That wild "mountain-slash-ski-slope-slash-waste-to-energy-power-plant" project proposed by "it" architecture firm BIG that everyone thought was dead has broken ground in Copenhagen, reports Branden Klayko.
"Against all odds, BIG-founder Bjarke Ingels is actually building a mountain-slash-ski-slope-slash-waste-to-energy-power-plant in his hometown of Copenhagen," says Klayko. "Announced in 2011, the project nearly stalled during the approval process, but officials in the Danish capital broke ground on the facility on Monday. Called the Amager Bakke Waste-to-Energy Plant, the structure represents Ingels’ concept of Hedonistic Sustainability, the notion that a sustainable building shouldn’t only be green, but should also be fun."
And it turns out that one of our favorite trifles from the original plan has been retained in the final design. "A slender chimney at the building’s peak, updated from the original design, releases smoke rings periodically, indicating when one ton of CO2 has been released into the atmosphere."
"In 2011, the price of the incinerator was estimated at $645 million."
Read the full story: Groundbreaking Pushes Bjarke Ingels’ Hedonistic Sustainability Into Spotlight
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
LA may place emergency ban on karaoke room permits
If Councilwoman Heather Hutt’s proposal passes, the moratorium would last between 45 days and one year.
City officials are dumping billions of gallons of sewage into the Chicago River
This year, the Racine Avenue sewage pumping station has poured over 10 billion gallons of sewage into the Chicago River.
Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment
The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority