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Recent articles
Mary’s journey to Europe ’61
As a young woman my mother took the trip of a lifetime to Europe in the momentous year 1961. I helped her to share memories in this little essay. She describes a nice route for all American travelers to follow through the Old Continent.
Regions
Regions looks at people and places to consider our life in nature. It pursues the question through five chapters describing the life and work of people across five continents, looking at their uses of land, food and energy in rural and great urban regions. In this pursuit it opens the unique perspective of the regionalist and offers the idea of regionalism as a creative response to the question of how to make our home in nature.
A perfect world
The energy transition, a great transformation to a future carbon-free energy system, is coming into view in Dubai. The pieces – the fuels, the technologies and systems – were scattered somewhat randomly around Expo City, the site of Expo 2020 (2021-22) and the UN’s Cop28 (2023). But it required …
About me
I am a Chicago-based writer currently living and working in Dubai. I write about oil and gas, renewable power and new energies, covering the Middle East and Africa.
I have written about energy, infrastructure, construction, urban and regional planning, for print and on-line publications. I like to write profiles of cities, people and places. I’ve also written about food, music and dance. I am coauthor of ‘Beyond Burnham, An Illustrated History of Planning for the Chicago Region’ (Lake Forest College Press, 2009).
I began to write for publication in 2000, while working in the planning group of a major metropolitan agency. Regional planning led me to reflect on many aspects of cities, technology and culture. I continue writing on a wide array of topics today.
You will see a sampling of my published work and other essays on this weblog.
Thank you!