Monday 30 September 2013
LEGO Cities
So here I thought that LEGO was for kids! Apparently not the case, or at least it's for big kids. Like these:
Friday 27 September 2013
Urban App of the Day: Compare Global Cities on the iPad
The free Urban World was developed by the McKinsey Global Institute, a research organization aimed at informing business and policy makers about the global economy. It stems from the institute's myriad research and data.
FourSquare check-ins show the pulse of cities
For years, the location-tracking app FourSquare has been amassing an enviable well of data on how people spend their time, where they go, and what these patterns reveal about their commuting and entertaining behaviors. If you're on one end of the app, checking in on your smart phone at a neighborhood dive bar, the tool is a handy way to broadcast your whereabouts to your friends. From the other end – from FourSquare's point of view – each logged location contributes to a much larger picture of the life of whole business districts and cities.
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| Foursquare check-ins show the pulse of New York City and Tokyo |
What Will Happen to Budapest's 'Ruin Pubs' Once All the Ruin Is Removed?
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| Szimpla in the Budapest Jewish Quarter |
You wouldn’t know it from the outside, but this is one of the most popular places to be in Budapest, at least on a Friday or Saturday night.
Push past the front door and a dimly-lit hallway leads to a large, open-air courtyard. Colorful lights strung together with furniture and a bicycle or two hang suspended in the air above and scenes from a black-and-white movie are projected onto the back wall. Off to the side sits an old Trabant, a type of car made in East Germany during the Cold War. The courtyard opens onto a maze of rooms, each decorated differently. In one, ancient-looking computer monitors and television sets are mounted to the walls. In another, a bathtub has been split in half and converted into a makeshift seating area.
Read more here
How to Design a City for Women
Don’t worry this is
not about separating the genders, or some post feminist ranty power grab.
In 1999, officials in Vienna, Austria, asked residents of the city's ninth district how often and why they used public transportation. "Most of the men filled out the questionnaire in less than five minutes," says Ursula Bauer, one of the city administrators tasked with carrying out the survey. "But the women couldn't stop writing."
The majority of men reported using either a car or public transit twice a day -- to go to work in the morning and come home at night. Women, on the other hand, used the city’s network of sidewalks, bus routes, subway lines and streetcars more frequently and for a myriad reasons.
"The women had a much more varied pattern of movement," Bauer recalls. "They were writing things like, 'I take my kids to the doctor some mornings, then bring them to school before I go to work. Later, I help my mother buy groceries and bring my kids home on the metro.'"
Women used public transit more often and made more trips on foot than men. They were also more likely to split their time between work and family commitments like taking care of children and elderly parents. Recognizing this, city planners drafted a plan to improve pedestrian mobility and access to public transit.
Read more at Atlantic Cities - Link
In 1999, officials in Vienna, Austria, asked residents of the city's ninth district how often and why they used public transportation. "Most of the men filled out the questionnaire in less than five minutes," says Ursula Bauer, one of the city administrators tasked with carrying out the survey. "But the women couldn't stop writing."
The majority of men reported using either a car or public transit twice a day -- to go to work in the morning and come home at night. Women, on the other hand, used the city’s network of sidewalks, bus routes, subway lines and streetcars more frequently and for a myriad reasons.
"The women had a much more varied pattern of movement," Bauer recalls. "They were writing things like, 'I take my kids to the doctor some mornings, then bring them to school before I go to work. Later, I help my mother buy groceries and bring my kids home on the metro.'"
Women used public transit more often and made more trips on foot than men. They were also more likely to split their time between work and family commitments like taking care of children and elderly parents. Recognizing this, city planners drafted a plan to improve pedestrian mobility and access to public transit.
Read more at Atlantic Cities - Link
Thursday 26 September 2013
WA Young Planners Series
Metropolitan Local Government Reform: The Future of our Councils
PIA’s Young Planners would like to present the first networking event
of the Young Planners Series… Metropolitan Local Government Reform: The Future
of our Councils. Perth’s metropolitan area is experiencing an unprecedented
rate of growth, with the population set to reach 2.3 million by 2026, and may
be as high as 3.5 million by 2050. Due to population growth and economic
development, and its strategic location relative to the Asian economies, Perth
is on the cusp of a period of transformational change.
