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 [...]
The summer of 2012 saw a drastic uptick in the number of shootings and murders across the city of Chicago, Illinois. While many metropolitan areas, including New York City, have been experiencing historic lows in their homicide and violent crime rates, Chicago saw 532 murders last year, a number higher than troop killings in Afghanistan. [...]
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 [...]
How can we most effectively prevent crime? America has invested a lot of money in its prison system. In fact, the FY 2013 budget requests $8.6 billion for federal prisons and detentions according to the US Department of Justice. However, there is a different, more contemporary thought process that does not agree with this type [...]
Previously, we discussed urban parks and how cities can mitigate issues created by time and light circumstances. Then, we discussed passive and active community depreciation in rural parks. The differences, struggles, and advantages of and between rural and urban parks are obviously significant. Rural parks departments don’t have the large tax base large city parks [...]
“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk.” – Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher Danish architect, Jan Gehl’s, latest book, Cities for People (Island Press, 2010), explores the better designs of cities through designs for the people to live and work simultaneously. In this follow-up to Life Between Buildings (1971), Gehl explores the shifting [...]
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 [...]
The streets came alive on April 13th, 2013 as thousands of people flooded 1st Street to partake in the inaugural Feast on the Street, hosted by Arizona State University’s Art Museum and Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation. The idea was simple – bring together the community by hosting a dinner on 1st Street. The goal [...]
Our mobility is bound by the linkages available to us and the built environment that surrounds us. But how does our transportation choices in our city affect our health and well being ? This is a question that is gaining prevalence as cities grow, densify and complicate the daily journey of urban dwellers. A report [...]
Seeking urban planning, geography, mapping, and/or transportation students who are interested in mapping dolmus and minibus data across Istanbul. There are sixteen available positions, eight for the European side and eight for the Asian side of Istanbul. Key responsibilities: Report to the Dolmus and Minibus Route Development Manager Interview dolmus and minibus coordinators to ensure [...]
On the first Friday of every month, 20,000 people scour the streets of Oakland to participate in a unique event that plays host to art exhibits, performers, food trucks and numerous intriguing sights. First Friday has been a showcase for the city for the past seven years. It exemplifies the city’s every-growing identity that reflects [...]
Previously, we discussed urban parks and how cities can mitigate issues created by time and light circumstances. This week we’ll be examining rural parks. Cheney, Washington, about 20 minutes outside of downtown Spokane, Washington. is home to Eastern Washington University, and maintains a classic, rural university town setting. During the day, Cheney’s park system is [...]
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 [...]
I recently explored the bike-friendly status bestowed upon the University of Michigan and its town Ann Arbor by the League of American Bicyclists. A general consensus on their respective bronze and silver-level ratings is that there is room for improvement. An interesting way to look at the bike community in Ann Arbor is to consider [...]
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 [...]
With pollution and traffic problems at all-time highs in Chinese cities, some are taking up cycling as a sustainable alternative. The burgeoning environmental movement, convenient urban transportation system, and the costs of car ownership have convinced some out of their cars and onto public transportation and bikes. In the past, bicycle infrastructure was purposely neglected [...]
Not since the “Conquistadores” have they been arriving in such numbers. Though the current Spanish migration may be more out of necessity than the inquisitive expedition undertaken in the 1500’s, it may also be a sign of the strengthening dependence that Spain will have on Latin America, and potentially become a trend that may become [...]
Like many of its Bay Area counterparts, Oakland, California is a city full of diverse neighborhoods, comprised of unique identities blending and interacting to form one of the region’s primary destinations. Temescal is one such example where you can see the local history while experiencing the recently emerged culinary and art scenes that have come [...]
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 [...]
They say that when something is meant to be, you begin to see signs of it everywhere; life begins to push you in the direction you are supposed to go. I can certainly attest to this phenomenon in my experience with urban design. Once I discovered how strong my interest was in this field, I [...]
