tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84747837275931067202024-03-13T17:54:26.245-04:00Apex UrbanismKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-29730414726797852402016-01-05T19:37:00.001-05:002016-01-07T00:50:31.919-05:00Charleston, South CarolinaI enjoyed a day walking around Charleston last weekend and took a few pictures of one of the oldest cities in America:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/xoOFMu3.jpg?1" data-reactid=".4.$xoOFMu3=1jpg?1" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/NIOkqqe.jpg?1" data-reactid=".4.$NIOkqqe=1jpg?1" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/M4MY64b.jpg?1" data-reactid=".4.$M4MY64b=1jpg?1" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/72WPJ8t.jpg?1" data-reactid=".4.$72WPJ8t=1jpg?1" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/m2lDpLj.jpg?2" data-reactid=".4.$m2lDpLj=1jpg?2" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/gPD2Oga.jpg?1" data-reactid=".4.$gPD2Oga=1jpg?1" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/d4QqlEp.jpg?2" data-reactid=".4.$d4QqlEp=1jpg?2" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/8YewWlm.jpg?1" data-reactid=".4.$8YewWlm=1jpg?1" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/59VvzHM.jpg?1" data-reactid=".4.$59VvzHM=1jpg?1" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/jhp8aU7.jpg?1" data-reactid=".4.$jhp8aU7=1jpg?1" style="max-height: 589px; max-width: 636px; min-height: 0px;" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8SzbtRPVk94/Vo38EdKBguI/AAAAAAAADrU/CZiBU7iGBzQ/s1600/IMG_20160103_141538191_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8SzbtRPVk94/Vo38EdKBguI/AAAAAAAADrU/CZiBU7iGBzQ/s640/IMG_20160103_141538191_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(this last one was from the car so ignore the reflection)</span></div>
Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-67528031450057002292015-09-05T11:00:00.000-04:002015-09-05T11:05:41.208-04:00Pedestrianization - Before & AfterCheck out this <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/773139/before-and-after-30-photos-that-prove-the-power-of-designing-with-pedestrians-in-mind?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=55eaa4fb04d3017a2f000001&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook">awesome gallery</a> collaboration from archdaily.com and <a href="http://www.urb-i.com/">urb-i</a> of 30 different streets successfully redesigned with people in mind. Here's an example, Ford Street, from Auckland:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cf.archdaily.com/media/images/55db/8cf9/e58e/ce48/a700/0007/medium_jpg/6_forth-st-auckland-nueva-zelanda.jpg?1440451829" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cf.archdaily.com/media/images/55db/8cf9/e58e/ce48/a700/0007/medium_jpg/6_forth-st-auckland-nueva-zelanda.jpg?1440451829" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(much much better, isn't it?)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>h/t to <a href="https://twitter.com/thisbigcity">@thisbigcity</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveDombek">@SteveDombek</a> for tweeting</i></div>
Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-81545342751104189432015-07-18T16:11:00.003-04:002015-07-18T16:17:49.775-04:00Narrow Isn't Enough (Kill the Curb!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.newworldeconomics.com/archives/2015/041215_files/rainy%20Italy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.newworldeconomics.com/archives/2015/041215_files/rainy%20Italy.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(this is how to do it)</span></i></div>
<br />
In this addition to his Traditional City series, Nathan Lewis elaborates on how simply having a narrow street isn't enough to create a successful place designed for people. The existence of significant curbs on many narrow streets around the world delegates a separate place for cars and a separate place for people, even inadvertently. Read on!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.newworldeconomics.com/archives/2015/041215.html">Narrow Streets for People 4: Organizing the Street</a>Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-38504116826438776742015-05-13T10:26:00.003-04:002015-05-13T10:28:04.501-04:00Read about alley redevelopmentHere's a really <a href="http://www.governing.com/topics/urban/gov-urban-living-alleyways.html">good article</a> ("Cities Give Alleys New Life") on some recent alley redevelopment projects, including several in San Francisco. This type of development is a successful way to encourage people-sized streets and places by utilizing unused/rundown spaces that already exist in our cities.<br />
<br />
Related:<br />
<a href="http://apexurbanism.blogspot.com/2013/09/2-american-alleyways-repurposed-as.html">2 American Alleyways Repurposed as Narrow Streets</a>Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-39626257796689683332015-02-27T16:26:00.002-05:002015-02-27T16:26:59.231-05:00Lockerbie Square, Indianapolis<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=39.771718,-86.145156&spn=0.00372,0.005681&t=h&z=18&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=39.771721,-86.146291&panoid=tws1jBG8itH6u8K34Zqmow&cbp=13,256.63,,0,5.31&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=39.771718,-86.145156&spn=0.00372,0.005681&t=h&z=18&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=39.771721,-86.146291&panoid=tws1jBG8itH6u8K34Zqmow&cbp=13,256.63,,0,5.31&source=embed" id="cbembedlink" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=39.772856,-86.145392&spn=0.00372,0.005681&t=h&z=18&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=39.772853,-86.1463&panoid=0dTfcYe9x3svvpqJykl_sA&cbp=13,244.82,,0,0&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=39.772856,-86.145392&spn=0.00372,0.005681&t=h&z=18&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=39.772853,-86.1463&panoid=0dTfcYe9x3svvpqJykl_sA&cbp=13,244.82,,0,0&source=embed" id="cbembedlink" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=39.771735,-86.145816&spn=0.00372,0.005681&t=h&z=18&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=39.771737,-86.146975&panoid=XY5H9A2TyCoil8pZ7LAx4A&cbp=13,88.16,,0,1&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=39.771735,-86.145816&spn=0.00372,0.005681&t=h&z=18&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=39.771737,-86.146975&panoid=XY5H9A2TyCoil8pZ7LAx4A&cbp=13,88.16,,0,1&source=embed" id="cbembedlink" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
