High Rent District

I have to admit that, in the blogosphere, my humble entry is a small blip in the crowded world of people voicing their opinions in this vast marketplace of ideas. Recently, I was alerted to blogs that I had never viewed before, and frankly, it only served to depress me. I realize my own limitations, but I also thought I was putting together some worthwhile snippets of what was going on out in the world of land use. Nonetheless, there are some highly informed types out there, who also know a thing or two about web design. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, as some have even garnered advertising support for their endeavors.

For example, at Curbed, a real estate-themed site based in New York City, the focus is on one of the favorite pastimes of the settlement's inhabitants. "In New York City, it all comes back to real estate, rent, and the neighborhoods we inhabit." The site's description goes on by touting, "Curbed has become a daily fix for tens of thousands of NYC residents—and the most-trafficked neighborhood and real-estate weblog on the web." Started in May, 2004, Curbed is a cacophonous salute to the happenings around town, and demonstrates how absorbed the city can become in itself. Big surprise, I know, but advertisers realize the attraction, and developers, including that guy named Trump, turn up as sponsors. Not bad for a place devoted to such topics as the "Fart Cloud Building" of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. See, "Giant Fart Cloud Bldg Will Break No More Wind in Williamsburg," September 12, 2007.

And then there's the more staid, but highly respected blog with the clout of one of New York's most renown land use experts behind it. Law of the Land, hosted by Patricia Salkin, professor at Albany Law School, is "designed to provide a forum for the discussion of current laws, policies and decisions that affect the use of land." With more of a legal slant, Law of the Land focuses on recent court decisions and the like that impact land use. Aside from its pedigree, it has this fantastic panoramic picture of a gently sloping, green expanse extending down to a sea that disappears into the horizon. Although I have no idea where this place might be, somehow it draws me in every time -- as if it were Shangri-la.

When I see such great efforts out there, I turn inward, and figure out what I can do better as a blogger. Or maybe it's easier to blame others. Take for instance the Center for Municipal Solutions, which since 1987 has been hired by municipalities to draft ordinances that combat the "menace" that is the telecommunications industry. Most of my law practice these days involves being on the side of the wireless world. It's interesting to peer into the other side, and see who is attempting to parlay municipal fears into a living. It's also nice to put a name to the folks who keep me from devoting more time to blogging.

Luckily there are other voices out there to inspire, and spread the expanse of knowledge and possibilities when it comes to land use. I can only hope to aspire to such lofty goals from my modest perch.