Why Worcester Needs a Whole Foods

Bring Whole Foods to Worcester

As Worcester strives to become a thriving city, it faces some challenges along the road. Some of these, like the revitalization of downtown, will prove challenging, while others could be solved much more easily. One of these seemingly meager problems facing Worcester is that the city does not have a Whole Foods Market or really anything comparable. The "modern city" prides itself on attracting an environmentally conscious, socially and politically active and sustainability focused populace. These people are the champions of gentrification that are bringing cities back to life. But, these people subsist on a diet of organic food; without it, they will stay away. 

As you can see from this screenshot, it currently takes 35 minutes without traffic (usually 45) to reach the nearest Whole Foods Market. It is nearly impractical to drive this far to the grocery store. 

Okay sure, I have made a case for theoretical reasons that communities would benefit from Whole Foods, but why Worcester specifically? Does the city really have enough people to support a large upscale grocery store? Yes.

First of all, many New England cities that are much smaller than Worcester have at least one Whole Foods Market, and so do many small towns. The following is a list of places in New England by population that have at least one Whole Foods Market. Keep in mind that Worcester, with 181,000 residents, does not make this list.

Boston: 625,000

Providence: 178,000

Cambridge: 105,000

Newton: 85,000

Brookline: 58,000

Andover: 33,000

Wayland: 13,000 Hmm....

This is not by any means a full list. But it already seems that Worcester is lacking given that it is the second largest city in New England. 

One may also try to make the "Worcester is poor" argument, but actually that's not true. Comparing cities by median income, Worcester is actually relatively high, at $61,000 compared to Boston at $32,000.

For these reasons, I strongly feel that Whole Foods Market should open a location in Worcester.

The Paradox of Language: America v. Europe

English at Home and Abroad

I want to start off by saying that I have a deep respect for languages. I have a strong interest in learning as many as possible and about learning about the cultures that correspond with language. I am a strong supporter of having a multilingual population. But despite my fascination with language, I have to admit that we have a problem, both here in the United States and across the pond in Europe. In America we do not have enough respect for our language, but in Europe language is so strongly bound culturally that if you travel far from your home, few people are likely to be able to understand you.

America: i luv u see u @ home tmrw

American English has really deteriorated over time. I find that in general, Americans do not like to write or speak in complete sentences and often say things that do not make sense. Some of my favorites are "I seen it" "I axed him a question" or "I am going to watch there dog this week" But in all seriousness, we have to admit that as a society we do not place much respect on our language here. The blame for this probably lies somewhere between our lackluster public education system and social media, but rather than pointing fingers, I feel that we should look for a solution so that Americans can begin to speak properly again.

Europe: Ich kann das nicht verstehen! 

Europeans place such emphasis on speaking properly and for that, I think that Americans owe them a lot of respect. But at the same time, the wide variety of languages spoken across the continent can cause so much confusion for people. Even within countries there are often so many dialects of a single language that traveling 50 kilometers can cause a linguistic nightmare.

This map is completely overwhelming to me. It shows the various languages that are dominant in any given part of Europe. Notice again that the colors of language groups do not neatly fit within national borders. This can cause political and administrative nightmares for the people of Europe. Languages and dialects are so important to Europeans, but they are so specific that they cause problems. 

Now What? 

I think that America and Europe both have an opportunity to learn from one another. First I want to point out that in Europe, about 51% of the population are proficient with English. According to the New York Times, in America, only 20% of people can hold a conversation in a language other than English. I believe that these two numbers point towards a solution. 

In Europe we can say that most people are at least proficiently bilingual. My idea is to further expand English education throughout Europe alongside a country or regions native language. If almost all europeans could communicate in English as well as in their native language, europeans could communicate easily with one another regardless of where they reside. Rather than countries fighting internally and externally over official languages, if everyone learned English many of the problems would be solved. Take Spain for example. There is a huge battle being waged now between the blue of Spanish speaking Spain and the darker blue color on the East coast of Catalan speaking Spain. These two areas struggle to communicate and are battling over language, but if both regions could speak English, it would detoxify their current struggle.

