Planning should be participatory; however, it’s often very difficult to get stakeholders to contribute to planning processes. Mail-in survey return rates are low, and more often than not, residents don’t want to sit through a Saturday morning design charette. Marketing online and social media platforms give urban planners and architects a set of contemporary tools [...]
There is no denying it, we are in the facebook era. With over 900 million users, the public has never been more exposed and globally connected. One reading this may agree, but likely conclude, that the banter on Facebook is similar to the banter on Wikipedia; it is inefficient, random, and full of opinions, often [...]
Istanbul will host its first design biennial between October 13 – December 12, 2012. The theme is proposed by the director of London Design Museum, Deyan Sudjic, as “imperfection.” This theme refers to Istanbul, a city far from being perfect, yet one of the most inspiring centers of the world, with infinite layers. Istanbul Design [...]
The Mammoth Gateway Project is an effort to elaborate on the entrance to the resort community of Mammoth Lakes, CA. Signage is crucial for travelers and Mammoth Lakes needs wayfinding markers to help tourists get around with ease, while creating memorable experiences. The Mammoth Gateway Project is the ultimate expression of Mammoth’s desire to stick [...]
Chapter 9 is the section of the National Bankruptcy Code that provides for the reorganization of debt incurred by municipalities such as cities, towns, counties, and villages. The very first municipal bankruptcy was filed in the United States in 1934 during the Great Depression. While the provision has been around for 60 years, there have [...]
As my 6-month internship with Global Site Plans coasts to a gentle close this week, I find myself in a much different place than when I began blogging for the GRID in October 2011. In the beginning, I was a recent college grad still clinging to my Cornell days by hanging around Ithaca, New York [...]
Buffalo, New York’s grand collection of architecture was generated by Buffalo’s grain elevators; its robust economy culminating as the largest grain transshipment center in the world in 1900. At that time, the city’s grain silos had become recognized as the great cathedrals of Modernity. Today, Buffalo is a shadow of its former grandeur, experiencing immense [...]
Being a current grad student at Arizona State and having an undergraduate history at Ohio State, I can say that I know both these university cities quite well. There are many differences between Tempe, Arizona and Columbus, Ohio. For one, the art and music scene in Columbus is far superior than Tempe. On the other [...]
It is pretty well acknowledged that the Internet has changed the world, with easy, universal access to information and instant communication across the planet. But how has it impacted the daily life of an architect? Has it changed the way they work? And is the full potential of the Internet being utilised? Habits are changing. [...]
Creating and maintaining a website is a complex task that involves making decisions regarding design, branding, marketing, and content. How much should website maintenance cost? The answer is that the price is variable and dependent on a number of factors. Mostly, this depends on what maintenance of your website will cover, the total number of [...]
Email marketing campaigns allow small-to-medium sized architecture, engineering, and urban planning firms reach larger audiences for a fraction of what traditional direct mail marketing cost. Imagine informing thousands of individuals about upcoming events, new products and services, publications, and news with the click of a mouse. With a Global Site Plans email marketing campaign package, an [...]
While social media is changing the way designers collaborate and connect, face-to-face networking is still an important step in gaining industry distinction. At roughly 3.5 inches by 2 inches, business cards carry significant influence in this networking process. As designers, urban planners are expected to make a statement with their business cards. What kind of [...]
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great social, economic and political upheaval. It was a time of mass production, of transforming the manufacturing process into a repetitious system. Never before had the process been so streamlined, especially in the steel industry. A Darby Bridge could be easily constructed using a set of manufactured pieces [...]
“Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” or LEED, is an obvious standard in environmental design and Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, CA strives to maintain its natural resources while attempting to accommodate thousands of tourists. The LEED standard was established by the U.S. Green Building Council in 1993 as a national environmental rating system to [...]
Who wouldn’t want a landscape architect to give them a business card full of seeds? Lush gives their clients free seeds with every business card! In this way, the card serves multiple purposes. One is branding, and another is of a much more practical purpose. The seeds are able to produce a landscape, a task [...]
With the United Kingdom committed to producing 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020, there seems to be an acceptance within the general public that sustainability has become a key issue in everyday life. But with around 50% of planning applications for new wind farms rejected in 2010, is the country [...]
All businesses aim to make a lasting impression. Engineering firms are no exception, although a creative business card is rare in this field. This is a business card for the Canadian firm, Helix. As you can see, it seems very strange at first glance. For one, it is transparent blue. In addition, though, there seems [...]
As of October 31, 2011, we are living in a world of 7 billion people. The working population is around half of that. So, theoretically there are somewhere around 3.5 billion people looking for employment. These people all must compete with one another. In the wake of the recent economic meltdown, they have to compete [...]
Branding is important in any field, and architecture is no exception. It is important that one informs as many people as possible their ability; and that it is of a higher quality than that of their competitors. There are many ways this can be accomplished, especially in the digital monoculture in which we now find [...]
It never hurts to have a good business card design. While they seem like a basic staple (and often times overlooked) of any firm, a good business card can make a break a sale for a company. Having a flashy business card could be the difference of a potential client picking up the phone and [...]
