…If housing could be folded, even in half, it would free up close to 6,377 square miles in the United States alone. These could be part-time parklands or gardens, especially if the house has natural siding to begin with. In this case, a green wall will become a green ground. It would be a difficult task to achieve, true, but what problem has engineering not achieved when efforts were properly focused?
Almost everyone has at one time or another aimlessly surfed the Internet during working hours. Endless website clicking proves to be a good diversion when the creative juices stall at school or work. I’m as guilty as the next person for this minor offense and these are the websites I frequent when I’m looking for [...]
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is the development of mixed-used development to optimize access and use of public transit. Transit stops serve as the center of the neighborhood. The concentration of shops and restaurants are highest around the center and gradually decline further away. TOD maximizes public transit use by making it easier for riders to walk [...]
Global Site Plans’ The Grid authors generally write stories about specific topics relevant to their field of expertise, including architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning. But, today, I am placing the spotlight on the hard working bloggers and writers of other urban planning and design blogs. This is my completely subjective list of the urban [...]
Many of the bloggers at Global Site Plans continue to learn about urban planning and urban design long after they finish formal schooling. One of the most interesting ways to go beyond standard classroom education is by attending any of the multitudes of conferences that are presented by colleges, research facilities, and companies each year. [...]
Neotraditionalist, or new urbanism design, is committed to pedestrian-friendly streets. Details for this type of urban design include mixed-use zoning, garages at the back of residential lots utilizing alleys, and retail areas located on the same secondary streets running throughout the development. Pedestrians and bicyclists become the main focus for this type of development, as [...]
While many influential architecture firms, like Bjarke Ingels Group, are attempting to bridge the gap between avant-garde and practical, nearly one hundred years ago, the retro-futuristic Lingotto Fiat Factory in Turin, Italy set the precedent with its combination of innovative form with sensible organization. The Lingotto Fiat Factory is regarded as the first built example of [...]
As a pedestrian on a bicycling/walking path, you’ve probably grumbled as a bicyclist passed from behind without warning. Or maybe you’ve feared for your children’s safety as you’ve pulled them to the side of the path as bicyclists whizzed past without regard to their speed. On the other hand, as a bicyclist, chances are you [...]
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci This spring, the first LEED certified house in Aspen, Colorado sold to a private buyer. Featuring all the bells and whistles of modern environmental design, the house is a massive 6,750 square feet (the average United States home is around 2,000 square feet) situated on 2.33 [...]
Arizona is very hot; a state dominated by a desert climate. Therefore, water is one of the most prevalent topics of the state. It also has a very strong sustainability department offering a valued undergraduate degree. As of now, it is one of the only schools in the nation to offer this degree. These are [...]
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) will hold its annual meeting and EXPO in San Diego, California, October 30 – November 2, 2011. According to their website, www.asla.org, more than 6,000 landscape architect professionals from the United States and around the world will be in attendance. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up [...]
On September 13, 2011, Gregers Tang Thomsen and Selva Gürdoğan, of Superpool, in collaboration with Project and Projects, lead a talk at SALT Beyoğlu entitled “What Inspires Design in Istanbul.” The discussion revolved around the innovative project, Becoming Istanbul, which will run from September 13, 2011 to December 31, 2011. During this three month event, ”two parallel programs [will commence], 90, a program [...]
“Smart” is a Cyber Buzz Word Hawking & Einstein would have trouble keeping up with this term’s branding umbrella. “Smart” is a swirling universe of interlocking cyberstrings: system, network, knowledge, power, self-regulation, transparency, efficiency, sustainability, individuality, comprehensiveness, inclusivity. Smart cities draw on all of these. “Smart” is Open The cat is out of the bag [...]
In the late 1950’s, influenced both by developments in contemporary architecture and the technological advances of the space race, a small group of Japanese designers began to produce works under the banner “The Metabolists.” In a post WWII Japan, where many of the cities and traditional structures had been reduced to rubble by bombs, these [...]
In today’s urban realm, planners and architects are having problems distinguishing place from space. At first analysis, it may not seem like this is such a big deal. But in reality, argues acclaimed author James Howard Kunstler, the difference between the two is crucial in improving safety, social well-being, and even contentment in cities across [...]
In a previous blog, I wrote about the car-free suburb in Vauban, Germany. However, whether by intentional design or chance circumstances, quite a few other cities around the world continue to operate without automobile usage. Here is a selection of some of the more idiosyncratic car-free towns and cities around the world. Supai, Arizona is [...]
As a freshly minted graduate of the Knowlton School of Architecture, I have distinct memories of the intense work environment otherwise known as studio culture. To the uninitiated, studio culture is the very specific habitat and behaviors carved out by architecture students as they navigate their way through their academic careers. But how does this [...]
What makes a place? And why is it important? I have been thinking about these two questions quite a bit lately. They are probably deeper questions than any of us realize; partly because the questions seem so simple, but also, I think, because the meaning of the word “place” has been so watered down by [...]
As technology becomes increasingly mobile, city residents are constantly in demand for information on the go. But aside from their desire to Facebook and tweet anywhere, anytime, users are looking for ways to improve their commute, quicken their pace, and reach their destination faster. Public agencies and private developers have responded to the call, creating [...]
Environmental concerns come secondary to human needs in war ravaged countries. However, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo a new project is being developed that marries social action with environmental conservation to provide women with an alternative fuel source, in an area where war has made the simple act of cooking a meal a potentially [...]