Monday 23 September 2013
Placemaking and the City
Cities are back in fashion; on television (Sex in the City),
in music (with ‘urban’ now the codeword for black, popular and rhythmic), in
architecture (where density generates the most rewarding opportunities), among
international agencies (seeking ways of managing post-Fordist and
post-industrial societies), and within the planning establishment (with the
reversal of ideas on the uses of the city). One of the most important issues
facing planning at the beginning of the twenty-first century is how to
revitalise cities. Today, cities are seen as assets rather than liabilities.
Their role as engines of economic growth is widely accepted and their spheres
of influence the city is becoming recognised as fundamental building blocks in
the national fabric.
Wednesday 11 September 2013
Monday 9 September 2013
Digital Placemaking - City Fireflies
"What is City Fireflies?
City Fireflies is a simple game that looks like tons of fun: Players cluster in a plaza in front of a large videoscreen showing a grid of 8-bit-looking "enemy" characters, which is superimposed on a live video image of the physical plaza itself. The goal of the game is for the players to physically move around the plaza to sweep the "enemies" off screen. (Or catch them like fireflies, if you prefer.) The game was meant to be casual: easily intuited rules, instant visual feedback, and a porous structure so that players could enter and leave the gamespace at will without disrupting the gameplay. Which meant that the interaction design had to be ultra-casual as well--so transparent that the energy barrier of joining the game was reduced to nearly zero.
The game designers programmed City Fireflies to track a much simpler indicator for each player: the glowing rectangle of light emitted by the smartphone screen itself. It’s the perfect solution: No apps to install or procedures to explain. City Fireflies simply directs players to point their phones at the giant game screen, and start moving around. The instant visual feedback is clear: The phone becomes your "net" for catching and removing the digital avatars onscreen.
[Read more about City Fireflies]
City Fireflies is a simple game that looks like tons of fun: Players cluster in a plaza in front of a large videoscreen showing a grid of 8-bit-looking "enemy" characters, which is superimposed on a live video image of the physical plaza itself. The goal of the game is for the players to physically move around the plaza to sweep the "enemies" off screen. (Or catch them like fireflies, if you prefer.) The game was meant to be casual: easily intuited rules, instant visual feedback, and a porous structure so that players could enter and leave the gamespace at will without disrupting the gameplay. Which meant that the interaction design had to be ultra-casual as well--so transparent that the energy barrier of joining the game was reduced to nearly zero.
The game designers programmed City Fireflies to track a much simpler indicator for each player: the glowing rectangle of light emitted by the smartphone screen itself. It’s the perfect solution: No apps to install or procedures to explain. City Fireflies simply directs players to point their phones at the giant game screen, and start moving around. The instant visual feedback is clear: The phone becomes your "net" for catching and removing the digital avatars onscreen.
[Read more about City Fireflies]
Thursday 5 September 2013
Sensual Streets - 7 Senses Streets
Residential streets are public spaces, at our front door. We engage with them throughout the day - commuting to work, afternoon walks with the dog, putting the bins out. Yet for most of us this space remains a placeholder between the traffic channel and our front fence. It's time to convert them into usable, inspiring place.
The above picture shows how the street is transformed into a tree-lined play and exploration zone, incorporating a sensory garden, community gathering space and improved connections between the street and the parklands that meet the cul-de-sac.
Here's the link to the article written by Tobias Volbert, a Landscape Architect and Project Development Manager at Playscape Creations.
http://www.placefocus.com/Blog/
The above picture shows how the street is transformed into a tree-lined play and exploration zone, incorporating a sensory garden, community gathering space and improved connections between the street and the parklands that meet the cul-de-sac.