A pretty good example (at least for the States) of a pleasant single-family residential neighborhood with narrow-ish streets. Cut down the width by about 5-10 or so and it'd look like a Japanese neighborhood. The trees completely covering the streets are nice too.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-73897249088573010322014-12-29T18:27:00.001-05:002014-12-29T18:28:19.507-05:00New from Nathan Lewis<a href="http://www.newworldeconomics.com/archives/2014/122814.html">Life Without Cars 2014</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Once a year, we take a little time to imagine Life Without Cars. Many people live without cars today, and also without bicycles (at least for daily transport use), mostly in urban areas with good public transportation. In the developing world also, most people don't own cars, and live in urban areas with good public transportation. Before 1900, nobody used cars. ...</blockquote>
<br />
Continue reading at the link!Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-56956286694157902332014-11-30T16:22:00.004-05:002014-11-30T16:23:07.479-05:00A short opinion piece from Scotland that you should read<a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/car-free-city-centres-a-must.25937325">Car-free city centres a must</a> by Norman Armstrong<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">"REPORTS in The Herald as I write (November 20) tragically illustrate points I made (Letters, November 15), that our addiction to oil and cars constitutes the overwhelming problem facing western society, a problem disproportionally concentrated in Glasgow."</span></blockquote>
Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-87216285088456432602014-10-19T15:00:00.000-04:002014-10-19T15:00:36.716-04:00Required reading for today!Here's an article that's a must-read for anyone interested in building better places in our communities. Density is not the answer, Place to Non-Place ratio is.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2014/10/14/places-and-non-places?utm_content=bufferf852d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">Places and Non-Places</a>Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-72278900181481505462014-08-19T22:11:00.000-04:002014-08-19T22:15:32.089-04:00A new development built in the traditional style!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RquvvEFa3Y0/U_P_r6Jst8I/AAAAAAAADpM/szlUvPWC9pk/s1600/ab1c45d53e4ecd1c7ef89e2851bf04a9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RquvvEFa3Y0/U_P_r6Jst8I/AAAAAAAADpM/szlUvPWC9pk/s1600/ab1c45d53e4ecd1c7ef89e2851bf04a9.jpg" height="433" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=176535&page=39"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo found here</span></a></div>
<br />
Sure, it's located in the midst of the sprawliness of outer Santa Barbara, but it's a start! <a href="http://sbcbuilders.com/about.htm">Las Palmas Viejas</a> is a small development of several "villas" off a highway west of downtown Santa Barbara. The designers involved in this project did a fine job incorporating garage doors & an even better job at the design of the "street" (which is effectively a cul-de-sac). Notice how there is no separation of sidewalk and roadbed. A change in paving stone colour does the same job while refusing to distinguish clearly separate spaces for cars and walkers, thus calming traffic.<br />
<br />
Even at such a small scale, it's encouraging to see developers willing to try this type of project instead of typical suburban housing or superblock "townhomes."Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-83819393998171039942014-06-27T21:49:00.000-04:002014-06-27T21:49:54.241-04:00A Look at Boone (Part 2: King Street)King Street is Boone's primary commercial strip, and is one of the top "main streets" in North Carolina. For a half-mile the street is lined with numerous shops and restaurants. Even though it attracts a good amount of foot traffic, the sidewalk is wide enough that there is never a feeling of being jammed between the buildings and the parking lane. At times the sidewalk is arcaded, which is a plus on wet days.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=boone,+nc&aq=&sll=35.733136,-78.601685&sspn=0.546233,1.352692&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boone,+Watauga+County,+North+Carolina&layer=c&cbll=36.218377,-81.683458&panoid=2F8yv9oqQq4jmMUVjTkVSg&cbp=13,274.85,,0,-4.19&ll=36.212165,-81.683435&spn=0.021745,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=boone,+nc&aq=&sll=35.733136,-78.601685&sspn=0.546233,1.352692&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boone,+Watauga+County,+North+Carolina&layer=c&cbll=36.218377,-81.683458&panoid=2F8yv9oqQq4jmMUVjTkVSg&cbp=13,274.85,,0,-4.19&ll=36.212165,-81.683435&spn=0.021745,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
However (there's always a "however," isn't there?)... King Street's bipolar personality of walkable main street and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_421_in_North_Carolina">major thoroughfare</a> is detrimental. For example, the vehicular right-of-way is wide to the point that crossing is rather uncomfortable. Though the speed limit is low enough that you don't have to play human Frogger while trying to cross (like too many streets), King Street gets enough traffic to act as a barrier to businesses on the other side. The number of parking areas on the southern side (the right side in the picture) also kills the streetwall effect and most people prefer to walk on the other side.<br />
