Goodbye, Philadelphia

After today I'll probably lay off talking about slot machines for a while, but first, I'll call your attention to this Philadelphia Inquirer story. Philly, it turns out, will have no zoning or planning powers over casinos built in that city. It was apparently a poke in the eye by the Legislature at Mayor John Street, but as the article notes, it's the residents of Philadelphia who will suffer when a garrish casino that is incompatible with good urban design is erected.

Speaking of urban design, it's always worth your while to check out James Kunstler's Web site. Kunstler, an author and relentless critic of suburban sprawl and modernist architecture, chronicles a different architectural abortion every month.