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Seeing The Numbers: NYC
We continue our series with Marc Perry, Chief of the Population Distribution Branch at the U.S. Census, on the new Census Atlas of the United States. This week, we look at some of the NYC-specific maps:
Also, Andrew Beveridge, Professor of Sociology for Social Explorer and chair of the Sociology department at Queens College, helps us flesh out what those maps tell us about New York.
Seeing The Numbers: Origins and Diversity
Each Thursday in June, we are taking a look inside the new Census Atlas of the United States, the first of its kind in almost 100 years. Marc Perry, Chief of the Population Distribution Branch at the Census, helps guide us through some of the maps and trends. Today we look at the changing face of America and an interesting definition of "ancestry."
Seeing The Numbers Each Thursday in June, we take a look inside the new Census Atlas of the United States, the first of its kind in almost 100 years. Marc Perry, Chief of the Population Distribution Branch at the Census, helps guide us through some of the maps and trends.
Nation
Slugging to Work: Anonymous Ride-Sharing
Morning Edition, May 22, 2008
· If you've ever sat in rush-hour traffic, gazing longingly at the cars rushing by in the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, try doing something your parents warned you never to do: Hop in a car with a complete stranger behind the wheel.
In a few cities, like Washington, D.C., formerly lone motorists can zip over into those HOV lanes thanks to a rare breed of commuter called a "slug." And with gas prices through the roof there's now an extra incentive to do it.
By 7 a.m., at a non-descript parking lot in suburban Virginia, the line of blue and grey business suits stretches down the sidewalk. Men and women stand quietly, patiently waiting their turn.
Study: Americans Commute an Average 25 Minutes
Morning Edition, October 12, 2007 · A new study shows the average American commutes an average of 25 minutes. That's almost nine full days a year behind the wheel. Commutes have worsened over the last two decades because highways haven't kept pace with population growth and urban sprawl. If you work in New York City, your average commute is the worst in the country: almost 36 minutes long. For the nation's easiest commutes, you have to turn to the colder climes of Omaha and Buffalo.
Day to Day, February 6, 2007 · It's the latest, coolest thing in pedal-powered transportation: Bikes with no gears and no brakes. You'll find them on city streets from New York to San Francisco, mostly in the company of young, rugged-looking bicyclists.
Take a close look at Vincent Betette's bicycle, for instance. Betette is a bike messenger in Washington, D.C. He rides a sleek machine that is stripped down to the bare essentials: Two wheels on a light steel frame with curving handlebars of bare metal. There are no cables, and no gears — and there's no coasting, either. This is a "fixed-gear" bike; if the wheels are turning, the pedals have to turn too, the way bicycles worked 100 years ago.
Radio Lab® is an investigation. Each episode is a patchwork of people, sounds, stories and experiences centered around One Big Idea. On Radio Lab, science bumps into culture... information sounds like music.
Debt Piled on Chinese Restaurants in U.S.
by Margot Adler
Morning Edition, May 8, 2007 · There are about 40,000 Chinese restaurants in the United States. Many of the workers in the kitchen are recent arrivals from China - some legal, some not. Many took on significant debts to get to the U.S.
Tim Wu talks with Neal Conan on NPR's Talk of the Nation about the possible ways presidential candidates might attempt to reach younger voters in the 2008 election. Wu speculates about candidates battling in virtual worlds (which may prove more "exciting" than real-life rallies, since you can actually blow things up). He talks about the increasing participation in virtual worlds like Second Life, but doesn't really contextualize the still relatively small virtual world population. Wu also speculates that it might become more acceptable for serious politicians to make cameo appearances on TV shows as a way of advertising their brand, i.e. themselves. Although he mentions Clinton, it might be useful to think about Gore's career since he left the White House. Appearances on Saturday Night Live and most recently the Oscars with his film An Inconvenient Truth have turned him into Hollywood's golden boy without detracting from (and if anything, increasing) his political clout. Will candidates still in office be able to garner popularity in this way - without worrying about their reputations as "serious" presidential candidates?
This clip is also useful because it imagines the possibilities for increased voter participation throughout the political process.
tagged NPR Neal_Conan Tim_Wu internet politics presidential_election radio virtual_worlds by rachel ...on 12-MAR-07
'Greening' of Paris Rough on Motorists
by Eleanor Beardsley
Weekend Edition Saturday, December 23, 2006 · The mayor of Paris is widening sidewalks and expanding green spaces. Pedestrians may like this new Paris, but it is frustrating to many motorists.
npr weeklong series
Shanghai Builds for the Future
China is now undergoing one of the most massive urbanization in human history, and nowhere is that more evident than in cosmopolitan Shanghai. The city's population is now almost 18 million, and is forecast to rise to 25 million by 2020. This series looks at how the city is preparing for its future
And (Environmental) Justice for All
Robert Bullard, Ware Professor of Sociology and Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University and Sheila Holt-Orsted discuss Holt-Orsted’s family’s fight against cancer and environmental racism as they participate in the nationwide Environmental Justice bus caravan tour taking place this week.
Day to Day, July 14, 2006 · A new service will allow drivers to auction off information about when they will leave their parking spaces to other drivers looking for a spot to park. The online forum will also let people auction off their driveways. Andrew Rollert, CEO of SpotScout, the company that will connect drivers through mobile devices, talks with Madeleine Brand.