October 4th, 2010 
admin 
Shanty towns are nothing new in large cities with little (enforced) regulation, but this is something you have to see to believe: everything from small shacks to multi-story structures, individual buildings to entire villages, all spread out in organic mazes over the rooftops of apartment structures and skyscrapers throughout Hong Kong – a set of smaller communities within the larger surrounding city.
Posted in Adaptive Reuse, Planning 
Tags: China, community, hong kong, low income, rooftop, shanty town, slums 
2 Comments » September 29th, 2010 admin 
Death and Life of Great American Cities – to understand what urbanism is and why it works or doesn’t. (For extra credit, you can read her first substantive article on the subject, “Downtown is for People,” which was published in Fortune Magazine in April 1958, and later in the compendium The Vanishing Metropolis–which compiled the 6 articles in the series of pieces commissioned by William Whyte, then the editor of Fortune Magazine. I am proud to say that not only do I have the book…
September 27th, 2010 admin We hear often how hard it is to live in North America without a car, yet in Manhattan 75% of households get along without one. Then we hear that in the suburbs its different- that is why in the USA nationwide, only 8% of households don’t own a car. But what if you designed a community around the principle that one doesn’t need a car? That really was green from the ground up? What would it look like? Vauban, near the German city of Freiburg, may be the best demonstration yet.
September 16th, 2010 admin 
In wetlands on the outskirts of the city of Wuxi in eastern China, the new Tian Yi neighbourhood is seeing the light of day. The former industrial area will be integrated into Wuxi’s existing urban structure, and the area’s natural environment will once again have its original flora and fauna. With the focus on sustainability, Tian Yi will be an independent and compact mixed neighbourhood with homes and businesses, allowing residents to fulfil all their needs locally. The area is part of a larger master plan for the 2 km² big area.
Posted in New Urbanism, Planning Tags: China, masterplan, new urbanism, sustainable, walkable 3 Comments » September 11th, 2010 admin I’ve had a soft spot for Puerto Rico since taking a work trip there four or five years ago. I’d heard some negative things about the island, which many people seemed to think of as a third-rate part of the Caribbean, but I found much to enjoy — the natural beauty of its coastlines and rainforests, the charming and lively capital of San Juan, not to mention the mofongo and the rum. Fending with the traffic, however, was hardly a highlight. “People complain about traffic jams, but they see congestion as a sign of progress,” an environmentally minded priest told me at the time. Now it seems that attitude may be changing for the better.
September 11th, 2010 admin 
Across the nation there is a growing trend of people moving back to the city core. You can now take advantage of this rapidly growing trend. The City of Paducah is committed to revitalizing its older neighborhoods and transforming them back to the grandeur the community once enjoyed. Lowertown was the first undertaking of this effort and the community as a whole has embraced its great success. The Fountain Avenue project offers anyone interested the opportunity to be a part of the new old neighborhood (neotraditional) renaissance.
September 11th, 2010 admin 
Cincinnati City Council unanimously approved both the Kennedy Heights Urban Design Plan and the Kennedy Heights Urban Overlay District. The design plan sets ground rules for the type and appearance of business and residential development along the Montgomery Road corridor, mainly around the area of the Kennedy Heights Arts Center and the Montgomery/Kennedy intersection. The overlay district will act as the enforcement arm, requiring all building permits within the district to be reviewed for compliance by a zoning hearing examiner.
August 30th, 2010 admin 
A large crowd gathered at City Hall yesterday afternoon to hear Cincinnati City Council’s Budget & Finance Committee discuss a financing plan for the redevelopment of Washington Park in historic Over-the-Rhine. After much discussion, the committee approved $14 million in public funding for the $47.4 million project by a 6-0 margin with Charlie Winburn (R) abstaining and both Leslie Ghiz (R) and Chris Monzel (R) absent.
Posted in Planning, Redevelopment Tags: Cincinnati, over-the-rhine, park, redevelopment, revitalization 3 Comments »
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