Overall, King Street is solid by North Carolina standards but possesses way too many characteristics of modernistic, post-car urban design.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-10264505848424099322014-06-05T12:38:00.003-04:002014-06-09T21:02:43.287-04:00Appalachian Urbanity? A Look at Boone (Part 1: The Campus)<i>I recently visited Boone, North Carolina. This will be the first in a short series of posts inspired by and/or about the town (considered by some the best in the state).</i><br />
<br />
Boone is well known for its natural beauty and being the home of Appalachian State University. We will get to the rest of the town some other time, but today I'll be focused specifically on ASU and its campus layout.<br />
<br />
Like many universities, Appalachian State is laid out in a format that is somewhat reminiscent of a traditional city. A cluster of buildings connected by narrow pathways surrounds a central open space. App State's central meeting area is known as Sanford Mall. Of course, being a fairly new campus, a lot of design features are influenced by mistakes that modern cities have made in the last century.<br />
<br />
Here is what the campus looks like from above...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kUa_RKaYZaw/U5CRPvnYuYI/AAAAAAAADo8/tmvgy2q8jTU/s1600/ASU4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kUa_RKaYZaw/U5CRPvnYuYI/AAAAAAAADo8/tmvgy2q8jTU/s1600/ASU4.jpg" height="291" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The main part of the campus is framed by Hardin Street on the east side, Rivers Street on the south and King Street (Boone's main street) on the north. These major roadways (marked in purple) are essentially barriers to foot traffic and are a pain to cross, so I used them as a border separating the main part of campus from the rest of App State and Boone. The area we are looking at is 0.5 mile by 0.3 mile in size. Durham Park is outlined in green, and building footprints are marked in red.<br />
<br />
The most prominent difference between the campus and a true traditional city layout is the huge amount of "green space." No, I'm not talking about the beautiful geographic features the Boone area is blessed with... I'm talking about stuff like this:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boone,+NC&aq=&sll=35.727522,-78.864966&sspn=0.136568,0.337486&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boone,+Watauga+County,+North+Carolina&layer=c&cbll=36.214919,-81.681248&panoid=yqEZwfwGleDDHm5O28ClCw&cbp=13,36.92,,0,-2.75&ll=36.208702,-81.68129&spn=0.021746,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boone,+NC&aq=&sll=35.727522,-78.864966&sspn=0.136568,0.337486&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boone,+Watauga+County,+North+Carolina&layer=c&cbll=36.214919,-81.681248&panoid=yqEZwfwGleDDHm5O28ClCw&cbp=13,36.92,,0,-2.75&ll=36.208702,-81.68129&spn=0.021746,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_199810.html">Pointless green space</a> is everywhere. We're not talking about a park. We're sitting here talking about <i>green space</i>, not a park... "green space."<br />
Of course, pointless green space like this is merely a symptom of a larger design mistake. Why do we need all this green space? The architecture of the campus is mammothly scaled, and unfriendly at human eye level. (It's kind of ugly, too.) Green space makes the scene at least a little more visually appealing to people walking around.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boone,+NC&aq=&sll=35.727522,-78.864966&sspn=0.136568,0.337486&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boone,+Watauga+County,+North+Carolina&layer=c&cbll=36.213914,-81.681021&panoid=gMeorPrqvyBVkEJFLdE-1w&cbp=13,273.22,,0,-2.4&ll=36.207732,-81.681032&spn=0.021746,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boone,+NC&aq=&sll=35.727522,-78.864966&sspn=0.136568,0.337486&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boone,+Watauga+County,+North+Carolina&layer=c&cbll=36.213914,-81.681021&panoid=gMeorPrqvyBVkEJFLdE-1w&cbp=13,273.22,,0,-2.4&ll=36.207732,-81.681032&spn=0.021746,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
The huge amount of green space needed to neutralise the massive buildings also hurts the walkability of the campus. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path">Desire lines</a> like this are all over the place:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boone,+NC&aq=&sll=35.727522,-78.864966&sspn=0.136568,0.337486&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boone,+Watauga+County,+North+Carolina&layer=c&cbll=36.213471,-81.678737&panoid=OoclXqED5P3AFvJw0G939A&cbp=13,285.94,,0,3.36&ll=36.206416,-81.669445&spn=0.021746,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boone,+NC&aq=&sll=35.727522,-78.864966&sspn=0.136568,0.337486&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boone,+Watauga+County,+North+Carolina&layer=c&cbll=36.213471,-81.678737&panoid=OoclXqED5P3AFvJw0G939A&cbp=13,285.94,,0,3.36&ll=36.206416,-81.669445&spn=0.021746,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, App State has a pretty nice campus. But as a result of some of these mistakes in scale and basic layout, the area is much more spread out and walking-<i>un</i>friendly than it needs to be. Appalachian State is (yet another) example of a centrally designed carfree place that unfortunately retains a variety of mistakes that originate in car-centric planning.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-32112440397411472132014-05-01T23:42:00.000-04:002014-05-01T23:42:29.893-04:00Recommended reading: The "narrow" street: narrow for whom?<a href="http://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-narrow-street-narrow-for-whom.html">This</a> is a fantastic post over at Urban kchoze that goes deep into the topic of optimal street width. I especially liked this little bit:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">"... [a] human being is about half a meter wide ... a car on the other hand is on average 1,8-meter wide. Compacts are a bit narrower and SUVs are larger. So when we call [these types of streets] a "narrow" street, we still judge the street from the point of view of car drivers, not of pedestrians. So I think we ought to find a better name for them: a right-sized street, or an human-scale street, or some other term."</span></blockquote>