Here's the link to the article written by Tobias Volbert, a Landscape Architect and Project Development Manager at Playscape Creations.
http://www.placefocus.com/Blog/
Book Recommendation
Don't Shoot, One Man, a Street Fellowship, and The End of Violence inInner City America
By David Kennedy
A recent book by David Kennedy titled Don't Shoot, One Man, a Street Fellowship, and The End of Violence in
Inner City America puts a new face on the fight against urban drug and gun
violence. In the book, Kennedy discusses his new approach for combating such
violence, which he notes has been implemented in cities such as Boston,
Cincinnati, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The approach to violent crime detailed in
this book involves identifying a small group of worst offenders, arresting the
worst of those, usually with Federal assistance, and then holding community
dialogue with the rest and informing them that if they do not stop their acts
of violence they will meet a similar fate.
Kennedy notes that when these methods, since given the name
“Ceasefire”, were enacted, the type of crime targeted dropped noticeably and
swiftly.
In addition, he notes that the presence of so much violent crime for so
long has severely damaged urban neighbourhoods, both economically and socially.
Kennedy points out that none of the economic, social, or racial problems
affecting these communities can be addressed until the crime that permeates
them is controlled in a lasting manner. However, he does not give any
indication of when a community might be ready to move on to those tasks.
The book points out that the structure of violent activity is the same from city to city, regardless of the size, number, or ethnic makeup of gangs. Kennedy details how the majority of violent activity can be directly traced to a small group of core gang members, the most violent of these members can be targeted with policing in cooperation with federal authorities, and the rest can then be targeted with community outreach. Kennedy describes how round-table meetings were held with local, state, and federal police, prosecutors, community activists, and gang members. In these meetings, authorities explained to the gang members the gravity of the charges that could be brought against them if their actions continued, which, he noted, many offenders were unaware of. Community organisers explained the damage that years of criminal activity and accidental killings of children have wrought on communities, and the fear it brings to parents. These meetings also offer support services, such as housing and job opportunities, to replace income from selling drugs or other criminal activities.
The book points out that the structure of violent activity is the same from city to city, regardless of the size, number, or ethnic makeup of gangs. Kennedy details how the majority of violent activity can be directly traced to a small group of core gang members, the most violent of these members can be targeted with policing in cooperation with federal authorities, and the rest can then be targeted with community outreach. Kennedy describes how round-table meetings were held with local, state, and federal police, prosecutors, community activists, and gang members. In these meetings, authorities explained to the gang members the gravity of the charges that could be brought against them if their actions continued, which, he noted, many offenders were unaware of. Community organisers explained the damage that years of criminal activity and accidental killings of children have wrought on communities, and the fear it brings to parents. These meetings also offer support services, such as housing and job opportunities, to replace income from selling drugs or other criminal activities.
Kennedy notes that this approach has been implemented to target various
crimes, from shootings to drug markets to domestic violence, in a large number
of cities and has been extremely successful. Kennedy's book presents an
original perspective on the issue of urban crime, and one which has immediate
and significant impact. His book should prove to be pivotal in the fight
against crime, and a starting point in rebuilding communities and making urban
areas more attractive places to live.
Buy this book on Amazon
Book Recommendation
Made in Australia: The Future of Australian Cities
By Richard Weller and Julian Bolleter
How do you creatively plan for a population of 62 million by
2100? Australia’s current major city planning frameworks only account for an additional
5.5 million people. Whether we want a ‘Big Australia’ or not, Australia’s 21st
century is likely to see rapid and continual growth — and if we want liveable,
high functioning cities and regional centres we need to think outside the box.
Of course, many things could change between now and then but
for the purposes of planning we think it is prudent to take this figure
seriously. So what does this big number mean? It means we would need to house
an extra 40 million Australians over the course of the next 87 years. This
means building the equivalent of an extra 10 Sydneys – one every 9 years!
Richard Weller and Julian Bolleter (from the Australian
Urban Design Research Centre) offer optimistic and creative solutions for the
future with one imperative: what we build this century will make or break our
country. The authors explore where these people might live so that Australia
remains ecologically resilient, socially amenable and economically productive.
