Category: science
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Urban Ecology
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Urban Ecology: Science of Cities by Richard T.T. Forman (Cambridge University Press, 2014). Since arrival a couple of days ago, i have not been disappointed, and this shapes up to be one of the most up to date resources for ecological principals applied to urban areas to date.…
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Bio-inspired Design
The latest issue of Zygote Quarterly, an online journal with a focus covers Bio-inspired design, and offers another opportunity to explore this topic (and the back issues as well). A really beautifully illustrated online magazine, ZG is worth delving into in depth, but also sitting back and and in this case, getting into a bit…
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Ecology & Landscape Architecture
A great post on the The Dirt from a couple of months back delves into a topic near and dear to my thoughts on landscape architecture and urbanism – particularly how do we blend science and design in meaningful ways. The article “Teaching Ecological Restoration (Not Restoration Ecology) includes the new Temple University concentration in…
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A Bit on Biomimicry
Since reading Janine Benyus’ book Biomimicry back in 1997, I’ve been simultaneously fascinated and frustrated by the conceptual positioning and posturing of the proponents of biomimicry. Don’t get me wrong, i think the idea of biomimicry has much potential in design, particularly product invention, industrial design, and architecture. What i have a hard time wrapping…
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City Simulation
An interesting article in the Guardian, Cities and their psychology: how neuroscience affects urban planning delves into the connection between space and behavior, and more specifically, ways of using technological advances to study and understand (and experiment) with urban spaces. Who better to invoke with this discussion than William H. Whyte, the nerd’s nerd of…
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Moon Gardens
Spaced based gardening? As a test of the harshest conditions for supporting life, NASA is planning on experiments to grow cress, turnips and basil on the moon. The challenge – a temperature differential of +150° F on the sunny side and -150° F on the dark side of the moon. Via NPR, quoting NASA plant…
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More Hidden Rivers – NYC
An interesting post from Urban Omnibus from earlier in January entitled ‘Grey vs. Green: Daylighting the Saw Mill River‘ is less intriguing in design concept that in larger idea of envisioning the expression of the variety of waterways that are hidden/buried/forgotten within our urban areas. As referenced by Eric Sanderson through his work on the…
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Aquifers not Aquitards
From the recent post on watershed boundaries, a reader mentioned the concept of underground aquifers and their relation to geographical boundaries and . My title is in jest (sort of) referring to ‘Aquitards’ which according to Wikipedia is “a zone within the earth that restricts the flow of groundwater from one aquifer to another“, but…