<br />
Let's think of some ideas for a better way to describe a human-centric street!Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-16916104157539168402014-04-06T21:36:00.001-04:002014-04-06T21:45:42.783-04:00New lookThe previous blog design was pretty darn boring, so I decided to quickly update it tonight. The links/archive/label stuff is off to the side when you hover over the sidebar that is located this way ---><br />
<br />
kyleKylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-56372000682099505052014-02-23T00:28:00.000-05:002014-02-23T00:33:53.755-05:00Article: "How the car industry outlawed crossing the road"<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26073797">Very informative piece</a> from the BBC! Here are some teasers...<br />
<br />
How did America's anti-'jay'walking atmosphere get its start?<br />
<div id="story_continues_3" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[C]ar lobby groups ... started taking over school safety education, stressing that "streets are for cars and children need to stay out of them". Anti-jaywalking laws were adopted in many cities in the late 1920s, and became the norm by the 1930s. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[T]he cultural ascendancy of the car was secured as the auto industry promoted "America's love affair with the automobile". Car makers portrayed them as the ultimate expression of personal freedom, an essential element of the "American dream".</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">Some interesting statistics:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif;">
The UK is among those countries where jaywalking is not an offence. But the rate of pedestrian deaths is half that of the US, at 0.736 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 compared to 1.422 per 100,000 in America.</blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;">Read this article to get a good understanding of at least some of the background to the U.S.'s, *ahem*, </span><i style="color: black; line-height: normal;">uncomfortable</i><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;"> walking environment...</span></span></div>
</div>
Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-54581909393811939102014-01-30T18:57:00.000-05:002014-01-30T18:57:02.387-05:00Transit terminology pop quiz: "streetcar" v. "trolley"Random, but I found <a href="http://cincystreetcar.wordpress.com/2013/11/21/its-a-streetcar-not-a-trolley/">this post</a> / infographic on CincyStreetcar Blog hilarious for some reason. I've heard the two terms confused so. many. times!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">"Have you heard people referring to the Cincinnati Streetcar as a “trolley?” It’s a dated and inaccurate term. Here’s why:"</span></blockquote>
<br />
Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-42601995737167493282014-01-28T23:21:00.001-05:002014-01-28T23:21:35.906-05:00Transportation disaster in Atlanta: how the region's car-centric urbanism is at faultAs a winter storm moves across the South (including here in normally sunny North Carolina) the worst-case-scenario gridlock event that is unfolding in Atlanta this evening shows off a major problem of Atlanta's sprawly urban form. Reports are pouring in of commuters stuck on the icy highways without a place to go, many of them <i>miles upon miles</i> from home. Some have resorted to walking for many hours just to get off the highway.<br />
<br />
(Note: Although car-centric cities always have difficulty with adjusting to major winter events, the fact that this is taking place in the deep South adds to the craziness: Atlanta just isn't used to these types of events.)<br />
<br />
Now, would Atlanta be having this same level of commuter chaos if the metro area was designed in a more organic, people-focused way? Would this amount of gridlock even take place if the Atlanta region had an effective rail and transit system? (MARTA ain't enough, folks).<br />
<br />
I mean, really. Should a couple of inches of snow really be enough to shut down a metropolitan area of 6 million people, and even place some poor souls into life-threatening situations? No, it shouldn't. And yes, I definitely believe that the DOT down there has done a particularly awful job at handling this storm... but I think it's stupid to deny that Atlanta's sprawltacular "urban" form plays a key role in all of this.<br />
<br />
Hundreds of thousands of people commute to and from work by the Atlanta highway system. Most of these <a href="http://project.wnyc.org/commute-times-us/embed.html#10.00/33.7667/-84.2385">commutes</a> are at least 30 minutes without traffic. Of course this isn't breaking news; people across the country live far from work (at distances that would be unimaginable before the advent of the automobile). This isn't inherently wrong, either. But the Atlanta area is <i>so</i> car-centric that people are literally stranded without it. Tonight is just more proof of that.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-82675778078392496412014-01-03T21:46:00.000-05:002015-07-18T16:12:56.169-04:00Just a quick post to kick off the New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFquYsawZr4/UsdzG38buAI/AAAAAAAADoU/DtYkd1K8RC4/s1600/ancientrome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFquYsawZr4/UsdzG38buAI/AAAAAAAADoU/DtYkd1K8RC4/s400/ancientrome.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This model of ancient Rome is a perfect example of how a traditional city looks from above;<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Maximum building coverage coupled w/ really narrow (i.e. people scaled) streets</li>
