtown.

5. What Makes a Place Walkable

by Andrew Price | August 7, 2018

Walkability is a word urbanists throw around, often with different ideas as to what it really means, or why we care about it. Let’s take a look at how safety, distance, convenience, and comfort affect it.

(Top photo source: Urban3)