In America most people cannot speak a foreign language because it is not strongly emphasized in school. If we are a society were forced to learn more about languages from a young age, we may place more value and respect on English. Not to mention the fact that having knowledge of more than one language helps to piece together grammar rules themselves. 

If America and Europe can learn a bit from one another the world could become a much less confusing place!

Priced Out of San Francisco

San Francisco Becomes Too Cool

San Francisco has long been considered a "cool" hotbed for bohemian culture. It is a very left leaning city that that thrived with the help of artists, hipsters and musicians. For decades these people have been the heart and soul of the city. But, as more and more people have been attracted to the city, those who make up it's cultural background are quickly being priced out.

San Francisco Rent Growth

As you can see from this graph, San Francisco was a relatively inexpensive city for most of the 20th century and it was easy to afford to live here. By since the early 1980's, rent prices have risen at an alarming rate for residents of the city. The current median rent in the city is $3,396 according to CNN, that equates to over $40,000 per year. This is more expensive than any other American city. It's no wonder many working class residents can no longer afford to live in San Francisco. Many of these people are hopping across the bay to Oakland where rents remain more reasonable.

Why Has This Happened?

Most large cities have seen rising prices across the country, but San Francisco is an outlier. Many residents blame an influx of high-wealth technology workers for rising costs, but this is really a symptom instead of the problem for the city. The real problem in San Francisco is that residents are resistant to new construction of higher density housing. San Francisco is not generally zoned to accept new high rise construction out of fear that it will ruin the character of the city.

Economically speaking, the problem is with supply and demand. There is a severe shortage of housing supply in the city at a time when demand for living within the city is skyrocketing. Because the shortage is not being addressed effectively, prices continue to drift upward. If the city could change some of it's zoning laws to allow more construction, housing supply could be increased and counteract some of the upward price movement. Many long-time residents want to see their city stay the same, but if they want to afford to keep living there, they eventually must be willing to accept change.

Atlanta Braves Get New Stadium

After 16 Years, Braves Build Another New Stadium

In a typical tale of excess, the Atlanta Braves are about to break ground on a new baseball stadium. They only moved into their current stadium 16 years ago, in 1997. The new stadium will cost $625 million and be publicly subsidized. Yes, coming off the end of the worst financial crisis of our times, Atlanta residents, who are stricken with a 7.2% unemployment rate, are having their tax money spent on a new pro sports stadium. Is this really necessary?

Despite the fact that public subsidies for sports are a bit ridiculous to begin with, I suppose we should start by examining the current baseball stadium in Atlanta, Turner Field. So, here is a picture.

Despite the fact that I'm not a huge baseball fan, I would say that the stadium looks nice as it is. It is located right near downtown Atlanta and has a capacity of about 50,000 seats. Let's consider that there are plenty of perfectly good "old" stadiums such as Fenway Park in Boston, built in 1912, or Chicago's Wrigley Field, dating back to 1914. Supposedly, Turner Field, built in 1996, is in need of $200 million in renovations. 

I bet that I or almost anyone could come up with a list of 25 or more items that Atlanta could spend it's $650 million on instead of a second brand new sports stadium.

Analyzing the Case

Let's assume for a minute that this new stadium would be free. Would it at least be a good improvement over the current facility? The Braves claim that there is no good highway access to the stadium and that parking for games is a real challenge. Moving the stadium is the only way to enable people to get to the games. Wrong.

First of all, here is a picture of the relationship between the stadium and downtown Atlanta. Notice that there are three main highways that nearly run right next to the stadium. One is even called the Downtown Connector. It couldn't possibly be more convenient for residents to reach a new stadium.

Oh and to make the case that there is no parking does not work either. From the last picture it is easy to see all of the parking surrounding the current stadium, but I'll show you another picture just to prove my point. This blacktop surface space is already wasted during anytime that a game is not in session. 

And last but not least I would like to point out where exactly the new stadium will be located. 