<li>Little to no pointless "green space," but plenty of interior courtyards and gardens</li>
<li>Numerous plazas, markets, and other public spaces</li>
</ul>
Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-15012347564350567332013-12-19T10:34:00.002-05:002013-12-19T10:34:40.685-05:00Recommended reading: Nevada City and architectural theoryBack in September, <a href="http://uncouthreflections.com/2013/09/06/nevada-city-and-architectural-theory/">this piece</a> was posted over at Uncouth Reflections. The writer calls the gold rush town of Nevada City, California, an "architecture-and-urbanism masterpiece" and uses photos from his trip there to develop some "hunches" about architecture and urban design in general:<div>
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Some more hunches about what might result in humane and pleasing built environments: Approach building and development as an outgrowth and refinement of nature. Work with the actual environment, not against it. Make generous use of local materials. Value pluralism and variety, yes, but value harmony and simple, direct human pleasures even more. Perhaps, 99% of the time, fitting in is more important than standing out. Value the roughshod, the approachable, the informal and the ramshackle more than the impersonal, the awe-inspiring and the perfect." </span></span></blockquote>
<br />
I recommend reading through the entire <a href="http://uncouthreflections.com/2013/09/06/nevada-city-and-architectural-theory/">article</a>; it is full of great photos as well as urbanism common sense.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-19249452793041754262013-12-06T00:27:00.000-05:002015-07-18T16:13:30.402-04:00"Union Way" in Portland, Oregon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Union Way is a very cool little project that opened this past summer in Portland. It feels like and functions as an outdoor pedestrian street, when in fact it actually cuts down the spine of a massive old garage building. One of Union Way's developers noted that the project <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">takes its inspiration from small shop-lined alleys and passageways of old in cities like Paris and Tokyo." Here's an interesting <a href="http://chatterbox.typepad.com/portlandarchitecture/2013/08/west-end-gem-visiting-union-way-with-robinson-cody.html">short article</a> about the "arcade-like space" I stumbled upon this evening. A snippet:</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Essentially the Red Cap Garage is this long, deep, narrow building. It’s 47 feet wide and about 135 feet deep. The problem that you have is that only 47 feet has street frontage. So this space deep in here begins to be dark. The question becomes: how do you monetize that? How do you make that valuable? How do you make that interesting? The answer was to add a new street.”</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w98-FKBo9aQ/UqFdXwKihZI/AAAAAAAADn8/z6xtkW6-jk0/s1600/6a00d8341c86d053ef019104d638a7970c-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w98-FKBo9aQ/UqFdXwKihZI/AAAAAAAADn8/z6xtkW6-jk0/s400/6a00d8341c86d053ef019104d638a7970c-800wi.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Union Way (photo by </span><a href="http://www.bittermannphotography.com/" style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" target="_self">Jeremy Bittermann</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">)</span></span></div>
Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-23058558654109075382013-12-03T20:12:00.001-05:002013-12-03T20:12:44.529-05:00The city from the airSome modern city planners have been jokingly criticized for designing urban spaces in a way that the city is visually appealing from an airplane.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Okay, maybe only half-jokingly. Heck, Brasília was planned to <i>look like an <a href="http://www.zonu.com/brazil_maps/Brasilia_Pilot_Plan_Map_Brazil.htm">airplane</a></i> from an airplane;</div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0wjJksB9Lgo/Up5vSTE_TjI/AAAAAAAADnQ/0lBRwRr78ms/s1600/Brasilia_Pilot_Plan_Map_Brazil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0wjJksB9Lgo/Up5vSTE_TjI/AAAAAAAADnQ/0lBRwRr78ms/s400/Brasilia_Pilot_Plan_Map_Brazil.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mY8HjqLcjuQ/Up5wPzvQeWI/AAAAAAAADnc/JlEntC8p_Q4/s1600/brasi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mY8HjqLcjuQ/Up5wPzvQeWI/AAAAAAAADnc/JlEntC8p_Q4/s400/brasi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, centrally planned cities (<a href="http://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/birds-eye-views-of-canberra-and-other-planned-cities/story-e6frfq89-1226546071293">here</a> are some more) have been built in this way since the days before airplanes;<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eK_-X64Fz3Q/Up5uae0brzI/AAAAAAAADnA/xyjYLa5IunE/s1600/L'Enfant_plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eK_-X64Fz3Q/Up5uae0brzI/AAAAAAAADnA/xyjYLa5IunE/s400/L'Enfant_plan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kk_1gidOjkc/Up5wSiY9xNI/AAAAAAAADnk/J3w-0DysvV4/s1600/dc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kk_1gidOjkc/Up5wSiY9xNI/AAAAAAAADnk/J3w-0DysvV4/s400/dc.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Satellite views are an easy way to tell how a city is built-- people-focused or car-focused.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=33.754174,-84.388003&spn=0.006244,0.00912&z=16&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /></div>
