The Olympics can be awesome for cities. Or they can be devastating. Rarely they're both, and most often they are an economic drain caused by over-investment in facilities with limited long-term usability. So when London's plans for a 2012 Summer Olympics stadium that would reduce from 80,000 seats during the games to a more realistically usable 25,000 seats after, Olympics experts, city officials and taxpayers rejoiced. But recent news has turned that rejoice to disgust.
Architecture
Urbanism is Alive
Steve Mouzon explains how to think about cities and towns as living species, and how that perspective should guide the practice of planners and architects.
Living Urbanism
A Walk On The High Line
Managing Editor Tim Halbur reviews The High Line, the much-lauded new linear park in Manhattan.
McMansion Demand Nosedives
A survey of architects shows that a very low percentage of Americans are still clamoring for McMansions, indicating what may be a broad shift to smaller homes.
The Wall Street Journal
8 Republicans Bucking the Party on Climate Change and Transit
Reps. Mack (CA), Kirk (IL) and Reichert (WA) are among a small group of Republicans who voted for the recent climate change bill. It turns out these eight are also supporters of transit. Streetsblog makes the connection.
Streetsblog
Can Zoo Design Apply to People?
Geoff Manaugh of BLDGBLOG looks at plans for a zoo in France made up of simulated environments, and wonders why we don't build simulated environments for humans.
BLDBLOG
London's Temporary Olympic Stadium Could Go Permanent
Officials in London are changing their minds about the main stadium being built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, which was intended to be a semi-temporary structure. Now they want it to be permanent.
The Architects' Journal
A Different Kind of New York Street Conversion 100 Years Ago
While New York City is currently taking space away from automobiles and giving it to pedestrians and cyclists, the New York City of 100 years ago was doing exactly the opposite. And it was a popular idea.
The New York Times
Rediscovering the River
Chicago's river has often played second fiddle to its lakefront. A new riverwalk hopes to change that.
Chicago Tribune
Lincoln Center Facelift
A look at the progress in New York's Lincoln Center, as architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro look to refresh the aging public space.
Metropolis Magazine
The Megaprojects Shaping the Future of Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is looking to develop itself into a new global arts hub, and an incubator of green technology. This piece takes a tour of two ambitious projects seeking to reform the oil-rich emirate.
Los Angeles Times
New Concepts in Housing
At the PCBC builder's conference in San Francisco, the award-winning designs were 'smaller, greener, more urban and more affordable.'
Builder Magazine
Sustainable Chalupas?
A new KFC/Taco Bell combo restaurant in Northhampton, Massachusetts has been awarded LEED certification.
Yum! Brands
The Challenge of Adaptive Reuse
City manager of Phoenix Frank Fairbanks talks about how the city created a program to advise residents on how to effectively and creatively reuse old buildings.
Governing Magazine
A Six-Acre Green Roof in Vancouver
The new west wing of the Vancouver Convention Center(VCC) provides 338,000 square feet of new function spaces as well as an angular six acre green roof, which is the largest non-commercial roof in North America.
The Architect's Newspaper
Dubai's Strange Development Pattern Spreading
The economic downturn has halted many projects in Dubai, but the show's not over in the elaborate emirate. In fact, its patterns of development may even be spreading to other cities around the world.
Los Angeles Times
Starchitecture?
The Architect's Journal selects the most significant architecture and urban design from the Star Wars films.
The Architect's Journal
Closing the Loop on Energy Use
Architect Michael Palwyn is designing sustainable architecture that combines solar power and seawater into an ultra-efficient loop of resource conservation.
GOOD Magazine
Planetizen picks
Contribute
TECH-320: Advanced SketchUp Webinar
Advanced SketchUp Webinar
Wednesday, December 2, 11am PST/2pm EST
$49.95 (includes 30-day access to video recording)
Learn More:
TECH-320: Advanced SketchUp - Modeling Buildings
- The Ghost of Architecture Past
- Exercising Eminent Domain for Private Developers
- Rural America Still Leads Nation in Poverty
- Can Free Fares Save Public Transit?
- Filling In The Holes From The Big Dig
- World Bank's Urban Strategy Misses Mark
- Dockside Green: 'Lightyears Ahead' in Sustainability
- Krier Pulls No Punches
- Aging Sewers and Growing Cities Mean Troubled Waters
- San Antonio Tries Bus Wi-Fi
"Hoboken Daylighting" In Lieu Of Bump-Outs -- Ian Sacs
Learning from TTI -- Michael Lewyn
Automobility and Freedom: Conflicts and Resolutions -- Todd Litman
Somewhere Between Blight and Gentrification... -- Diana DeRubertis
The Future of American High Speed Rail: Regional and Slow -- Robert Goodspeed
Student Writing Competition - Deadline Extended!
APA Urban Design and Preservation Division
Nov 20, 2009
www.flickr.com
|
