Brian F. Kelcey
@stateofthecity.bsky.social
Was @stateofthecity on Twitter. Veteran of a B-Grade, Film Noir genre of politics known as "local government." Current gig: second tour of duty in the Winnipeg Mayor's Office. Hometowns: Victoria, Winnipeg, Toronto. Working on 'Debt City' (see debt.city)
Municipal defragmentation -?- in Ohio, h/t @greaterlaker.bsky.social
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/11...
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/11...
Would your town merge? Ohio considers paying communities to combine
New legislation would create a $25 million pilot program to test whether financial incentives can jump-start local government consolidation across the state.
www.cleveland.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Municipal defragmentation -?- in Ohio, h/t @greaterlaker.bsky.social
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/11...
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/11...
Baltimore, MD and zoning, h/t @princetonyimby.bsky.social
"Why I lost faith in zoning." tinyurl.com/5n8sh428 Baltimore’s former zoning board executive director, on why she supports @mayorbmscott.bsky.social bills to promote more density and multi-family housing in the city. [OP-ED]
Baltimore’s former zoning board director explains why she lost faith in zoning | Baltimore Brew
The mayor’s “Housing Options and Opportunity” legislation – including Bill 25-0066 – will go a long way toward fixing an unfair system. [OP-ED]
tinyurl.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Baltimore, MD and zoning, h/t @princetonyimby.bsky.social
Tortilla chips are made of corn.
Corn is a vegetable.
Ergo, eating a bag of chips is eating a serving of vegetables.
Corn is a vegetable.
Ergo, eating a bag of chips is eating a serving of vegetables.
November 25, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Tortilla chips are made of corn.
Corn is a vegetable.
Ergo, eating a bag of chips is eating a serving of vegetables.
Corn is a vegetable.
Ergo, eating a bag of chips is eating a serving of vegetables.
Strong mayor powers, in Peterborough, ON. Not exactly the brightest of lawsuits from what I'm reading. "...challenges the impugned By-laws on the basis that they 'do not implicate a provincial priority...” "[By-law is for] construction of a 52-unit transitional housing development. " Um...
There's a court challenge against the Municipal Act's Strong Mayor powers underway in Peterborough.
In security for costs ruling, a Superior Court judge writes:
"I am of the view that the Applicant’s case has limited merit and a limited prospect of success." #onmuni
www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/d...
In security for costs ruling, a Superior Court judge writes:
"I am of the view that the Applicant’s case has limited merit and a limited prospect of success." #onmuni
www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/d...
www.canlii.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Strong mayor powers, in Peterborough, ON. Not exactly the brightest of lawsuits from what I'm reading. "...challenges the impugned By-laws on the basis that they 'do not implicate a provincial priority...” "[By-law is for] construction of a 52-unit transitional housing development. " Um...
Intercity rail, in the US. H/t @mgrass.bsky.social
NEW STORY // Amtrak Breaks Ridership Records Nationally and in Pacific Northwest
Story by Doug Trumm via @theurbanist.org //🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2025/11/24/a...
Story by Doug Trumm via @theurbanist.org //🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2025/11/24/a...
Amtrak Breaks Ridership Records Nationally and in Pacific Northwest » The Urbanist
# Amtrak's annual ridership was up 5%, hitting an all-time record high of 34.5 million rides nationwide over the last year. Amtrak Cascades also hit a record high, reporting 1.4% growth and coming in ...
www.theurbanist.org
November 25, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Intercity rail, in the US. H/t @mgrass.bsky.social
New York City mayoral transition
Mamdani unveils 400-person transition team, including former Adams admin officials
Mamdani unveils 400-person transition team, including former Adams admin officials
In total, Mamdani has 400 people on his transition team across 17 committees. In comparison, Adams had about 700 people on his transition team, while Mayor de Blasio had just 60.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 1:51 AM
New York City mayoral transition
Might be one of those nights where I fall asleep in my suit via faceplant on my desk
November 25, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Might be one of those nights where I fall asleep in my suit via faceplant on my desk
Municipal fragmentation and its consequences, in the US. H/t @tomgoldsmith.bsky.social
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
November 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Municipal fragmentation and its consequences, in the US. H/t @tomgoldsmith.bsky.social
Toronto, and urban history. H/t @photoblair.bsky.social
If you like classic footage of Toronto streetcars, you'll like this link. This is some classic footage Richard Glaze shot of the Queen streetcar in snow between 1969 and 1976. I love how it all came together. You can practically hear the snow shushing the city. Check it out: youtu.be/RPoeU01rP28
TT Film - Queen Streetcars in Snow
YouTube video by Transit Toronto Main Channel
youtu.be
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Toronto, and urban history. H/t @photoblair.bsky.social
Nashville, TN and zoning economics
New paper in Journal of Housing Economics by Forster-Benson & Nchare studies the impacts of upzoning in Nashville, finding that upzoned parcels had an 11–38% increase in property prices, though impacts were heterogeneous, with effects concentrated among previously low-value properties.
Upzoning and residential transaction price in Nashville
Empirical research on the impact of upzoning policies on housing affordability has produced mixed results. This paper uses difference-in-differences a…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Nashville, TN and zoning economics
The Los Angeles Olympics, and financial risk, h/t @awalkerinla.bsky.social
laist.com/news/los-ang...
laist.com/news/los-ang...