<small> </small><br />
Compare the above view of central Atlanta with this view of Seville at the same scale:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=37.393687,-5.99787&spn=0.005967,0.00912&z=16&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /></div>
<small> </small><br />
Or people-focused Nagasaki;<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=32.7472,129.877388&spn=0.006317,0.00912&z=16&output=embed" width="425"></iframe></div>
<small> </small><br />
With car-focused Seattle;<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=47.6091,-122.334909&spn=0.00894,0.022724&t=k&z=16&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Of course, the difference between these examples lies in their contrasting ratios of <a href="http://oldurbanist.blogspot.com/2011/06/density-on-ground-cities-and-building.html">building footprint</a> to street coverage.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Let's get on the ground with Google streetview with our two most recent examples. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Try determining which city is which.</span></div>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=47.60959,-122.336117&panoid=s2_w4zOji6N8PdCu-KNAlw&cbp=13,0,,0,0&ll=47.607425,-122.334824&spn=0.004543,0.012059&z=16&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=47.60959,-122.336117&panoid=s2_w4zOji6N8PdCu-KNAlw&cbp=13,0,,0,0&ll=47.607425,-122.334824&spn=0.004543,0.012059&z=16&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=32.747063,129.876448&panoid=VWg3NihXckRw7LI9JzBV8A&cbp=13,216.38,,0,0.51&ll=32.745642,129.877056&spn=0.002833,0.00603&z=17&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=32.747063,129.876448&panoid=VWg3NihXckRw7LI9JzBV8A&cbp=13,216.38,,0,0.51&ll=32.745642,129.877056&spn=0.002833,0.00603&z=17&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
There's nothing wrong with cars in the city, but problems arise when cities are <i>built</i> for the car. You can see it from space.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-55153715462770182902013-11-26T23:28:00.002-05:002015-07-18T16:14:09.219-04:00True sustainability<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UniverCity">UniverCity</a> is a sustainable-development <a href="http://univercity.ca/">community</a> located at the top of Burnaby Mountain (adjacent to Simon Fraser University) outside of Vancouver. Here is what the area looks like from above:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=49.277633,-122.91152&spn=0.009799,0.018239&z=15&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=49.277633,-122.91152&spn=0.009799,0.018239&z=15&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Two things are apparent from the satellite view: an abundance of green space, and an abundance of parking space.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Here's what it looks like on the ground:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.278106,-122.910754&panoid=yjvM-VltaBJf616GoCC2Cw&cbp=13,142.38,,0,1.44&ll=49.277867,-122.910693&spn=0.000389,0.000754&z=20&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.278106,-122.910754&panoid=yjvM-VltaBJf616GoCC2Cw&cbp=13,142.38,,0,1.44&ll=49.277867,-122.910693&spn=0.000389,0.000754&z=20&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Good architecture, nice attempt at pedestrianization with the lack of curb and addition of bollards... but the street is still way too wide for a person to feel safe walking across. The building is set back far from the road to buffer against the wide swath of pavement.<br />
<br />
Residential area:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.279392,-122.905115&panoid=pMnZiProdjQpcMKk5mYrbw&cbp=13,150.9,,0,0.08&ll=49.278341,-122.904471&spn=0.002198,0.00603&z=17&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.279392,-122.905115&panoid=pMnZiProdjQpcMKk5mYrbw&cbp=13,150.9,,0,0.08&ll=49.278341,-122.904471&spn=0.002198,0.00603&z=17&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Yikes. The street is approximately 38 feet wide from curb to curb according to the Google Earth measuring tool. The actual distance from building to building is closer to 100 feet, thus the green space "<a href="http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/221/">band-aid</a>." This isn't a human-scaled placed-- it is closer to your typical surburbia, though with taller buildings and nicer looking on-street parking.<br />
<br />
The transit hub/bus station:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.278934,-122.912241&panoid=kkPwKnU09xJPcMvDFWOe2g&cbp=13,285.72,,0,5.61&ll=49.27688,-122.910941&spn=0.004396,0.012059&z=16&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.278934,-122.912241&panoid=kkPwKnU09xJPcMvDFWOe2g&cbp=13,285.72,,0,5.61&ll=49.27688,-122.910941&spn=0.004396,0.012059&z=16&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Once again, cool looking architecture... but that's a <i>massive</i> amount of pavement. Not a friendly looking place to walk. The big parking lot in the back shows that the car is still the preferred mode of transport in this area.<br />
<br />
One of the main roads:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.277513,-122.907191&panoid=ijd8noeaASpZZTErNzEVCA&cbp=13,124.91,,0,-2.55&ll=49.276466,-122.906553&spn=0.002198,0.00603&z=17&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=49.277513,-122.907191&panoid=ijd8noeaASpZZTErNzEVCA&cbp=13,124.91,,0,-2.55&ll=49.276466,-122.906553&spn=0.002198,0.00603&z=17&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Much better. The size of the roadway is greatly reduced from our earlier examples, and we have a relatively comfortable environment for pedestrians... but there's nowhere to walk to. Sure, the development isn't completed yet, but even when that plot on the right is filled in, I don't see any reason to walk when the community appears tailor-made for cars.<br />
