Archive for the ‘Housing’ Category

May 21 2013

Oakland, California’s New Transit-Oriented Development Redefines Space

May 21st, 2013Posted by 

Oakland continues to bring new development and innovation to its neighborhoods. Next up is the MacArthur Transit Village (MTV), an impressive urban planning initiative to be built in Temescal beside the MacArthur BART station. Much like Fruitvale Village, this transit-oriented-development (TOD) brings some much-needed land use planning to a space currently occupied by a massive [...]

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May 21 2013

3 Ways to Create Opportunities for Rural Floridians

May 21st, 2013Posted by 

Tourists and residents flock to Florida’s metropolitan areas to enjoy bustling theme parks, cities that spill into the ocean, and shiny downtown high-rises. Still, just beyond the city limits, the Sunshine State remains much like it was only a few decades ago: ranches, rural communities, and endless acres of citrus groves. Like any other demographic, [...]

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May 15 2013

San Francisco Establishes Affordable Housing Fund

May 15th, 2013Posted by 

In November 2012, San Francisco voters passed Proposition C, establishing a city-wide affordable housing fund on the enormous margin of 31%.  And it couldn’t have come at a better time. In February 2012, Governor Brown of California, in an effort to slash the state budget, ordered the dissolution of all California Redevelopment Agencies. From an [...]

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May 10 2013

Digging Deeper: The Ultimate Queen City Underground Tour

May 10th, 2013Posted by 

American Legacy Tours – located at 1218 Vine Street in Cincinnati’s historic Over the Rhine (OTR) – has continued to gain popularity, media attention and distinction since their opening in 2008. The company, founded by a small group of friends, offers a diverse range of engaging walking tours through Cincinnati Heritage, legend and folklore. These [...]

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May 09 2013

Historic Preservation Groups in Phoenix Save Buildings, Liven Up Community

May 9th, 2013Posted by 

Phoenix, Arizona has earned a reputation as a city of endless stucco boxes, but what many don’t know is that it is actually a city filled with diverse and vibrant neighborhoods. There are dozens of historic neighborhoods in the city with beautiful bungalows possessing fantastic characteristics. There are many groups working to highlight these historic [...]

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May 08 2013

Shanghai’s Jiashan Market: A Model for Community Based Development?

May 8th, 2013Posted by 

In a city of over 20 million people, with about 3500 people living in each square kilometre, finding a space that provides an intimate sense of community may seem next to impossible. Within this urban maze, however, exists a number of places seeking to foster a greater sense of community and neighbourhood. Envisioned by Brearley [...]

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April 26 2013

Forgotten History: The Cincinnati Social Unit Experiment

April 26th, 2013Posted by 

Brighton – a small, tightly woven community of artists and art galleries, is located Northwest of Over the Rhine and downtown Cincinnati. It retains a ghostly atmosphere – a quiet neighborhood, where age-old nineteenth century Italianate buildings sit dormant against a backdrop of a modern city, now beginning to regain its former prominence. Walking these [...]

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April 25 2013

Close But No Cigar: A Review of James S. Russell’s The Agile City

April 25th, 2013Posted by 

In recent years we have begun to feel the effects of climate change the world over. In America, hurricanes like Superstorm Sandy and Katrina brought urban areas to their knees, killing people, destroying communities, and causing untold billions in damage. In this context, urban analyst and historian James S. Russell’s book The Agile City calls [...]

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April 18 2013

Unlocking Value in Miami, Florida

April 18th, 2013Posted by 

Miami 21, meant to encourage walkable development and non car-dependent lifestyles, brings new idea testing to places like Midtown Miami. As the economy recovers, this form-based zoning code creates redevelopment opportunities that previously have been unimaginable. Now is the perfect time to assess these principles and redevelop properties in forgotten high-value locations. Below is a [...]

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April 14 2013

Seeking Spring 2013 Internship Applications: Environmental Design Blogger

April 14th, 2013Posted by 

Do you have a unique specialty in the field of environmental design? Do you currently live in a town or city that has not/or is currently not being covered by another blogger? Have you successfully managed social media platforms? Do you have a passion for writing and want to learn how to successfully blog? If [...]