LA taxpayers will pay for cost overruns from the 2028 Olympics. That wasn't the case last time
The 1984 Olympics made a profit and permanently changed the way the Games were financed. Here's how.
laist.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:29 PM
The Los Angeles Olympics, and financial risk, h/t @awalkerinla.bsky.social
laist.com/news/los-ang...
laist.com/news/los-ang...
Cleveland, OH
The mayor's administration and prominent supporters of CMSD's school merger plan have been taking the public comment microphone at board meetings to make their case: signalcleveland.org/mayor-justin...
Ahead of school board vote, Bibb campaigns for mergers
Public comment slots at CMSD board meetings have featured city officials, nonprofit and business leaders and the mayor's cabinet members.
signalcleveland.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Cleveland, OH
Opportunities for urban experts who are early in their expertise, in Toronto
Applications are open to join us as an Early Career Cdn. Urban Leader or an Urbanist-in-Residence. Visiting experts are practitioners in civil society, the arts, business, media, or govt. & (emerging) leaders in their urban-related sector. Apply by 26/01 https://ow.ly/wU6o50XurfA
November 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Opportunities for urban experts who are early in their expertise, in Toronto
I'm detecting a pattern in Russian demands, how about you
"Moscow rejects any compromise in Ukraine's peace plan. Russia will not back down from its previously stated demands," — BILD quotes, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.
November 24, 2025 at 1:21 PM
I'm detecting a pattern in Russian demands, how about you
Neighbors and ecdev, in the UK
November 24, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Neighbors and ecdev, in the UK
"There's only three things that's for sure: taxes, death and trouble."
Current mood:
youtu.be/vY81s1d3_L4
Current mood:
youtu.be/vY81s1d3_L4
Trouble Man
YouTube video by Marvin Gaye - Topic
youtu.be
November 24, 2025 at 2:47 AM
"There's only three things that's for sure: taxes, death and trouble."
Current mood:
youtu.be/vY81s1d3_L4
Current mood:
youtu.be/vY81s1d3_L4
*I* stopped using Facebook, and I'm less depressed and anxious.
Meta halted internal research that purportedly showed (young) people who stopped using Facebook became less depressed and anxious, according to an unredacted legal filing released on Friday. www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/m...
Meta halted internal research suggesting social media harm, court filing alleges
Meta is alleged to have halted internal research suggesting social media harm, according to court documents.
www.cnbc.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:12 AM
*I* stopped using Facebook, and I'm less depressed and anxious.
Downstream impacts from the flood works corruption scandals, in Philippine infrastructure.
PHILIPPINE INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING fell for a third straight month in September, as public works projects continued to undergo tight scrutiny amid a corruption scandal, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said. zurl.co/b9zaw
Philippine infrastructure spending slumps in September - BusinessWorld Online
PHILIPPINE INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING fell for a third straight month in September, as public works projects continued to undergo tight scrutiny amid a corruption scandal, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said. In its latest disbursement report on Sunday, the DBM said expenditures on infrastructure and other capital outlays declined by 42.6% to P78.7 billion […]
zurl.co
November 24, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Downstream impacts from the flood works corruption scandals, in Philippine infrastructure.
Kharkiv
⚡️4 killed, 17 injured in Kharkiv amid Russian drone attack.
Russia launched a massive drone attack on Kharkiv on the evening of Nov. 23, killing at least four people and injuring at least 17, regional officials said.
Russia launched a massive drone attack on Kharkiv on the evening of Nov. 23, killing at least four people and injuring at least 17, regional officials said.
4 killed, 17 injured in Kharkiv amid Russian drone attack
Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on Kharkiv on the evening of Nov. 23, killing at least four people and injuring at least 17, regional officials said.
kyivindependent.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Kharkiv
Remember that thing I said a couple of days ago about counterparties and political negotiations? Uh huh -
Secretive talks between the U.S. and Russia left out key White House officials and have been ongoing for weeks, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 23.
Witkoff “negotiated directly”.
Witkoff “negotiated directly”.
November 24, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Remember that thing I said a couple of days ago about counterparties and political negotiations? Uh huh -
Few city economies fascinate me quite so much as Las Vegas' - in part because there's been a consensus on its core value proposition since Nevada's 'Wide Open Gaming Act' gave it a purpose 94+ years ago. An update on Sin City's latest* tourism downturn...
slate.com/business/202...
slate.com/business/202...
Everyone Inside America’s Most Flailing Destination City Has a Theory for What’s Wrong. Now I Have My Own.
It defines the American experience like no other. People are no longer buying.
slate.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Few city economies fascinate me quite so much as Las Vegas' - in part because there's been a consensus on its core value proposition since Nevada's 'Wide Open Gaming Act' gave it a purpose 94+ years ago. An update on Sin City's latest* tourism downturn...
slate.com/business/202...
slate.com/business/202...
Denver, CO is playing with us
Denver City Council recently passed a new Downtown Denver Area Plan — the first major downtown plan since 2007.
Denver plans to make downtown into nation’s biggest ‘play’ zone
Where are the restrooms?
denverite.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Denver, CO is playing with us
Playing my kid. He's not bad for 6.5 yrs. His most important flaw at this point is that while he is good at projecting different outcomes of next moves, he keeps muttering his plans and intentions to himself in a revealing whisper.
November 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Playing my kid. He's not bad for 6.5 yrs. His most important flaw at this point is that while he is good at projecting different outcomes of next moves, he keeps muttering his plans and intentions to himself in a revealing whisper.