Going "green," or becoming more eco-friendly, seems to be a hard selling point these days. People are having a difficult time paying their bills or looking for work, let alone pitching in to create energy efficient buildings or cutting down on oil consumption. The feeling in such economic dire circumstances seems to be "does it make a [...]

Many people have reduced their driving to a minimum. There are some who intentionally don’t drive at all or are “car-light,” meaning they only use their car occasionally. Does this sound appealing?  For me, this month I will be on a “car light” diet and I’m really looking forward to it. The following are the [...]

As taught in any art history class, each art movement was based on the previous ones. This metaphor is an important component when it comes to the transition of automobiles from all gasoline based power–to the hybrid; and eventually all electric. At the recent LA Auto show, this trend was on display—both literally as well [...]

The term “Going Green” has become a catch-all expression for anything that is eco-friendly, from reusable tote bags, electric cars, solar power, can, glass, and plastic recycling, and everything in-between.  Unfortunately, where and when energy is involved, “going green” is more slogan than reality.  Let me explain: To keep energy on an even playing field, I’m [...]

As the gift-giving season has been, once again, bestowed upon us, nothing could be better than giving a gift that keeps on giving. Indeed, it isn’t a bad idea, not a bad idea at all. Have you ever thought about giving the gift of a garden? Its a gift that keeps growing and growing. What’s a [...]

In these times of economic, political, and energy instability and change, a new eco-friendly form of transportation is starting to emerge—the policy and program, called Bike Sharing. It’s starting to develop at, and under the auspices, of our college campuses. For example, at the University of California at Irvine aka “(UCI)” they’re testing out a brand [...]

Yesterday, I received an email from Mark Abraham of Design New Haven, an open civic forum, blog, and resource about design and urban affairs in Downtown New Haven, Connecticut. He introduced me to a new site I thought was a perfect match for Travelin’ Local. SeeClickFix was created to allow communities everywhere to report, track, and [...]

Both Los Angeles (scroll down to page 129) and Santa Monica City Zoning laws require additional space for bike parking for every new commercial building, signaling the beginning of a newly emerging trend both here and around the nation. That is, the development of more bike-friendly communities. BikeStation’s name is eponymous with its mission– a [...]

Rain is in the air. I know, I know, if you feel it coming soon and are also talking about it with your friends, you wouldn’t be alone in doing so. Indeed, it’s been quite awhile since we last had any rain whatsoever–not even a drop. It could be because Los Angeles averages only 14.8 [...]

If you you haven’t been to the beach in awhile, you should, because there’s always so much to do and see by the seaside–for instance, just a few days ago I went walking on the beach and saw people: Walking   Jogging   Playing volleyball   Surfing   And even meditating   In addition, we aren’t the only ones who use the beach. I’m sure you’re probably [...]

Simply put, if you’re riding a bike to a specific location and intend to stay or stop there for any period of time, having a bike rack for your bicycle is a necessity. Most bike racks are plain steel, twisted metal, or perhaps consist of a parking meter, a light pole, or anything that’s fixed [...]

A few days ago, Santa Monica’s City Council surprised many people by voting to not build any new parking spaces. Instead they want to better utilize existing parking facilities. By doing so, the local government is promising that there won’t be a shortage of parking in downtown Santa Monica, but a better use of the [...]