Month: July, 2009

“Housing the Future,” a BBC World Debate being shown August 1 and 2, 2009

31 July, 2009 (09:13) | AHI activities, Slums, Symposia, UN Habitat, Urbanization, Wilton Park | 1 comment

 
Update, August 4, 2009:

The BBC Web site now has the program. 

·         Click here: http://www.bbcworldnews.com/Pages/ProgrammeMultiFeature.aspx?id=196
·         Then click, “Also click here to watch in Broadband” – it should pop up and just run
As a point of information, here are five times I speak: 5:00, 12:30, 16:30, 37:00, and 40:30. 

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On August [...]

Big bad blocks: Part 1, blame the architects

30 July, 2009 (10:45) | Architecture, Athens Charter, Configuration, High-rise, Humor, Le Corbusier, Public housing, Speculation | No comments

If architecture cannot make us into better human beings and societies, can it make us into worse ones?  Can large monolithic high-rise blocks dehumanize us?  As presented on the funky Web site Oobject, herewith are 15 housing projects from hell, through which – aside from being appalled that architects, builders and government inflicted these upon [...]

Great posts by other (GBPO) 02: pyramids, promises, and public transportation

29 July, 2009 (10:06) | CRA, Cities, GPBO, Home asset finance, Innovations, Mass transit, South Africa, Theory | No comments

Previous GBPO may be found here:  GBPO 01.]
 
Continuing our if-the-opportunity-will series of Great Posts By Others (GBPO), here are three more provocative slices of the housing finance world:
 

Down these mean streets a blogger like Jockin goes
 
2.1 Business for Development
 
The site Business For Development [Hat tip: Yousuf Marvi] advertises Martin H. Klein’s book, Poverty Alleviation [...]

Won’t or can’t? Part 2, how fast a fix?

28 July, 2009 (09:14) | Affordability, Foreclosure, Loan servicing, Subprime, US News, Workouts | No comments

[Continued from yesterday’s Part 1.]
 
Yesterday we saw that even with strong Administration and Congressional pressure for lenders to modify loans, and modest financial incentives to loan servicers achieving successful workouts (we’ll return to those below), as chronicled in this Wall Street Journal, many people – at least, the Journal had no trouble finding plenty – [...]

Won’t or can’t? Part 1, who should be relieved?

27 July, 2009 (11:23) | Affordability, Foreclosure, Loan servicing, Subprime, US News, Workouts | No comments

With loan modifications on everyone’s lips, how easy is it to do?
 
When you’re denied something, a chasm separates being told I won’t help you from I can’t help you.
 
It ought to be easy, oughtn’t it?  Hard-working people who suffer temporary setbacks deserve mercy from their lender.  For the lender, mercy will be good business, as [...]