- Part 1 – Big Cities, Big Ideas, Big Australia: Australia; Visionary Cities; and Visionary Infrastructure.
- Part 2 – Australian Cities 2012–56: Sydney; Brisbane and SEQ; Melbourne; Perth; Adelaide; Canberra; Hobart; Darwin; and Growing Pains.
- Part 3 – Australian Cities 2101?: Australian Megaregions and New Cities; The East Coast Megaregion (ECM); The West Coast Megaregion (WCM); and Darwin – The New North.
- Part 4 – Essays: Living with the Land; Back to the Future; Urban Resilience & Adaptation; Urban Metabolism: A way to make Australian cities more efficient?; Infrastructure: Now and then; New Settlements on the Fringe: Understanding contemporary peri-urbanisation; And now for the good news…; Cities as Water Catchments; Coding the City; and Follow the Money.
- Part 5 – Designs: Boyd’s Error: Planning’s curse; Infill Precincts; Mean Streets; A National Green Network for Australia.
Buy it now from Amazon
Tuesday 3 September 2013
How Copenhagen is responding to climate change
In late 2012 I travelled to Denmark for five weeks on a Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange (GSE). GSE is an opportunity for young professionals to travel to another country, experience the culture and institutions and see how their vocations are practised abroad.
There is no real ‘climate change debate’ in Denmark, as most people simply accept that it is a reality, and one for which they are earnestly planning. In 2008 the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, embarked upon the ambitious goal of becoming the first city in the world to be carbon neutral by 2025. As a result, Copenhagen is an emerging centre for new green technologies and is cultivating partnerships between government and private enterprise to put them into action.
There are a number of ways in which they are planning to reduce their emissions, including retrofitting existing buildings, increasing the already common use of bicycles and other sustainable transport, increasing production of wind energy, and extending their relatively ‘green’ district heating and cooling systems.
I was fortunate that my vocational visits included getting to experience some of these initiatives first hand.
District Heating
In my first week I met with Jacob Andersen, an advisor with the Centre for Urban Development with the City of Copenhagen. Jacob explained that around 95% of Copenhagen’s heating needs are powered by district heating. Copenhagen’s system involves a small number of large plants such as Vestforbrænding creating either steam or heated water which are passed through underground pipes and converted to household heating systems. I visited one of the waste incineration plants that provides a large proportion of the heat for the district heating system; it was one of many opportunities to don a hard hat on this trip!
Wind Turbines
Denmark has established wind turbine cooperatives, whereby families who buy shares (and therefore generate their own electricity) receive tax exemptions. In Samsø, around 4000 private citizens have erected over 20 community-owned wind turbines in urban areas. In addition, the government is focusing on off-shore wind farms. Some of these, in cooperation between the City of Copenhagen and private shareholders, are just 2km off the coast and can be seen from the city centre, including atop the historic Rundetaarn. Denmark is a leading exporter of wind technology; in fact Vestas recently won a contract to supply turbines in North West Tasmania.
Cycling Superhighways and Sustainable Transport
The City of Copenhagen has been so successful at encouraging people to ride on cycle paths that many are now affected by bicycle traffic congestion. This has led to the planning of 26 ‘cycling superhighways’ designed purely for higher speed cycling into the city centre from the suburbs (at least 5km out). There will be few stops along the way, air pump stations at various intervals, and traffic lights will be adjusted for cyclists (rather than cars) so that users encounter as many green lights as possible. I visited one of these construction sites with civil engineer Peter Hansen of Pihl Industries, who are building the superhighway between the outer suburbs and the central port area of Nyhavn. At that stage they were constructing a bridge across the canal which would be dedicated to cyclists.