<br />
<br />
When I think of sustainability in terms of cities, I think of urban places that have thrived and/or survived for thousands of years with little to no effect on the environment. The Old City of Jerusalem is a fine example:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=31.775404,35.230817&panoid=4g4IadFJx92RLUZaY2u2qw&cbp=13,186.66,,0,3.25&ll=31.774588,35.230815&spn=0.002864,0.00603&z=17&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=31.775404,35.230817&panoid=4g4IadFJx92RLUZaY2u2qw&cbp=13,186.66,,0,3.25&ll=31.774588,35.230815&spn=0.002864,0.00603&z=17&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=31.775647,35.2328&panoid=ugXdgTvEbrJmS9OTjqus-Q&cbp=13,6.5,,0,1.61&ll=31.774369,35.233433&spn=0.002864,0.00603&z=17&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=31.775647,35.2328&panoid=ugXdgTvEbrJmS9OTjqus-Q&cbp=13,6.5,,0,1.61&ll=31.774369,35.233433&spn=0.002864,0.00603&z=17&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=31.7807,35.231334&panoid=52LEKvWYRgYaVwgNq9zn5g&cbp=13,322.44,,0,5.44&ll=31.778622,35.231953&spn=0.005728,0.012059&z=16&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&layer=c&cbll=31.7807,35.231334&panoid=52LEKvWYRgYaVwgNq9zn5g&cbp=13,322.44,,0,5.44&ll=31.778622,35.231953&spn=0.005728,0.012059&z=16&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
People have built <a href="http://www.newworldeconomics.com/archives/2010/031410.html">traditional cities</a> for millennia. I think it is reasonable to give that fact some weight when we try to create sustainable urbanism today.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-6526641957795074602013-11-18T19:53:00.000-05:002013-11-18T20:13:39.210-05:00The German town that scrapped all traffic lights and signs<div class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028740/Accident-free-zone-The-German-town-scrapped-traffic-lights-road-signs.html">Excellent little story</a> (complete with pictures) on the success of "shared space" in Bohmte, Germany. </div>
<div class="tr_bq">
<br /></div>
<div class="tr_bq">
Here's a snippet:</div>
<br />
<blockquote>
"Four weeks ago, Bohmte banned traffic lights and warning signs, including those instructing drivers to give way or stop.<br />
Only two rules remain – drivers cannot go above 30 mph, the German speed limit for city driving, and everyone has to yield to the right, regardless of whether it is a car, a bike or a mother with a pushchair.<br />
Officials revealed there have been no shunts, bumps or pedestrian injuries in the month since the scheme started.<br />
Previously, there was at least one serious crash every week and scores of lesser 'fender-benders'."<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Read more: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028740/Accident-free-zone-The-German-town-scrapped-traffic-lights-road-signs.html#ixzz2l33llJaD" style="color: #003399; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028740/Accident-free-zone-The-German-town-scrapped-traffic-lights-road-signs.html#ixzz2l33llJaD</a> </span></blockquote>
Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-30963885805184753872013-11-15T09:30:00.001-05:002013-11-15T09:32:21.099-05:00Continental differences in street patternDave Munson over at Munson's City recently did a <a href="http://munsonscity.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/which-street-pattern-represents-your-continent/">cool study</a> comparing the most common street grids from continent to continent. He used three common categories: Grid, Organic, and Loose Grid. Munson writes:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"When I was two years old, my family moved from the Bay Area to Northampton, Massachusetts. My earliest memories are from there and it is one of the three or four places I usually claim as my hometown.<br />
My family loved Northampton, and even after moving away, we would make regular pilgrimages back every few summers or so. I really wasn’t sure what I liked so much about it until I went to urban design school, but now I know part of it was the organic street grid. Each block feels distinct, and the slight curves of the streets create outdoor rooms, while the density of the street network allows multiple ways to get to your destination.<br />
Unfortunately, the organic street system, common in other parts of the world, is a rare thing in the US and Canada. I decided to take a look at the major cities of Anglo-America and see where I could find organic cities. But first, here are the general characteristics of the street patterns I found..."</blockquote>
<br />
Check it out! Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-6892966471740712822013-11-02T15:24:00.000-04:002013-11-02T15:27:44.997-04:00Taxco, GuerreroThe relatively hidden gem of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxco">Taxco</a> lies approximately 100 miles southwest of Mexico City. The town is known for its silver trade and irregular, winding streets.<br />
<br />
