Jim Schwab

Why does Jim Schwab have a website? Who is he anyway? You don’t have to be a household name to do something worth discussing. I learned long ago that seemingly ordinary, uncelebrated people are doing some of the most worthy work in the world.  This website is about sharing and learning. To me, a day is only wasted when I have failed to learn something new or contribute something worthwhile, and often those two concepts are closely intertwined. I hope you enjoy this website with that idea in mind.

            I am an urban planner who happens to have grown into a niche specialty on natural hazards and disaster recovery. I am an author who remains involved in the cultural scene in Chicago and the Midwest.  I have concerns about our society’s future that are discussed in my website section under “Reflections.” And I have new projects (News) in the works for which I hope this website opens some networking opportunities to enrich what I can learn from others and what they may be able to learn from me.

Think Big Thoughts

Too much of what passes for discourse on the Internet, in my opinion, is merely an exchange of trivia. Too many people with too little perspective on life and too much time on their hands dominate too many discussions. I am an author who prefers to engage in some serious thought before committing words to the ages. I have dedicated a major part of this website to what I am calling “Reflections” on a handful of what I consider important subjects. In a previous incarnation, this website contained “Four Gardens of Reflection.” The word “garden” was intended to convey an arena of careful thought in a cultivated landscape. While I am no longer using that imagery, the idea of cultivated thought still appeals to me against the backdrop of so much vitriolic, often poorly informed commentary in various current media including the likes of Fox News. Let’s all spend more time thinking and less time venting. I invite you to join these Reflections. In due course, I hope to offer you the option of offering some reflections of your own. Oh, and, don't expect me to update the Reflections on a daily basis. It's more important that I have something of value to say than to offer new content just for its own sake.