12/17/14 - 12/22/14 Arts and Urbanism Roundup

Note: Weekly news again dominated by police brutality and abuse issues. Hopefully, this will not always be the case.

The Pittsburgh City Paper did an excellent 3 part story on problems with the city's unmarked. "99 cars".

Pittsburgh

99 problems: What public records reveal about the city's unmarked police units
 (Pittsburgh City Paper)

Police records show "99 units" lack department-wide mission, regulation, oversight (Pittsburgh City Paper)

Run-in with Jordan Miles wasn't first controversial incident for three 99-car cops (Pittsburgh City Paper)

Councilman seeks to prevent Pittsburgh police from acquiring surplus military equipment (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Oakmont's businesses, walkability gain notice of empty-nesters, downsizers (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Cleveland

Scenes from the Department of Justice investigation into the Cleveland Police Department (Belt Magazine)

Cleveland police officer accused of shoving girlfriend down stairs, knocking her unconscious (Cleveland.com)

Made in Cleveland: The rise of the maker economy in Cleveland (Cleveland Scene)

Why I left Los Angeles for this (Belt Magazine)

Fodor's names Cleveland a top 25 travel destination (Freshwater Cleveland)

Stepping up efforts to create a more livable, connected downtown (Freshwater Cleveland)

Ashtabula, Ohio

Couple moves from NYC, turns old meat market into dining destination (Cleveland Scene)

Other Ohio Urbanism, Arts and Transit news

Columbus, Ohio "complete streets" engineer and intern run over on downtown sidewalk (Streetsblog USA)

Other Pennsylvania Urbanism, Arts and Transit news

Pennsylvania police seize couple's $160,000 wine collection, want to destroy it all (Reason)

D.A. charges 2 Pennsylvania lawmakers with corruption in sting (Philly.com)

PA state legislators commonly engaged in jobs, investments that benefit from their office (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Recusals are rare in Pennsylvania Legislature (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

West Virginia and Appalachia

Appalachian Christmas traditions are still alive (Wilkes Journal-Patriot)

Parade will bring Appalachian dancing to Brooklyn (The Brooklyn Paper)

Other Urbanism and Transit news

Perth Amboy, New Jersey police chief charged with theft, suspended without pay (NJ.com)

Former Louisiana police officer indicted for multiple incidents of assault (US Department of Justice)

Oregon State Police detective pleads guilty to forgery, destroying evidence in major case (KATU.com)

NYC, cop accused of stealing and pawning jewelry stolen from boyfriend's mom

NYPD cop suspended after video shows brutality (The Chicago Tribune)

Former Saratoga County, NY Sheriff's deputy sentenced for dealing drugs (Albany Times Union)

Police killings increase calls for independent investigations (Times News)

Former suburban Chicago deputy police chief found guilty in brutality case (CBS Chicago)

Police violence sparks disability rights movement (Al Jazeera News)

Gunman executes 2 New York cops in "Garner Revenge" (New York Post)

How corrupt is your state government? (Acton Institute)

The rules of engagement: How militarized police units enforce the law around the world (Washington Post)

How far will cop unions go to halt reform? (Reason)

Millennials fleeing government employment (Reason)

Is Ann Arbor affordable? Nope. (And that's official) (SE-ME Start-Up)

Why the rent is too high, reason #239 (The Urbanophile)

High-end home sales surging in Southern California (Contra Costa Times)

A scary sign that more colleges may be forced to shut down football programs (Business Insider)

The simple change to truck design that could save lives (Streetsblog NYC)

To build safer streets, cities have to challenge state departments of transportation (Streetsblog)

Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct (elevated highway) must come down

The importance of driving to the US economy started waning in the 1970's (Streetsblog)

Other Arts and Archeology news

Brazil's most popular film is about militarized police

After outcry, Flickr stops selling prints of creative commons photos (Hyperallergic)

The Tate Museum digitizes 52,000 artifacts from the lives of British artists (Hyperallergic)

The lost histories of women at war: photo essay (Hyperallergic)

The physics of Pollock (Hyperallergic)

Mexican museum overwhelmed by popularity of Yayoi Kusama retrospective (The Art Newspaper)

Syria and Iraq's neighbors can help contain the looting (The Art Newspaper)

Uzbekistan museum staff replaced collection with forgeries, then sold originals (Artnet News)

8/21- 8/27 2014 Weekly Arts & Urbanism Roundup

Pittsburgh 

Essential Pittsburgh Radio looks at the 110 year old soda pop tradition at the Natrona Bottling Company

Toonseum and Pittsburgh's Holocaust museum bring true stories of 5 Pittsburgh Holocaust survivors into comic form. Story on Essential Pittsburgh

980 Liberty Partners rebuts Heinz Endowment opposition to August Wilson Center Hotel

Essential Pittsburgh looks at recent metro walkability rankings

Pittsburgh area schools being outfitted with prison design features.

Brian O'Neall in Post Gazette: Militarization of police has its hidden costs.

Pittsburgh included in National Geographic article: "Nine Cities that Love Their Trees".

Mass Mob aims to boost attendance at Pittsburgh area Catholic churches.


Cleveland

Planners consider making center of St. Clair Avenue into a Bicycle Expressway!

Cleveland is making progress in attracting highly skilled young people.

Western Reserve Historical Society hosts exhibit of last Cleveland Browns world championship- 50 years ago.

Downtown Willoughby, Ohio hosts first Pig and Whiskey festival this weekend.

The Cleveland Blues Society is looking for a few good bands. (Deadline)

8/31 Deadline for Cleveland International Film Festival entries

Akron 

Akron's new downtown cinema showing hard to find films and Akron-centric concessions.

Columbus

What Columbus is doing to try to control sprawl. (Seriously, the city now has a lot of infill development)

Architecture and Urbanism

Nine of the most beautiful buildings we ever tore down on Gizmodo: Including Pittsburgh's Wabash Terminal.

Seven excellent examples of repurposed bike infrastructure- Including Atlanta's Belt Line.

Is it time to get rid off parking minimums?

Real Clear Politics: Left behind in rural northwest Ohio.

Toll Roads once common in Northeast Pennsylvania

Nashville's lack of sidewalks sparks campaign

California state senator arrested for drunk driving hours after voting for bill limiting Uber car service.