Category: urbanism
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On Walking
I’ve been thinking about walking more. As a way to process the overload of information we deal with on a daily basis. Or as a way to live with more immersion in nature. Or to explore my new city. Or, maybe just because the weather is nicer and it’s not raining all the time. 1.…
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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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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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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…
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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…
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The Death of the Cemetery?
It was interesting to see the multi-author story a few weeks back in the NY Times on “Too Many Bodies, Too Little Space,” which focused on the combination of traditional burial techniques and population booms making for shortage of cemetery real estate. The following views of Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn show that New Yorkers take…
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StreetMix – Transportation for the People
Cool video from the Code for America summit and the StreetMix application, which “…is an interactive street section builder that helps community members mockup the streets they’d like to live on and offer these mockups as future plans for city officials and planners.” A screenshot of the tool below shows the initial concept – and…
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Portland | Seattle
Well, it’s finally here. This month, starting early November, after 16+ years in Portland, I’m relocating to Seattle (which also explains my posting absence). It’s a bittersweet moment, as i am attached to my adopted hometown (after fleeing the cold of North Dakota), but excited about opportunities in work and professional growth, as well as…