The nongovernmental organization “Our Park” is behind a successful story of synergy between private and public actors, as well as participatory design, for the creation of an open public space in the heart of Athens, Greece. For over a year, “Our Skate Park” in downtown Athens has set a useful and optimistic precedent in urban [...]
As discussed in a previous post, Revamping the Riverfront, residents of Colorado like to stay active. Whether it is public or private open space, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking, or another outdoor activity, Colorado doesn’t lack opportunity. Recently, the town of Buena Vista has taken steps to strengthen its local trails system. First, one must realize [...]
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 [...]
When one thinks of Thessaloniki, Greece, often the first thing that comes in mind is the White Tower, a monument that was built around 1450 and today has become the city’s landmark. This is why the regeneration of the White Tower’s square is considered as one of the most important projects that the city can [...]
In the middle of one of the busiest and fastest growing cities, lies Shanghai’s former French Concession. With tree-lined avenues, small cafes, boutique shops, parks, and quiet residential streets, the area is markedly different from many of the surrounding areas of immense residential towers and offices. Not only is the FFC (Former French Concession) wildly [...]
A big Global Site Plans welcome to our newest blogger, Maxwell Vidaver from Milan, Italy. Maxwell Vidaver is a graduate student in Urban Planning, Policy, and Design at Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy, and also holds a B.A. in Geography from Binghamton University, where he focused on urban economic analysis. He is originally from [...]
The central areas of Austin, TX continue to transform with the addition of shopping districts, new office space, condominiums, and apartments. The city’s aim is to create more compact and walkable neighborhoods/areas in order to encourage healthier and more sustainable lifestyles among its residents through reduced car and land-use. It appears that there has been [...]
Miami voted. Results were tallied. And Midtown took the “2012 Curbed Cup” contest for Miami’s Best Neighborhood. A former rail yard, now comprised of commercial and condo units, Midtown received more votes than popular destinations like Lincoln Road, Coconut Grove, and Sunset Harbour. What might make Midtown the best Miami neighborhood? The district offers a [...]
I live in Athens, Greece. For the last two years there has been a big increase of people traveling by bike in the city. It seems that the economic crisis, which began in 2010, has a positive effect, at least for the environment. Fuel prices, as well as the increasing cost of mass transit tickets, [...]
Does the design of your environment, the man-made structures and infrastructure that permeate nearly every aspect of your life, influence behavior directly related to your personal health? The government of Kane County, Illinois thinks that it does, as this is evident from their new comprehensive plan, the “Kane County 2040 Plan: Healthy People, Healthy Living, [...]
Let’s begin with a bit of word association. When you hear “Honolulu,” you probably imagine palm trees gently swaying in the wind along sunny beaches abutting the clear, cool ocean. While Honolulu is renowned for its lovely beaches and, of course, the famed Mai Tai, it is also notorious for its traffic. Bleary-eyed commuters are often at [...]
“There is the opportunity to imagine a different Waller Creek, one that is a vital component of urban infrastructure, an open stage for social interaction, and a restored source of natural beauty.” Waller Creek is an urban riparian ecosystem that meanders for seven miles from the northern part of Austin, TX, southward through The University [...]
The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program began in 1984 as part of a campaign to eradicate graffiti citywide. Since then, over 3,000 murals have been created; each has become a distinctive part of the city’s landscape. In Philadelphia, mural making provides a unique opportunity for community engagement. It fosters relationships among community members, schools, grassroots organizations, [...]
The city of Chicago’s flat topography makes it a bicyclist’s paradise, where despite the harsh winters, the lack of hills invites people to pedal. With the recent surge of citizens choosing sustainable two-wheeled transit, the city has struggled to keep the increasing numbers of cyclists safe, with a 38% increase in bicycle accidents from 2001-2011. [...]
Bike paths come in many shapes and sizes. They are made for the urban bicyclist, the long distance bicyclist, or the adventurous bicyclist. Sometimes, they are not made for bicyclists at all, and because it’s too dangerous or unpleasant to use them bicyclists find a way around them. What can a city do to encourage [...]
“In the elevators of the Empire State Building, you’d hear the elevators of the Eiffel Tower. The sounds of the Paris Metró are replaced with the sounds of the Bejing subway…If you don’t like Rome, you can make it sound like Dubai.” –Geoff Manaugh, The BldgBlog Book In this passage, author Geoff Manaugh introduces his [...]
The BLDGBLOG Book by Geoff Manaugh introduces us to speculation about future architecture and how the present built environment will eventually change. From the first page of the book, the reader gets an idea of what he is about to read as he is presented an illustration of London in A.D. 2109. London seems like [...]
If the act of naming something validates its existence, the Dakota War of 1862 is overwrought with meaning. That same conflict, one that killed hundreds of whites as well as Native Americans, is variously referred to as Little Crow’s War, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Dakota Conflict, and [...]
Planners, citizens, and the governing body alike, look to the guidance of the newly adopted Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan to ensure that Austin, Texas grows in an economic, social, and environmentally sustainable manner. The consequences from decisions made, ranging from where to build housing or which business industries to support, must be taken into consideration for [...]
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 [...]