The black rectangle shows Turner Field, the current stadium, right in downtown. The red rectangle shows the location of the new stadium, which is at the outer edge of the Atlanta Beltway. I would say by almost any measure this is a much more inconvenient location. 

World's Largest Building Opens in China

China's New Century Global Center

Perhaps the most striking sign of China's construction boom is the recent opening of the New Century Global Center in Chengdu. Most of the space inside of this building will be devoted to retail shopping, but the Center will also feature a university, offices, an IMAX Theatre, a luxury hotel, a mediterranean village, an artificial beach, a giant pirate ship, a skating rink and an amusement park. At 18,000,000 square feet, the building is about three timex the size of the Pentagon and could reportedly house 20 of Sydney's Opera House.

Exterior View

Main Entrance

It is truly challenging to capture in photos just how massive this new mall is, but what is far more interesting is what this behemoth signifies for China and for the world as a whole.

Peak Suburban Appeal

Over the last few years the United States has begun to move away from the suburban ideal and interest in urban revival has started to pick up momentum. In many ways, China is lagging a bit behind in this trend and is currently experiencing a construction boom of unprecedented proportions. The suburban malls of the 1990's and 2000's are slowly losing their grasp on American society, but it seems that China is on a different page.

At a time when Chinese cities are languishing in off-the-charts pollution, many urban Chinese have no desire to be outside and experience the true essence of their cities. It is simply too hazardous to do so. So naturally, creating a city sized space indoors is one way to solve this problem. Rather than experiencing the urban grid, residents of Chengdu can literally hide from it. In fact, the building is so massive that while you are swimming in the 54,000 square foot self-contained ocean, you may even forget that you are inside. 

Love it or Hate It?

Whatever this massive building is, it certainly has become a polarizing topic among the Chinese. No one can argue that the design and construction of this massive mall are not beautiful. One could live an entire life inside this structure and have nearly all of their needs met; one of the only things that the mall does not contain is a hospital, at least not yet! This new mall is the prime example of a one stop shop for everything.

But is this really a good thing?

I certainly don't think so. While it is true that even I enjoy a trip to the mall to escape the harsh New England winters, I think that as a society we can do a better job at creating authentic points of interests. Giant malls cannot continue to be the epicenter of leisure time because there are so many other things to do. I think that a truly beautiful thing would be for China's cities to clean up the air and create friendly, walkable and living cities that draw residents organically, not just with sales promotions. It seems to me that this mall is a giant step in the wrong direction. 

Cities Come In Strange Shapes

This video shows examples of some cities that have really bizarre boundaries.

Bill De Blasio Wins New York Mayoral Race

Progressive Mayor to Take New York City

After 20 years of Republican rule in New York City, a progressive candidate, Bill De Blasio, has been overwhelmingly elected as mayor. This election will have strong ramifications on a city that has seen a growing gap between the rich and the poor. 

More Emphasis on Outer Boroughs

Despite the successes of the his administration, Mayor Bloomberg was often criticized as focusing his policies only on Manhattan. De Blasio has pledged to spend more time addressing concerns in the often neglected outer boroughs of the city that have not benefited as much as Manhattan has in recent years. Queens, Staten Island, The Bronx and Brooklyn can look forward to receiving more funds and resources from the city government. De Blasio is himself a resident of Brooklyn.

Increased Early Education Funding

One of the main components of De Blasio's campaign is a pledge to increase funding for pre-kindergarten educational programs in the city. The new mayor hopes to fund this expanded program by passing higher tax rates for residents of the city whose incomes exceed $500,000. De Blasio's children are enrolled in public schools in the city and he feels that education should be a top priority of the new administration.

Addressing the Wealth Gap

Perhaps the most central political view presented by De Blasio during his campaign and since his victory is that right now New York has become a city of haves and have nots and that this should change. He recognizes many of the great changes that have happened in the city, but he feels that many lower income groups of residents have been neglected. De Blasio hopes to enact changes within the city that will lift everyone more equally and not focus only on the city's elite. 

Fixing Boston's Subway

I have been trying to upload this video for several days and just figured out how to do it the correct way. I apologize for any confusion during previous posts!