Author: Randy A. Simes

Randy is an award-winning urban planner who founded UrbanCincy in May 2007. He grew up on Cincinnati’s west side in Covedale, and graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s nationally acclaimed School of Planning in June 2009. In addition to maintaining ownership and serving as the managing editor for UrbanCincy, Randy has worked professionally as a planning consultant throughout the United States, Korea and the Middle East. After brief stints in Atlanta and Chicago, he currently lives in the Daechi neighborhood of Seoul’s Gangnam district.

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Up To Speed

Is it time to rethink regional transportation funding?

Is it time to rethink regional transportation funding?.

The Charlotte region may be on the brink of revamping how the region funds its transportation infrastructure. With three states, 15 counties and countless municipalities, is it time for the Cincinnati region to start rethinking the way it funds its transportation infrastructure? More from the Charlotte Business Journal:

It’s becoming clear the $119 million extension of the fledgling streetcar line may not survive the city’s budgeting process. It’s becoming equally clear that it might not matter…In fact, the failure to fund the streetcar line, which is now caught up in the nearly $1 billion Capital Investment Plan being negotiated by City Council, could trigger a much larger revamp of the region’s entire transit planning and funding process.

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Arts & Entertainment News

Socialize with fellow urbanists at December’s URBANexchange

The holiday season is in full effect, but we hope you take some time out of your busy schedule to join us at the Moerlein Lager House Tuesday, December 4 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm for our monthly URBANexchange event.

We will once again be gathering in the biergarten that overlooks the Ohio River, Roebling Suspension Bridge and Smale Riverfront Park. And please keep in mind that a portion of all sales at the Moerlein Lager House go to support the operations of Cincinnati’s new central riverfront park where it is located.

Those who have not yet been to an URBANexchange can expect a casual, laid-back atmosphere with others who are interested in what’s happening in our city, and cities elsewhere. The UrbanCincy team hopes that you come and share your thoughts about cities with the others in attendance, and discuss the current issues facing Cincinnati.

The event is not something that includes a formal presentation or discussion. What URBANexchange is all about is creating a monthly outlet where fellow urbanists can socialize, share their ideas with one another, and expand their social and professional network with like-minded individuals.

As always, December’s URBANexchange is free and open to the public. Please feel free to come and go anytime during the event. It is highly recommended that you bring a business card or come prepared to swap contact information with others as this is an event that tries to foster networking.

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Up To Speed

The race for America’s fastest broadband speeds

The race for America’s fastest broadband speeds.

Last year Google selected Kansas City as the location for its first attempt to connect homes to its own fiber-optic network. Other than Kansas City, New York City is also trying to ramp up its Internet speeds to compete with cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Moscow, Singapore and Toronto. With this Internet speed race in full gear, where does Cincinnati stand? More from Next American City:

Here in Kansas City, Google is in the early stages of an experiment. The stated goal: To learn what there is to know about making high-speed broadband faster, cheaper and ubiquitous. Called Google Fiber, it’s the most ambitious fiber-to-the-home project in the country. Here in the geographic middle of America, at least this moment in time, these paired cities will have the fastest, broadest broadband network in the U.S.

For Kansas City, the dream is of a gigabit of connectivity in every pot, enough to bring into being remote medical screenings, digital coursework from anywhere in the world, fire departments equipped with 3-D building plans and immersive video gaming — enough to transform two mid-sized heartland cities into a 21st-century hub of the digital-age economy, a hotbed of innovation and growth.

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Up To Speed

New Orleans streetcar line to get Super Bowl debut

New Orleans streetcar line to get Super Bowl debut.

New Orleans is poised to host the Super Bowl for the 10th time this February, and the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. One of the many things The Big Easy is doing to prepare for the Super Bowl is accelerate the extension of its streetcar line in order to open it in time for the visiting crowds. More from USA Today:

For many locals, the streetcar is seen as more than a show of Super Bowl pizzazz. On Canal Street, travelers will be able to hop onto other streetcars and get to the nearby French Quarter, the National World War II Museum, the Cemetery District, the oaks of Audubon Park, the mansions of St. Charles Avenue and the art museum, golf courses and lagoons of City Park.
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Funding comes from a $45 million federal transportation grant. The U.S. Department of Transportation is funding similar lines in other cities to connect long-distance railway travelers to streetcars. The target is a traveler like Lawrence Freeman, a 50-year-old photographer from Seattle. He had recently arrived at the Union Passenger Terminal by train from Washington, getting in late one evening. He walked from the train station to his hotel.

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Up To Speed

Would an aerial tram make sense for Mt. Adams?

Would an aerial tram make sense for Mt. Adams?.

The number of cities using aerial trams (cable cars) as a means of urban transport is growing. In Cincinnati, the idea of implementing an aerial tram between Over-the-Rhine and Mt. Adams has long been considered. Often times the trams take passengers from low-lying areas to the tops of hillsides, but they are also being used to traverse rivers and more. More from The Guardian:

Cable transport is cost-effective, environmentally friendly, safe and requires little infrastructure. It is particularly suitable for crossing natural obstacles such as rivers or scaling hills, there being no need for expensive engineering work. Over an equivalent distance a cable link costs half as much as a tram line, and though no rival for underground railways in terms of capacity, some models can carry up to 8,000 passengers an hour.