This Big City

"It’s interesting to see that in places like Copenhagen, biking is so ubiquitous, people see bikes as..."

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:12:46 +0100

“It’s interesting to see that in places like Copenhagen, biking is so ubiquitous, people see bikes as a handy tool, like a lawn-mower or a vacuum cleaner, and don’t really identify themselves as bicyclists. In a way, they’ve transcended the cultural question on an individual level, though bicycling is certainly part of the larger identity of the city.”

- Martha Roskowski on urban cycling culture.

Want more studies and data on bike lanes improving local...

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:07:14 +0100

Want more studies and data on bike lanes improving local economies? You got it.

Cities across the globe are getting disaster-ready, but the...

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:00:05 +0100

Cities across the globe are getting disaster-ready, but the approach taken differs wildly.

Photo

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:27:15 +0100

Can better placemaking encourage healthier lifestyles?

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:00:17 +0100

Can better placemaking encourage healthier lifestyles?

Zebra crossing.

Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:10 +0100

Zebra crossing.

studio630: Do you have an idea on how transportation could...

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:20:52 +0100

studio630:

Do you have an idea on how transportation could change America’s urban landscape?

What impact does urban mass transit have on the mobility of our cities in which we live, work and play?

What does the future hold for transportation investments in urban mass transit?

What forms will these new investments take and what is the result to our built environment?

Transform Kansas City, a collaboration between the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance and the Kansas City Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Young Architects Forum, would like to apply these questions and solutions to the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Transform Kansas City has launched an International Call for Ideas and is asking for submissions that illustrate transportation related or affected ideas or solutions. Transform Kansas City invites you, no matter your background or experience, to submit your ideas on transportation, urban design and architecture.

Kansas City is a mid-sized Midwestern American city with a population of just over 2 million people concentrated in both Missouri and Kansas. Until the 1950’s, Kansas City was a vibrant urban center with bustling activity strengthened by streetcar and passenger rail synergies. The widespread introduction of the automobile decimated the public transportation system in Kansas City. Since the end of the streetcar era the urban core of Kansas City has slowly declined to an almost halt. Infrastructure deteriorated, populations fled for the suburbs and new investments were ineffective and stagnant….until now…

The future of Kansas City’s urban core and the metropolitan area in general is starting to brighten. Thanks to several large scale transit investment strategies, the region has the opportunity to see urban Kansas City return to its bustling days of transit glory. A robust return to the streetcar system, high technology light and regional rail systems, and a smart grid strengthened by Google Fiber all add to endless possibilities to the Kansas City environment.

Here is where you come in. We would like for you to identify and elaborate on the initiatives taking shape in Kansas City. Better yet, create your own. No idea is too large or novel. Introduce us to transformative transit projects in other parts of the world. Display original designs relevant to the Kansas City region. Inspire us!

Submissions are due June 30, 2013 and selected entries will be featured on the TransformKC.org website and included in an exhibition at Union Station. Please visit the website for submission criteria and medium. The TransformKC exhibition will be located in the East Hall of Union Station during the month of October 2013. The exhibit provides a great opportunity to bring your ideas, knowledge and expertise to a local, grassroots level and showcase you as a leader in the world’s built environment.

For more information please visit the TransformKC.org website.

The energy that comes out of solar panels is renewable, but what...

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:04 +0100

The energy that comes out of solar panels is renewable, but what about the panels themselves? Today’s leading solar panels owe their high sunlight-to-electricity conversion rates to the use of rare elements, such as indium, gallium and selenium. But if current production trends continue unchecked, supplies of indium in particular will be depleted in less than a decade. The pressure is on to find a way of making solar power even more sustainable.

"Since Hurricane Sandy, New York has increased the minimum elevation required for new and..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:22 +0100

“Since Hurricane Sandy, New York has increased the minimum elevation required for new and reconstructed buildings in flood-prone areas, and is raising subway entrances and ventilation grates off the ground. San Francisco is redesigning its water and sewage treatment system to the tune of $40 million to prevent rising sea waters from entering the pipes during storm surges.”

- Dustin Roasa on how cities are getting disaster-ready.

The inaugural Placemaking Leadership Council met in Detroit in...

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:06 +0100

The inaugural Placemaking Leadership Council met in Detroit in April, with the city selected as the host for this first meeting for the thought-provoking setting it offered the subject matter. We were at the event, and here’s the first of our reports.

"Symphonies are playing Beethoven’s 6th while walking down city sidewalks, opera singers are..."

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:03 +0100

“Symphonies are playing Beethoven’s 6th while walking down city sidewalks, opera singers are collaborating with hip hop musicians and entire abandoned buildings are being turned into works of art, challenging the way we view the arts and the way that art fits into our everyday world.”

- Meg Peterson on the changing approach to art.

Photo

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:57:47 +0100

Great video: IBM develop a young girl’s idea to build a...

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:00:30 +0100

Great video: IBM develop a young girl’s idea to build a flashing crosswalk to remind drivers that pedestrians are coming.

Is it graffiti or is it street art? This handy tool can help you...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:10 +0100

Is it graffiti or is it street art? This handy tool can help you work it out!

For a bit more of an in-depth analysis, check out our latest post.

"Poor residents have built makeshift homes from whatever materials they can find, creating a..."

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:05 +0100

“Poor residents have built makeshift homes from whatever materials they can find, creating a neighbourhood known in Argentina as a “villa”. Sadly, these villas are usually built in areas which are really not fit for development, such as areas prone to flooding. This leads to a situation where shoddy construction breaks down in floods and creates accidental dams that make flooding even worse.”

- Drew Reed on recent flooding in La Plata.

For Sydney Writers’ Festival 2013, garbage trucks have...

Wed, 15 May 2013 06:00:03 +0100

For Sydney Writers’ Festival 2013, garbage trucks have been decorated with literature. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

http://www.swf.org.au/

http://youtu.be/5OQrPSE7tiA

What tags to follow?

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:47:31 +0100

My tag list needs some new additions - what tags do you follow to keep up with interesting urbanism stories?

- Joe

These two Baltimore districts would look very different today if...

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:00:22 +0100

These two Baltimore districts would look very different today if plans in the 1960s to build a highway right through them had been realised. However, the city started building the highway and then stopped, with weird results. Our latest post looks at Baltimore’s road that leads to nowhere.

"To answer the question “How can a city control its Street Art?” Let’s look at an analogy in a..."

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:12 +0100

“To answer the question “How can a city control its Street Art?” Let’s look at an analogy in a different field: wildfires. In wild areas in Spain, the government adopts a zero-tolerance policy. However, the forest ecosystem depends on fires for its well-being. To attempt to suppress forest fires allows vegetation to grow unchecked, so in the dry summer months, the smallest ground fires can quickly spread to the canopy, where it becomes an unstoppable inferno. The right policy is to provoke controlled fires which allows for appropriate stratification, that is, layering of the woods so that a ground fire stays a ground fire. If a zero-tolerance policy is adopted towards Street Art, undeveloped tagging will go on the increase. Professional artists will move to other countries. Unrest, especially among the budding Street artists, will grow.”

- Ian Currie on street art culture in Spanish cities.

That’s how we do directions in London town.

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:46:48 +0100

That’s how we do directions in London town.