A New Ethic for Urban Reinvention

Two people who have never met (Venezuelan architect Ana Maria Manzo, who blogs at the place of dreams, http://anammanzo.wordpress.com/, and American environmental and land use lawyer Chuck Wolfe, founder of myurbanist, http://www.myurbanist.com) merge writing and imagery to create an evocative, interactive story of the evolution of place, blending multiple dimensions and cultures.

Together, in simultaneous postings in English and Spanish, they argue for a "broader, holistic effort" among professionals, mindful of context, "a movement that evokes positive emotions in those who inhabit cities, and a movement which makes us dream."

Through 22 comparative images, the authors emphasize not only history, but a "best practices" effort to achieve a common goal: human life in a better urban landscape premised on, inter alia: sense of place, climate, sound, population density, geographic orientation and neighbor buildings.

They conclude: "When we are collectively able to consider all of these elements to envision the re-creation of urban settings, the evolution of place will take a new and positive direction."