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April 12 2013

Cincinnati Public Staircases: A Walking History Abandoned But Not Forgotten

April 12th, 2013Posted by 

In recent decades, public staircases have been subject to a great deal of controversy in most cities, often viewed as places which are commonly associated with dangerous illegal activities such as crime, drug use, and even violence. In Cincinnati, Ohio – these staircases can be found in various urban locations throughout the city – some [...]

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April 08 2013

Rethinking Design for Social Housing to Make Better Communities

April 8th, 2013Posted by 

Different models of public housing have been planned and constructed over the years, ranging from Le Corbusier’s inspired super-blocks to less dense low-rises. Often, the less dense form of housing has been designed with separate entries, limited communal or shared space, and an abundance of parking lots. As social housing has evolved, so has the [...]

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April 05 2013

Great Expectations: The Power of Empowering the Impoverished

April 5th, 2013Posted by 

When you think of tough neighbourhoods and burroughs like the Bronx in New York, or St Ann’s in Nottingham, you don’t necessarily equate them with energy efficient living. If you consider it living at all, it is most certainly not energy efficient living. However, it is in Nottingham England that city council has made an [...]

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April 05 2013

Open House Thessaloniki 2013 – A Great Success

April 5th, 2013Posted by 

A few months ago, I was walking in Thessaloniki, Greece when I noticed some really eye-catching “Open House Thessaloniki” posters all over the city. I wasn’t familiar with this particular project, so as soon as I returned home, I started looking for more information about it. Ten minutes later, and I had already sent in [...]

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April 05 2013

Transit-Oriented Developments are One Answer to Austin’s Growth Need

April 5th, 2013Posted by 

As Austin, Texas strives to grow as a more environmentally and socially sustainable city, it has turned to Smart Growth principles to obtain its growth goals. One way in which the city has met this challenge is through the implementation of Transit-Oriented Developments, or TODs. The principles are transit-centric and consist of the following: ●     [...]

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April 04 2013

Miami’s Missing Middle

April 4th, 2013Posted by 

Miami is a melting pot not only of cultures, ethnicities, and cuisine, but also of students, professionals, couples, families, retirees, and tourists. However, contemporary housing fails to represent this diverse population by developing only single-family homes and condos – leaving few options in-between. Miami is missing middle-density building types: townhouses, row houses, courtyard housing, live-work [...]

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April 02 2013

Aging Among Friends: The Need To Make Cities Places For The Young– And The Aging

April 2nd, 2013Posted by 

As in many cities, Montreal has a need to create neighborhoods in which residents are able to age in place. Many of Montreal’s suburban areas are places where families settle in, children grow up, and parents continue to live their lives until they become elderly. Unfortunately, this environment may become difficult to those entering old [...]

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April 02 2013

Floating Life: Is It Achievable?

April 2nd, 2013Posted by 

The Netherlands is a relatively small country, however it has a considerably sizeable population that is currently in and around 16.5 million. This makes it one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with almost 83% living in urban regions. It is an extremely low lying country with about 50% of its land [...]

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March 29 2013

Taking Stock in Public Housing: The Redevelopment of Seattle’s Yesler Terrace

March 29th, 2013Posted by 

The image of public housing may have been tainted by the likes of Pruitt Igoe and Cabrini Green; but Seattle, Washington has taken a different approach to public housing that aims to develop urban, mixed-income neighborhoods. The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) has spent the past six years planning a $300 million redevelopment of Yesler Terrace, [...]

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March 28 2013

The University Of Nebraska, Lincoln: Once Again A Hub For New Design

March 28th, 2013Posted by 

In my opinion, the future of building is building up. The use of multifunctional buildings to conserve space is a necessary component of smart urban planning for the future. While many large East Coast cities within the U.S, as well as many cities internationally have adopted this practice, there is definite improvement to be had [...]

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