Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Americana
Things we love we want to protect, but everything changes. We can’t live by exclusion. We have a responsibility to the places we live and the power to make them better. Ryan Short at CivicBrand is not a planner by training. He’s taken a roundabout journey. He started off doing branding and design work for […]
This has been a great year for our blog here at JCShepard.com. A lot of things to discuss regarding Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Americana, wherever you may be. Now the holidays are upon us, let’s take a look back at the posts which you, our readers, have given the most interaction over the […]
The Idea Friendly Method has just three parts: Becky McCray is a small business owner, a rancher, a one-time small town staffer. She knew, early on, that there were better ways than “the same old way” to get things done–in business, at home, at town hall. She’s talked to a lot of people. She’s buildt […]
Living off grid is a dream for many who move to the countryside, seeking self-reliance and independence. If you work in a small-town or rural planning office, you’ve likely encountered these modern homesteaders—residents with visions that echo those of early pioneers, building cabins and settling the land. Today’s off-grid dreamers often favor tiny homes of […]
Six Authors You Should Check Out I fell in love with the Great Outdoors through books. I always wanted to visit and hike and fish and camp since I was a Cub Scout. I learned about conservation and stewardship and Leave No Trace. Yet it wasn’t until after I had miles under my feet and […]
Planning enthusiasts, architects, engineers, and community leaders, take note! The year 2024 has brought a wealth of thought-provoking urban planning books exploring development, architecture, and community resilience. Whether you’re passionate about economic development, city development, sustainable cities, urban design, zoning regulations, creative placemaking, or historical perspectives on city building, these dozen standout titles offer interesting […]
“A few years ago, the Colorado Department of Transportation placed an advertising billboard high over Colfax Avenue in Denver reminding drivers to keep their eyes on the road, something that would be impossible to do while also looking at the billboard… There is a great billboard safety study from a couple years ago suggesting that […]
In 2004, author Craig Johnson created Sheriff Walt Longmire as the protagonist in his series of Western-crime novels set in fictional Durant, Wyoming, county seat of the equally fictional Absaroka County. Longmire is a crime fighter, but first and foremost his is a gentleman and a cowboy. Johnson has to date gifted us 21 books […]
I remember the Orange Tang of the Animas River running through Durango, Colorado, and on down to Farmington, New Mexico, in August 2015. Where normally kayakers and fly fishermen joust with tubers, the river coursed with the mineral runoff of Silverton’s shuttered Gold King Mine, zinc, cadmium, aluminum arsenic, and iron hydroxides let loose by […]
Rumors are surfacing again that William Gibson‘s classic cyberpunk SciFi novel Neuromancer may finally be reaching the big screen. The 1984 story—winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Philip K. Dick awards—has had far-reaching impact on pop culture as Gibson fleshed out the ideas behind “cyberspace” and “the Matrix.” You might have heard a bout a little […]
