Category: Economics & Statistics

  • Gentrification in the Plateau, Montreal’s most famous neighborhood

    Gentrification in the Plateau, Montreal’s most famous neighborhood

    By Alyssa Campbell The Plateau-Mont-Royal is arguably Montreal’s most famous neighborhood. Ranked by many publications as one of North America’s “best neighborhoods,” the Plateau has built a reputation for being a hip area with trendy bars, shopping, restaurants and cafes. Yet four decades ago life in the neighborhood was quite the opposite, on the precipice of…

  • Eminent domain, not always evil?

    Eminent domain, not always evil?

      Eminent domain is one of those government powers that has gotten some bad press in recent years, mainly due it being used for economic development. But eminent domain doesn’t have to be all bad. Ellen Brown wrote a compelling piece on using ED as a tool to help reclaim foreclosed properties whose ownership is…

  • The Other Brownsville

    The Other Brownsville

    When I searched the New York Times website recently for “Brownsville” (the one in Brooklyn, not the one in Texas), the first few search results were as follows: 16-Year-Old Is Fatally Shot on His Way Home from a Party in Brownsville New York City’s Optimistic Tone Feels Out of Reach in Brownsville Brownsville, Brooklyn, Is…

  • Becoming the Cycling Capital of the 21st Century

    Becoming the Cycling Capital of the 21st Century

    Last year, we wrote about cycling in Amsterdam, the world’s most bicycle-friendly city according to the Copenhagenize Index of 2013. Whilst we don’t need to repeat how the city’s urban form is very conducive to cycling, or how the city’s high cycling rates are a result of decades of careful planning, it is worth noting…

  • Mortgage Complaints

    Mortgage Complaints

      The 2008 mortgage crisis fascinated me at the time and then last year I bought a home. Therefore, I was pretty terrified during the whole process. Plus, I felt naked having to share my entire financial life to strangers. The NY Times had a recent article on “Complaints About Closings.” It is nice to…

  • Income Rising?

    Income Rising?

      I was reading this article on Bill Moyer’s website, which is essentially following up on a Pew Study which indicates in very broad terms that educated people tended to see increases in wages over the past 20 years. Many commenters responded by saying they hadn’t seen those sorts of increases. I too haven’t seen…