19th Century Economic Development Along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Explained

Visiting the C&O Canal's Great Falls Tavern, used by the National Park Service as one of the many visitors' centers for the canal, I noticed this wonderful illustration describing the economic development process associated with the C&O Canal. I wanted to share it.

I like the illustration so much that I'll leave it here without comment (for now).

This text and illustration explain the economic development impacts
of the creation of the C&O Canal along the Potomac River.

A close-up of the text to make it easier to read.

Walkable Design and Economic Development in Lancaster, California

Lancaster, CA, located more than 60 miles from Downtown Los Angeles, yet still within Los Angeles County has, according to Kaid Benfield, made remarkable strides in using walkable urban design to spur economic development and improving its relationship with the environment.

Through the use of solar power and in partnership with SolarCity, Lancaster is encouraging residents, business owners, and nonprofits to implement small solar projects through affordable financing. Benfield states that the city aims to produce more energy from renewable sources than it consumes (excluding transportation energy). But in a city like Lancaster, (and anywhere in the US, really) transportation energy used is going to be a big share of total energy used, so that goal is probably not as amazing as it might seem.

But in the spirit of positivity, the transformation of Lancaster's main street into a walkable neighborhood that can support small independently owned business and provide a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for local residents and visitors is a good start on the road to improving urban form. I think there is a lot of potential for such positive changes, especially in old cities that began independently with strong central cores later to be swallowed up in ever-expanding Metropolitan Areas with a pre-exisiting mega-urban central core.

The ramblas on the remade Lancaster boulevard.
Image courtesy of Moule and Polyzoides by way of The Atlantic Cities.

It's also important to note, as the planning director stated in the video, that the changes made involved input from local residents and business owners. It wasn't a smart dominant, growth-oriented urban planning authority that imposed its vision for the area. It was the input of locals, the refined skills of a talented firm, and the guidance of a planning department and municipal government that created the reshaping of Lancaster Blvd. The local Metrolink commuter rail station, meanwhile, provides environmentally sustainable access to Downtown Los Angeles and everything connected by transit thereto, which could be leveraged to promote local events to a regional population.

Three cheers for an achievement that won't save the planet, but is still a more environmentally sustainable boost to the local economy than the sprawling housing bubble of the late 2000s.