The beautiful <a href="http://www.wmf.org/project/santa-prisca-parish-church">church of Santa Prisca</a> is in the center of town. And, for the record, you are looking at pretty much the widest stretch of pavement in the city.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556461,-99.605623&panoid=OeQ0RRy-dNLmyRwgEvzj9Q&cbp=13,106.97,,0,-2.63&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556461,-99.605623&panoid=OeQ0RRy-dNLmyRwgEvzj9Q&cbp=13,106.97,,0,-2.63&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Here's a better view of the central square.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556551,-99.605717&panoid=32Db7JIGugDoJB8QVogVmA&cbp=13,94.75,,0,-2.92&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556551,-99.605717&panoid=32Db7JIGugDoJB8QVogVmA&cbp=13,94.75,,0,-2.92&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556767,-99.607315&panoid=XKNCk9_ZUzt5pBCdN0PiIQ&cbp=13,101.25,,0,3.4&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556767,-99.607315&panoid=XKNCk9_ZUzt5pBCdN0PiIQ&cbp=13,101.25,,0,3.4&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556566,-99.602656&panoid=QFtYu5npLteMGyqv-RhIHQ&cbp=13,105.79,,0,-3.74&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556566,-99.602656&panoid=QFtYu5npLteMGyqv-RhIHQ&cbp=13,105.79,,0,-3.74&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.559052,-99.603912&panoid=kykGdY3ZFZhmhsFTBCkbNw&cbp=13,202.11,,0,2.21&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.559052,-99.603912&panoid=kykGdY3ZFZhmhsFTBCkbNw&cbp=13,202.11,,0,2.21&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.55538,-99.606472&panoid=SvvqFz4VpxrHdvZxlfwbkQ&cbp=13,281.06,,0,3.4&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.55538,-99.606472&panoid=SvvqFz4VpxrHdvZxlfwbkQ&cbp=13,281.06,,0,3.4&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556658,-99.60384&panoid=URr5B_KcU1Dd0ZIofFN35w&cbp=13,295.61,,0,0.76&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.556658,-99.60384&panoid=URr5B_KcU1Dd0ZIofFN35w&cbp=13,295.61,,0,0.76&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.557135,-99.60528&panoid=wPH5Pi2g6mO6MCcOaDsPZA&cbp=13,144.42,,0,2.38&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.557135,-99.60528&panoid=wPH5Pi2g6mO6MCcOaDsPZA&cbp=13,144.42,,0,2.38&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.557129,-99.60675&panoid=WLtajZx8RG7sMZfy3AMCDg&cbp=13,152.15,,0,0.76&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Taxco&sll=35.170517,-79.860994&sspn=5.584642,11.634521&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Taxco,+Guerrero,+Mexico&layer=c&cbll=18.557129,-99.60675&panoid=WLtajZx8RG7sMZfy3AMCDg&cbp=13,152.15,,0,0.76&ll=18.544334,-99.599991&spn=0.025551,0.048237&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<br />
<br />
Taxco is the kind of place where people come ahead of cars. We can build places like this, or, with our technological advancements, even better than this. Just because your town <i>doesn't</i> look like Taxco, doesn't mean we can't build one that does.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8474783727593106720.post-41461870368195797392013-10-31T11:35:00.000-04:002013-10-31T11:43:29.006-04:00Ciudad tradicional: Colorful Campeche, MexicoCampeche was founded in 1540 at the site of an ancient Mayan city named Kimpech. Its location on the Gulf of Mexico made it susceptible to pirate attacks, so a fort and defensive wall were constructed. Much of the original wall remains, and the city within the walls is listed as a World Heritage Site.<br />
<br />
This is what the historic section of the city looks like from above. Notice the regular grid plan.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=19.844126,-90.535862&spn=0.007064,0.00912&z=16&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=19.844126,-90.535862&spn=0.007064,0.00912&z=16&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
We'll start off at the square you see in the upper part of the picture.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Most of the historic center is beautifully paved like you see below. In modern planningspeak, you could say the paving stones act as an indicator to drivers that this is a "shared space." Of course, this is just how cities were built back then.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.845675,-90.536668&panoid=guLIidcl4rjgAjjNiCqYmg&cbp=13,274.31,,0,2.72&ll=19.845222,-90.536667&spn=0.001584,0.003015&z=18&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.845675,-90.536668&panoid=guLIidcl4rjgAjjNiCqYmg&cbp=13,274.31,,0,2.72&ll=19.845222,-90.536667&spn=0.001584,0.003015&z=18&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
The city is famous for its colorful buildings:<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.84389,-90.537368&panoid=2SLHgL-Bx9c43wiGrmVLYA&cbp=13,167.9,,0,1.95&ll=19.842383,-90.536721&spn=0.003169,0.00603&z=17&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.84389,-90.537368&panoid=2SLHgL-Bx9c43wiGrmVLYA&cbp=13,167.9,,0,1.95&ll=19.842383,-90.536721&spn=0.003169,0.00603&z=17&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.845677,-90.535344&panoid=JVU3LuHIUSHnKERsYUGg2w&cbp=13,326.5,,0,-1.02&ll=19.845021,-90.535074&spn=0.001584,0.003015&z=18&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.845677,-90.535344&panoid=JVU3LuHIUSHnKERsYUGg2w&cbp=13,326.5,,0,-1.02&ll=19.845021,-90.535074&spn=0.001584,0.003015&z=18&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Campeche is one of the few truly walled cities in North America. Here's one of the colonial-era gates into the city:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.841271,-90.53595&panoid=Ei4W-xdgNHQCqBeiNwfD5w&cbp=13,326.56,,0,-3.82&ll=19.840847,-90.535712&spn=0.000792,0.001507&z=19&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.841271,-90.53595&panoid=Ei4W-xdgNHQCqBeiNwfD5w&cbp=13,326.56,,0,-3.82&ll=19.840847,-90.535712&spn=0.000792,0.001507&z=19&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Finally, we'll leave Campeche with a look at one of my favorite streets in the city leading to another one of the city gates:<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="314" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.845083,-90.538011&panoid=qcVz1Khfr86opQABkyHiww&cbp=13,336.44,,0,0.25&ll=19.844652,-90.53782&spn=0.000792,0.001507&z=19&source=embed&output=svembed" width="562"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&layer=c&cbll=19.845083,-90.538011&panoid=qcVz1Khfr86opQABkyHiww&cbp=13,336.44,,0,0.25&ll=19.844652,-90.53782&spn=0.000792,0.001507&z=19&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
<br />
Next we will travel to the winding streets of Taxco.Kylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601033201862362491noreply@blogger.com0