More often than not, the momentum for an idea comes from prolonged effort and enthusiasm that, like the labyrinth itself, prevails through twists and turns along the way.

“Collaborative Consumption describes the rapid explosion in traditional sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting, and swapping redefined through technology and peer communities.” – Rachel Botsman

Among downtown’s largest open spaces, Scope Plaza is perfect for bikes. And dogs.

Billionaire businessman Peter Siden plans to make a major economic announcement in Norfolk in July. In a statement today, the CEO of Siden Corporation promised “a world-changing broadcast” during an upcoming press release, slated for July 1 at Nauticus in Norfolk.

As 561 new laws go into effect, Virginia braces for its next Confederate History Month moment.

Wait – could the haters actually be wrong? Could this actually be a good and decent place to live? Some people seem to think so. I seem to think so.

Intellectually, avoiding BP gas is on par with eating inferior ketchup because the opposition presidential candidate’s wife has ties to the Heinz family.

The Navy’s new anti-American policy; Norfolk teachers go toe-to-toe with The Man; calling for a Vote of No Confidence on Michael Sera

We have to remember, Cooch is still a puppy. It’s important to watch him to make sure he’s not peeing the carpet again, but we also need to give our little Cooch lots of praise when he does something right.

Add Wikipedia to your hurricane kit, in defense of Dollar Tree, and toilet paper fires.

As I flick off the soft box and cut the lighting the photobooth’s interior, a young woman wanders over. “So how many girls flashed the camera tonight?”

HR’s “Average roads” a “high priority;” foodbank in need; cottage for sale – lots of character* (*old, bad location, heaps of red tape).

A full docket: Pirates v. Navy, Virginia v. Florida, Hitler v. DMV, Taste Buds v. Bowels.

Schools in trouble, lots of crabs, underage drinking.

Enterprise maintenance, census workers would make good drug dealers (or is it the other way around?), not a park in Town Center, and, well, something don’t smell so good.

CHKD penalized for helping those most in need, Back Bay rebounds, unemployment jumps regionally.

The Taco Bell mandala, why we should increase our pet licenses 1000%, less funding for schools and roads

Major state budget cuts, new numbers on light rail, offshore wind energy and a bit of whimsy.

TODAY IS Thursday, February 10, 2010. If you died today, here are the other stories that would get buried.

Spectacular pictures taken from a plane landing in ORF.

Hampton Roads is the “other guy” an awful lot of the time. We lose entire interstate highways because we’re asleep a moment longer than other regions.

“Who says a park has to be green?” Grant Cothran proposes that his current favorite “dog park,” Scope Plaza, ought to be downtown’s official dog park.

An essay and photo essay considering what Hampton Roads should look to to better its public art programs.

Hampton Roads has for decades been left out of the planning of high-speed rail–trains connecting us to New York, DC and Atlanta. This Friday the HRTPO will push an agenda that will affect your region and your tax dollars–with or without your endorsement.

One of 30 massive pieces commissioned for the new Docklands development, “Blowhole” uses Melbourne’s prevailing winds to spin more than 50 colorful bars.  I’m not recommending Hampton Roads even try to compete with a dense, arts-minded city of 3.9 million people. But the lesson remains the same: Dream big. << Previous

This isn’t some foreign capital–it’s Roanoke, Virginia, a city half the size of Norfolk in a metro one-fifth as large as Hampton Roads. Yet, Roanoke has become a magnet for the arts because they made it a priority: they see the arts as an engine for growth. Lesson: You don’t have to be a big [...]

The PriceWaterhouseCoopers lobby goes far beyond the typical “1% For The Arts” corporate donation. Perhaps it’s because PWC uses its lobby–two coffee shops and dozens of sitting areas–as an informal meeting space, and they understand the need for inspiring art and architecture. Lesson: The private sector can be a champion for the arts. << Previous [...]

One of most iconic images in Ahmedabad is from an open-air mosque along a major roadway. While Ahmedabad’s population is mostly Hindi, my guide described the mosque as a “heritage site” for everyone to appreciate. Lesson: Engage diverse groups as stakeholders in the arts process. << Previous | Next >>

Lacking a walkable multi-use district, Canberra shut off a downtown street and commissioned local artists to adorn it with dozens of public art works–some permanent, some mobile. In a city famous for historically shutting down after dark, City Walk has given professionals and students reason to stay and play. Lesson: Give people reasons to linger. [...]

Instead of taking the lights down in January, Montreal keeps them shining until spring when the leaves return. This tree transforms a deserted street corner into a work of art–no RFP or big budget required. Lesson: A small project can make a big difference. << Previous | Next >>

I’m against tagging like everyone else, but when a kid takes the time to appreciate Iggy Pop and make a stencil about it, I think the line from graffiti to art has been crossed. There is a place for the Banksys of the world–and they’ll come to the table whether invited or not. Lesson: Art [...]

This spot in a Munich cathedral commemorates where, as legend has it, the Devil (size 12) once stood to survey church construction. The attraction has driven new traffic into the church for countless years as believers and cynics alike compare footprints with Satan. Lesson: Start a legend people can touch and feel. << Previous | [...]

At a village plaza in northern Germany, a statue acts out the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the Golden Goose. While Winsen has no direct connection to the Brothers Grimm, it’s claimed this popular story as its own. Would the plaza have been so inviting to tourists with a German war memorial instead? Lesson: Don’t [...]

There might be some public safety reason these footprints were welded onto Calgary’s steam grates, but to me it just looks like a wink from the Public Works Department. The city has to cover the steam vents, and I imagine someone asked how much few extra welds would cost. Lesson: Treat every surface as a [...]