Category: maps
-
UGB – to grow or not?
A perpetual discussion in Portland revolves around the Urban Growth Boundary and the ability of the Metro region to remain compact while accommodating population growth. Proponents of density say we have plenty of room to infill without expanding, while others say expansion is the only method for having adequate land for economic development. Debate ensues.…
-
Guest Post: From Honolulu to Paris MONU #20
by Gabriele Baleisyte “Nature” or nature? Does natural geography still mater much to today’s city? What is the current relationship between our conception of nature and its role in urban life? Which nature is dominating now; the pure or the second one_- man made nature? During my current stay in Rotterdam, I have heard these questions widely discussed at the 6th International Architecture…
-
Hidden Hydrology Redux
Last week, I had the honor recently of presenting at a conference with one of my idols of landscape architecture, Anne Whiston Spirn. Aside from stimulating conversation, she presented the old and new of her work from The Granite Garden through her ongoing work on the Mill Creek Project in Philadelphia, i was reminded of…
-
Old + New – Photos
An interesting idea from some of the coverage of Memorial Day, which is a good time to remember the past. The Guardian and the Photography Then and Now, which includes interactive before and after images – essentially exact matching shots of the old and new through historical events. This weekend, they posted some interesting photos…
-
Islands of Seattle
This map of Seattle by UW Planner Jeffrey Linn via a post on The Whole U, features a speculation on sea level change in the Seattle region. The result is dramatic when taken to the level of complete world ice-sheets melting resulting in a 240′ sea level rise. Particularly is you live in certain parts…
-
Watershed Moments
The previous post outlining the “River Maps” (01.10.14) got me thinking about watersheds and the differences between natural boundary delineation vs. political boundaries. Long-time readers will note the recurrence of the Powell map on Landscape+Urbanism “Natural Boundary/Political Boundary” (11.24.10), which has gotten some more attention lately. Powell’s map is derived from observation, as mentioned in…
-
Get Shaking
One thing of note in Seattle is that it is a city of varied topography, and that this obviously guided the evolution of where settlement occurred, while creating districts and landmark areas (many ending with ‘Hill’). An interesting post related to this topographic urbanism is the seismic stability of my new city. From the Seattle…
-
Got History?
Hawthorne & 50th (1936) Aerial View of Portland (1936) My fascination with history and place is no secret. While i am intrigued with urban history in many forms, there’s always a desire for a connection with the place you inhabit. Typically this fascination comes via maps, which have been well documented, but the timeline of…
-
Shrinking Cities: Sugrue Part I: Arsenal
Arsenal Moving along with the Shrinking Cities readings, the first part of ‘Origins of the Urban Crisis’ by Segrue recounts the development of the City of Detroit around WWII as the ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ which made it one of the highest paying blue-collar cities in the US. In the words of Segrue, “Mid-twentieth-century Detroit embodied…