Sarkozy deserves some credit here; while one never knows whether grand plans like these will ever be realized, it’s rare for the leader of a nation to go even this far in completely re-imagining a city.  His stated goal is for Paris to be the first city to conform to the Kyoto Protocol’s environmental goals.

Now don’t worry: it seems unlikely that Paris’ Haussman-era architecture and old beauty will be torn down to make room for 21st century green buildings.  I mean, these are the French, some of the world’s most steadfast guardians of aesthetics and history.  What will be removed, however, are the dismal housing projects that have grown up steadily around the city’s outskirts.  Many of the ten architecture teams focus on the projects specifically, with schemes such as adding more greenspace, or connecting these neighborhoods to the center of the city with new, efficient public transportation.

Paris, along with Bogota and, very recently, New York, is stepping forward to address the question “What does it mean to be a city in the 21st century?”  An especially important question given that within the next year, more people will live in cities than in rural areas for the first time in human history.  It’s great to hear that Paris, the city of cities, is leading the way.

Hungry for more?  Here’s another NYT article, and one from ABC.

Check out the Post and Courier’s article on the honor here.  And to celebrate a little bit, here are a few pictures of the things that make Park Circle really special…

Photo from Streetsblog.org

For the full schedule of Piccolo events, go here.  For Piccolo Fringe, hosted by Theatre 99 and The Have Nots!, click here – it’s 77 shows in 16 days, and all of them will be FUNNY.  They’ve got national stars like the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Reckoning, as well as all of our amazing local stand-up and improv shows like Mary Kay Has a Posse and A  Complete History of Charleston for Morons.

Hint: to avoid ticket processing and service fees, buy your tickets in person at the Gaillard Auditorium box office.  Thanks to Theatre 99 for that tip!

Spears Park at our last get-together

However, in the genuine spirit of the arts – which, let’s face it, is not and cannot be concerned with monetary gain, since pushing people outside their comfort zones and becoming rich have historically been far from complementary pursuits – a down economy is absolutely beneficial to the world of arts and letters.  I came across this idea during a talk with Prof. Alan Michael Parker, my old adviser at Davidson College, and a  renowned poet and writer.  We were talking about graduate schools, and what a good time it is to be a student, and he said “You know, you and I are not the only people thinking this.”  To which I replied, “Oh.  Of course not,” feeling stupid because, well, I had been thinking that I’d just made this great insight.  Anyway, we talked a little more after that and then hung up.

Ever since that conversation, I’ve been excited about what “it’s a great time to be a student” means for the arts.  Just think: so many of those people who had artistic leanings in school, but decided to do the “responsible” thing and become bankers or lawyers so they could make tons of money, now can’t make money either way!  And if you’re bound to be broke no matter what, well, why not pursue your passion?  This phenomenon is historically proven, too – Prof. Parker mentioned to me that a “renaissance in arts and letters” (his words) almost always occurs during and after tough economic times.  Just think what kind of literature we might see in a couple of years, in existence only because its author was unable to make millions on Wall Street.  Or what kind of sculpture, or music, might emerge from a dutiful but unexcited almost-law student, who is granted a reprieve by the unfriendly market.  Mixed blessings, certainly, but hopefully the “blessing” outweighs the “mixed.”

the renaissance man himself: Leonardo da Vinci.  we probably won’t get another one of him, but you never know…

In short, I would keep an eye on the arts over the next few years, both local and national.  We Charlestonians are lucky enough to live in a hotbed of artistic talent already; it will be interesting to see how the scene grows and changes in 2009.

While shopping at a local Goodwill I came across an interesting book, “Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom” by David Lereah.  The book was one of three prominently displayed to draw the shoppers’ eye to the book section.  On initial glance, my thought process immediately went to the year the book was published.  I quickly looked and found the publishing date of March, 2005.  I quickly flipped through the first pages of the book to get a sense of the premise on the timing of the real estate boom, curious to see thoughts on how long the “boom”  would last and thoughts on a possible downturn or adjustment.  The preface gave me a first glance into the author’s perspective of the future. 

“Today’s residential real estate makets are booming, and I and many other prominent housing economists believe they will most likely climb into the next decade.  Some in the media and elsewhere claim there is a housing bubble, and that it will eventually burst, similar to the stock market bubble debacle of 2000.  As I demonstrate throughout this book, their reasoning is flawed, a point I have driven home time and again on major business television networks like CNBC and CNN in recent years.”

I was enlightened that some of the media predicted the housing bubble.  The author was correct in how he viewed the economy in relation to the housing market

“The recent U.S. real estate boom has made money for an incredible number of households in America.  In fact, in 2001 and 2002, many economists (including me) claimed that real estate was the only sector propping up the econmy and keeping it from a full-blown free fall.”

Remember, the book was published in 2005 at the height of the real estate boom.  It really was an amazing time to be involved in real estate, whether you were a builder, developer, or home owner.  Lereah would miss the mark when writing about the boom continuing.

“Looking forward, expect more of the same–this real estate boom has got wings.  Don’t be fooled by any temporary pullback from the record-setting housing numbers of 2004.  I predict no major contraction in the housing markets in the forseeable future.  In other words, there is no national real estate bubble.”

Predictions even with solid data are still predictions.  You can’t fault Lereah for his predictions of the future as he also enlists others to drive home the point that the housing market would continue to grow.

“Last year, the chief economists of the five leading real estate organizations in the nation (yes, I was one of them)–Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, National Association of Homebuilders, National Association of Realtors, and America’s Community Bankers Association–provided ten-year housing projections that clearly forecast continued healthy expansion in the housing markets for the next decade.”

Although Lereah’s book in hindsight looks to have a few faults some important lessons can be derived.  It is difficult to predict the future of the housing market, for better of worse.  Many so-called experts now give claims that we are far from seeing the end of the current housing market.  I hope the next book to come out is “The Real Estate Swoon” and the predictions of continued downturn prove to be as false as those in “Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom?”

P.S. Be sure and support your local Goodwill.  Sometimes your donation is another’s treasure and you may just find a treasure of your own.

The I’On Group’s official day to volunteer will be Thursday, Oct. 23 – Jennifer, our Mixson agent, and Steve Craver of I’On Build will also do a presentation on LEED and sustainability in our Mixson homes from noon to 1 that day, for anyone who would like to learn a bit more about green building.

 If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Anne Randall at volunteer@seaislandhabitat.org or 843-768-0998, ext. 109.  Sea Island Habitat also has a blog – you can read their blog post on the groundbreaking at McCloud Place here.

  Groundbreaking at McCloud Place, from Sea Island Habitat Blog

Ready to start recycling your oil now?  Charleston County accepts motor oil for recycling at the following locations:
-    Adams Run – 8326 Old Jacksonboro Road, 29426
-    Awendaw – 6380 Maxville Road, 29429
-    Bees Ferry – 1344 Bee’s Ferry Road, 29414
-    Charleston Air Force Base – 100 W. Stewart Avenue and Arthur Drive, 29404
-    Downtown Charleston – Charleston County Recycling Center, 13 Romney Street, 29403
-    Edisto Island – 2844 Highway 174, 29438
-    Hollywood – 5305 Highway 165, 29449
-    McClellanville – 1775 River Road, 29458
-    Wadmalaw Island – 1886 Liberia Road, 29487

And to bolster your resolve, think about this: the SC Dept. of Health and Environmental Control says that one gallon of used motor oil can pollute one million gallons of drinking water, if not properly recycled.