Since 2005, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has been actively working to develop a Regional Plan Update that supports the continued restoration of Lake Tahoe’s clarity and fosters land-use policies that promote sustainable growth. Facing pressure from the passage of Nevada Senate Bill 271, TRPA passed an update to it’s 1987 Regional Plan by [...]
The urban environment today is certainly different from what it used to be. City expansion, increased populations in urban centers, and CO2 accumulation are some of the reasons for so-called micro-climates. Greek cities are seeing these types of changes as well. A major problem for Greek cities is the low percentage of public green spaces. [...]
Kane County, IL, like most developing counties across the United States, faces a significant challenge in addressing the issue of mounting traffic congestion. One of Kane County’s major thoroughfares, Randall Road, has been epitomizing this issue. As traffic congestion becomes more and more of a problem on Randall Road, the Kane County Division of Transportation [...]
Preservation of one’s heritage plays an important role in environmental design, especially today. Architects, planners, and designers, in general, are strongly encouraged to incorporate the past, present, and future into their designs. Think about it, can you name a building or region that took into account none of its surroundings? (More than likely, no.) In [...]
New York City, above others, has defined itself through an evolving scholarship connected to its rapidly changing street life. This broad conception of street life has been widely debated and discussed from the standpoint of urban theorists and activists such as Jane Jacobs and William H. Whyte, whose respective works, The Death and Life of [...]
Phoenix, Arizona has been making changes from its suburban, single story, sprawling past. The inception of Phoenix’s , light-rail system, METRO, has acted as a catalyst for the proliferation of transit oriented developments (TODs) along the corridor it occupies. This is no accident, as the cities in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area have been pursuing [...]
Bertrand Goldberg’s iconic Marina City project has been a fixture of Chicago’s skyline for decades. The unique, futuristic, corncob-shaped towers, constructed using innovative concrete pouring techniques, represented a bold expression of design in the late 1950’s. As remarkable as Marina City is from a design perspective, a retrospective on Goldberg’s work at the Art Institute [...]
In a period of rapid urbanization, many cities are faced with the challenge of reconciling seemingly contradictory objectives. One of the most pressing of these challenges is the imperative to conserve valued and significant buildings and streetscapes of the past whilst providing the infrastructure for modern, efficient, and sustainable public transport. The experience of the [...]
I have lived in Berkeley, California for four-and-a-half years now. Of the many unique characteristics in this region, including the bordering cities of Oakland and Emeryville, the one trend that has stuck out most to me is the sudden changes in landscape design. One block with freshly paved road may be neighbored with old streets [...]
It’s been over 12 years since Athens International Airport moved from the Elliniko area, a significant coastal area of Attica, to its new home in Spata. Since then, there is an ongoing debate between the State, private investors, social movements and institutions, like the National Technical University of Athens with its Urban Environment Laboratory, on propositions [...]
Vancouver, British Columbia can only be described as picturesque; mountain framed and seaside, the city begs to be photographed and experienced by tourists and locals alike. Along with the gorgeous scenery and temperate climate has arisen a high demand for real estate in the downtown peninsula, which has gradually resulted in a real lack of [...]
Everyday, urban residents around the world use energy without giving much thought as to where it comes from, how it is produced, and how safe it is to produce it. But on January 31, 2013, a series of explosions at the Richmond Chevron Refinery in Richmond, California raised important urban planning questions regarding the location [...]
New Orleans is called the Crescent City for the shape the city takes around the bend of the Lower Mississippi River. Yet, for a city with such an abundance of water, there is often a disconnect between the city and its famous river. Deteriorated and vacant wharves line areas of otherwise valuable riverfront property. Aside [...]
If you have ever been to Lake Tahoe, California, I’m sure you can agree with me that it is one of the most breathtaking spots in the U.S. Situated between Nevada and California, with seventy-two miles of shoreline and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range as its backdrop, this alpine lake is known for both its [...]
On the surface, the iconic 200-year-old urban grid of New York City’s Manhattan Island towers over the surrounding hinterland. John Randel Jr., who surveyed & engineered the future of NYC urban growth from 1818-1820, used hand drawn maps that effectively mapped out today’s modern metropolis. But New York City, like all cities, also carries a [...]
After forty-eight hours in a city, you usually have an idea about whether you enjoy it, or if you just want to leave. This time frame may allow for a walk through the city’s center and, perhaps a visit to a few well-known attractions or landmarks. On a visit to Ecuador’s commercial center and principal port Guayaquil, you [...]
With increasing urban density, cities are being forced to find sustainable alternative solutions to problems of transportation in urban centers. In cities like Hong Kong, where urban density remains a major issue, creative projects have dramatically changed the urban landscape. The Mid-Levels is a residential area built on the steep slopes of Victoria Peak. It [...]
The Oahu Urban Garden Center is a University of Hawaii at Manoa led initiative. A community resource, the OUGC invites aspiring green thumbs to participate in “Second Saturdays at the Garden,” a series of monthly classes that improve planters’ know-how. In addition, the OUGC offers expertise in soil analysis; this helps at-home gardeners identify nutrient [...]
On the evening of January 29, 2013, roughly 150 people gathered in SPUR’s Urban Center to listen to San Francisco’s Planning Director speak about the city’s present state and future initiatives in an event contentiously titled “The Meanies and the War Mongers: Recent Planning Lessons from SF.” John Rahaim spoke in a direct manner that [...]
State, citizens and private investors have been vindicating the area of Eleonas in Athens for the last six years. The area of 9,000 square meters extends in the south-west boroughs of Peristeri, Egaleo, St. John Renti, Tavros and Athens and form the area of Eleonas. Eleonas is regarded as another “back yard” of Athens, in [...]
