Occupy Wall Street Protests is testing Public Spaces not meant as campgrounds. But when the public chooses to use its public space in ways it wasn’t intended to be used, who’s right? The public or the public space? — The Atlantic
Whatever the response [to Occupy Wall Street], the fact that these protests have persisted for weeks and months in parks has put a spotlight on public spaces in general. But that fact has also complicated the response. These spaces are part of our cities so they can be used by the public... View full entry
This survey is not based solely on quality of life, number of trees or the cost of a month’s rent. Instead, we examine some cities that aim to be both smart and well managed, yet have an undeniably hip vibe. Our pick of cities that are, in a phrase, both great and good... — nytimes.com
The NYT selects Auckland, Berlin, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Curitiba, Santiago, Shanghai and Vilnius as the hippest cities for young professionals. View full entry
... the proposed park would be underground, in a dank former trolley terminal under Delancey Street that is controlled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Though its promoters call it the “Delancey Underground,” another nickname has already been coined: the Low Line. — nytimes.com
Want to wow your friends and family with a Thanksgiving centerpiece that isn't your typical snorenucopia, er, cornucopia? Then check out this incredibly intricate replica of the High Line, one of our favorite parks in NYC, that is made of recycled materials and, more importantly, vegetarian edibles like stuffing, mashed potatoes and yummy veggies. — Inhabitat
This new MONU issue on the topic of Post-Ideological Urbanism probably touches on one of the most fascinating and biggest issues of our time and in our culture, or what is left of it: the non-ideological - or better post-ideological - conditions of our society when it comes to cities. (Bernd Upmeyer, Editor-in-Chief, November 2011) — monu-magazine.com
This new MONU issue on the topic of Post-Ideological Urbanism probably touches on one of the most fascinating and biggest issues of our time and in our culture, or what is left of it: the non-ideological - or better post-ideological - conditions of our society when it comes to cities. Today... View full entry
Finally, sameolddoctor wants to talk about architecture and the ethics of working in developing countries vs the ethics of vanity skyscraper projects. Citizen responds:
We don't have to go overseas for ethical dilemmas! How about the shiny new project on theseshores...
whose architect uses unpaid intern labor?
with the bold, avante garde design that is opposed by all the neighbors?
whose objective is to make more profit for an already-wealthy developer?......
In Part three of the Countours features, What Should Architecture Occupy?, Part Three, Sherin Wing, attempts to summarize the responses to Archinect’s OWS poll and since OWS itself is about giving people a voice, she contends "the best way to encapsulate the results is to quote... View full entry
In a speech to lay out his record and his vision on making Los Angeles a more livable city, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Wednesday that he wants to build 50 pocket parks in the next two years. — latimesblogs.latimes.com
Take that Lord Rogers! View full entry
The house was just $1. The catch? A delivery charge of nearly $22,000.
.....Moving a house is, in theory, relatively simple.
— New York Times
Households have evolved. But New York’s housing stock hasn’t. In essence, New Yorkers have increasingly had to adapt to the housing we’ve got, instead of designing and building the housing that suits who we have become. — New York Times
A leading architect has launched a scathing attack on Government planning reforms and warned that large parts of the country could resemble Los Angeles.
Lord [Richard] Rogers of Riverside claims that under the plans Britain's biggest cities could merge into one enormous urban sprawl.
— dailymail.co.uk
Mongolia is to launch one of the world's biggest ice-making experiments later this month in an attempt to combat the adverse affects of global warming and the urban heat island effect.
The geoengineering trial, that is being funded by the Ulan Bator government, aims to "store" freezing winter temperatures in a giant block of ice that will help to cool and water the city as it slowly melts during the summer.
— guardian.co.uk
Emily Lowery enrolled in an architecture course last May hoping to learn about different architecture and landscape design solutions.
She walked out as part of a team of students who would design the University of Minnesota’s first ever ecologically friendly bike pasture –– a combination of bike parking, social space and a garden.
— mndaily.com
Making higher-ed more sustainable (and social) one project at time, the Bike Pasture Project was conceived and planned entirely by students in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota as a real life design-build project. Now it's one step closer to being built, thanks to $15k in... View full entry
... the enthusiasm in Cape Town for architecture that excites and enlightens people about health is especially rewarding. “We've never seen anything like this anywhere,” Farrow says, about the notion of wellness being trumpeted so loudly through architecture. — theglobeandmail.com
Shortlisted teams include: EE&K, a Perkins Eastman Company; Gruen Associates/ Grimshaw Architects; IBI Group/ Foster + Partners; Moore Ruble Yudell and TEN Arquitectos; NBBJ/Ingenhoven Architects; and Renzo Piano Building Workshop/ Parsons Transportation Group. — blog.archpaper.com
As he has moved through the design professions, Hustwit has scaled up from a single typeface (Helvetica) through industrial design (Objectified) and now to cities. Each one has followed essentially the same structure, talking heads interspersed with images, one person and one idea leading to the next. No voiceover. No narrative. No critique. And not a lot of style. As Hustwit told Adam Harrison Levy, that’s the way he wants it. — observersroom.designobserver.com