→ Living Car-Free in a Food Desert [Women's Health News]

Until I started trying it myself, I honestly did not understand why food deserts are defined in such a short radius – surely people 1-2 miles from a grocery story, even without a car, can’t really have *that* hard a time getting to food, right?

Wrong.

→ Transit and a shrinking U.S. government [Human Transit]

The recent “deal” intended to cut the US Federal deficit looks like it can only lead to further cuts in Federal spending on almost everything.

Cities, in general, require higher levels of infrastructure, and a range of other spending, than the country as a whole. So the further Federal budget cutting to come is likely to mean further damage to essential services in cities, including public transit. While a powerful cadre of urban economists and thinkers are ready to make the case that the city is essential to the economy of the nation, and the battle for continued Federal funding may well be won, cities and local governments, including transit agencies, should clearly be strategizing for the possibility of permanent decline in Federal investment.

The comments are where this post gets interesting, read those.