Who Knew?

Local blogger, Evan Coren is speaking as a panelist on a Session entitled “Local Blogs: Covering City and County Government and Empowering Activism” at the Netroots Nation convention in Pittsburgh this afternoon.

Here is his bio from the website:

"Evan grew up in Columbia, MD, a planned community built by Jim Rouse in the 1960s to be socio-economically mixed, preserve greenspace, and guarantee the infrastructure promotes a high quality of life. When a development company proposed adding 5500 residential units into the downtown in a way that violated the Rouse vision Evan started the Howard County Blog to raise awareness of the proposed plan. The blog played a major role in shaping the debate. Transitioning from blog-activism to grassroots Evan was elected to the city council by doubling turnout in a typically low turnout election, winning by 21 votes."

Wow, I didn’t realize that General Growth Properties “violated” Rouse’s vision.

Evan’s blog played a “major role” in shaping the debate?

Columbia has a city council?

Truly amazing stuff.