Although frequently ignored in mainstream discourse, the City of Vancouver, British Columbia sits on unceded First Nations’ land. Years of systematic neglect have transformed Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood, now called the Downtown Eastside (DTES), into essentially an urban reserve. The DTES, historically home to marginalized groups, is the single poorest postal code in Canada. Despite the [...]
Is it possible for people to connect with nature while living in urban environments? Especially in big cities with poor access green spaces? Here are a few examples of percentages of green space per resident, in a sample of cities around the world: Cape Town: 290 m2/resident And according to a summary of research findings [...]
River enjoyment is something that can both bring excitement to a community as well as create great economic opportunities. That is why Richmond, Virginia recently adopted the Richmond Riverfront Plan. The contemporary plan involves revitalizing the James River by adding new access points, creating open public spaces where people can gather and commune, and by [...]
South from the city-centre of Berlin, a small pathway leads up to a curious mix of copper-colored buildings, a single-standing water tower, and birch trees, fighting their way through former train tracks. Upon arrival, the visitor is greeted by an engraved citation: “Wildness is the closest neighbor to art” – an idea which is taken literally [...]
For over a decade, the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) has given professionals and students in architecture, landscape, and urban design the opportunity to compete across multiple categories for the annual CNU Charter Awards. The Charter Awards honor a select number of winners, honorable mentions, and two grand prize winners: one professional and one [...]
Having faced one of the worst droughts in Texas history, in 2011, Austinites know that water is an issue of the future, but also today. Yet Texas remains to be one of the largest consumers of water. What are Texans doing with all that water? Well, watering, … watering climatically inappropriate landscapes. Homeowners, institutions, and [...]
There are a few questions to ask yourself before you run out and start a twitter chat of your own. After establishing your unique why, previously covered, you should consider what kind of commitment you are willing to make and how to implement it. Remember, part of establishing a successful twitter chat is creating a [...]
In today’s technological society, Twitter has become a great way for professionals in architecture, landscape design, and urban planning to frequently communicate. As a result, more and more professionals today are using the online platform to discuss topics relating to community, environment, infrastructure, and more. Thus, twitter has become one of the best ways to [...]
One of the most iconic viewsheds in Minneapolis – hated by some, loved by others – are any that include the Riverside Plaza apartments. From many places in the city you can see the Brutalist concrete buildings, with their primary-color panels and blockish tower-structure, towering above their surroundings. In 2010, Riverside Plaza was included in [...]
Given the disappointing situation of nuclear energy stations and their hazardous accidents, nations like Denmark have strictly excluded nuclear use as part of their strategy for producing electricity. This has increased aspiring concepts like alternative energy farms: socially and environmentally-harmless frameworks. Autonomous giant structures that coordinate their moves with nature’s rhythm, the wind power plants [...]
The Mayor, urban planners, and economists agree: creative industries are key to Berlin’s economic development. In a city that doesn’t rely on larger industrial facilities, that holds a special position due to its historical heritage, that was perceived as an island for decades – music, film, and new media industries have started to settle; building [...]
Tacoma, Washington is no stranger to LEED Platinum government buildings, but how about going a step further and creating one that actually has the capacity to react to its environmental conditions and alter itself in order to minimize its energy use? Tacoma’s Center for Urban Waters; a 51,000 square-foot office and laboratory building, was completed [...]
By all accounts, urban sprawl is a problem that has plagued many metropolitan cities throughout the United States. Like many of these cities, Richmond, Virginia has struggled with the concept of how to control the growing population while still possessing the ability to attract new residents to the area. Recently, many of the city’s efforts [...]
Just over a year ago, in October 2011, the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota revealed new plans for the redesign of historic Peavey Plaza. Those plans were scrutinized in the media and public outcry mourned the loss of such an iconic design. Today, this “Marvel of Modernism,” designed by noted landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg in [...]
As a waterfront city, Kelowna, Canada is heavily reliant on its shoreline. Okanagan Lake provides many things for the city, though the limited points of access pose a complex question when it comes to the provision of space. Competing for use of the shore are the tourism industry, public parks, boat launches, marinas, a logging [...]
With the rise of Twitter chats being implemented within the fields or architecture and urban planning, and as a participant to many, I recently interviewed a few coordinators from my favorite chats: Joe Peach from This Big City (#citytalk), Alexa Mills from MITCoLab (#citychat), Sybil Barnes from the American Institute of Architects National (#AIAchat), and [...]
With its 2.5 acres of land, Tempelhof has recently become Europe’s largest unimproved inner-city space. A site for experimental airships already in the 19th century, Tempelhof was one of Berlin’s most central airports for most of the 20th century. From holding a strategic logistic function within the Nazi regime, to providing an air passage during [...]
By 2020 all residents of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada will live within a five-minute walk of a park, greenway, or other green space. This goal may seem far-fetched but the creators of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan (GCAP), along with community supporters, are finding interesting methods of making this dream a reality. The city’s Neighbourhood [...]
It is May 28th, 1953, and Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first man to reach Mount Everest’s peak. It is July 21st, 1969, and Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to traverse the moon’s surface. It is September 3rd, 2012, and Jim Hallsey consecrates the 35th anniversary of the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail by hiking, biking, [...]
What does it take to become the world’s greenest city? Officials in Canada’s west coast city of Vancouver, British Columbia think they have the answer and plan to achieve this status by 2020. Using a variety of transportation measures, building codes, and urban design techniques, Vancouver is set to lead the world in sustainable living. [...]