Not only is Copenhagen working to increase cycling, but they also have a pedestrian strategy (“More People to Walk More”); something not very common in Australia! They aim to increase pedestrian activity 20% by 2015 and are also planning to introduce hybrid buses to broaden the range of sustainable transport options in the city. In addition to traffic flows, pedestrianisation has broader planning implications. For example, greater foot traffic means that cityscapes, signage and amenities must be designed at a “human scale.”
Copenhagen is proudly promoting itself as a “test bed for green solutions” and wants to be seen as an international leader. Whilst previous planning initiatives in Denmark may have made some of the current solutions easier (such as the early installation of cycle paths, pedestrian-only streets, and district heating infrastructure), Copenhagen is certainly also taking new risks and making substantial changes in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Australia could no doubt learn some important lessons from Denmark, not least that climate change and adaption to it presents an opportunity for innovation and leadership if we choose.
There is no real ‘climate change debate’ in Denmark, as most people simply accept that it is a reality, and one for which they are earnestly planning. In 2008 the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, embarked upon the ambitious goal of becoming the first city in the world to be carbon neutral by 2025. As a result, Copenhagen is an emerging centre for new green technologies and is cultivating partnerships between government and private enterprise to put them into action.
There are a number of ways in which they are planning to reduce their emissions, including retrofitting existing buildings, increasing the already common use of bicycles and other sustainable transport, increasing production of wind energy, and extending their relatively ‘green’ district heating and cooling systems.
I was fortunate that my vocational visits included getting to experience some of these initiatives first hand.
District Heating
In my first week I met with Jacob Andersen, an advisor with the Centre for Urban Development with the City of Copenhagen. Jacob explained that around 95% of Copenhagen’s heating needs are powered by district heating. Copenhagen’s system involves a small number of large plants such as Vestforbrænding creating either steam or heated water which are passed through underground pipes and converted to household heating systems. I visited one of the waste incineration plants that provides a large proportion of the heat for the district heating system; it was one of many opportunities to don a hard hat on this trip!
Wind Turbines
Denmark has established wind turbine cooperatives, whereby families who buy shares (and therefore generate their own electricity) receive tax exemptions. In Samsø, around 4000 private citizens have erected over 20 community-owned wind turbines in urban areas. In addition, the government is focusing on off-shore wind farms. Some of these, in cooperation between the City of Copenhagen and private shareholders, are just 2km off the coast and can be seen from the city centre, including atop the historic Rundetaarn. Denmark is a leading exporter of wind technology; in fact Vestas recently won a contract to supply turbines in North West Tasmania.
Cycling Superhighways and Sustainable Transport
The City of Copenhagen has been so successful at encouraging people to ride on cycle paths that many are now affected by bicycle traffic congestion. This has led to the planning of 26 ‘cycling superhighways’ designed purely for higher speed cycling into the city centre from the suburbs (at least 5km out). There will be few stops along the way, air pump stations at various intervals, and traffic lights will be adjusted for cyclists (rather than cars) so that users encounter as many green lights as possible. I visited one of these construction sites with civil engineer Peter Hansen of Pihl Industries, who are building the superhighway between the outer suburbs and the central port area of Nyhavn. At that stage they were constructing a bridge across the canal which would be dedicated to cyclists.
Not only is Copenhagen working to increase cycling, but they also have a pedestrian strategy (“More People to Walk More”); something not very common in Australia! They aim to increase pedestrian activity 20% by 2015 and are also planning to introduce hybrid buses to broaden the range of sustainable transport options in the city. In addition to traffic flows, pedestrianisation has broader planning implications. For example, greater foot traffic means that cityscapes, signage and amenities must be designed at a “human scale.”
Copenhagen is proudly promoting itself as a “test bed for green solutions” and wants to be seen as an international leader. Whilst previous planning initiatives in Denmark may have made some of the current solutions easier (such as the early installation of cycle paths, pedestrian-only streets, and district heating infrastructure), Copenhagen is certainly also taking new risks and making substantial changes in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Australia could no doubt learn some important lessons from Denmark, not least that climate change and adaption to it presents an opportunity for innovation and leadership if we choose.
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