In Old Jerusalem, young eyes transcend their surroundings, and look across the world.
Category: politics
myurbanist republished: Real Estate Law & Industry Report examines light rail and Jerusalem
Posted by – August 25, 2010
urbanist online discoveries, part 3 and myurbanist sustainability sightings update
Posted by – August 15, 2010
This entry presents two of my favorite, cutting edge blogs, one venerable and accomplished, one new.
First, long-time blogger and thought leader of the built environment-social media interface, Cindy Frewen Wuellner (@urbanverse), continues to innovate on her blog, urbanverse’s posterous, particularly with recent entries on sustainable design under the “True Green” moniker. Be sure and review.
Second, from Venezuela, architect Ana Maria Manzo’s (@anammanzo) “the place of dreams” will charm you with compelling imagery and straightforward introspection about career and on-the-ground outcomes. Great reading for we lawyer/designer-wannabe’s. Please follow the link just provided.
Finally, thanks also to two accomplished online portals for recent references.
Richard Layman, of the comprehensive well-researched placemaking standby Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space provided a valued link to myurbanist yesterday.
Acknowledgements as well to the ever-diligent Seattle Transit Blog, for its recent use of myurbanist material in ongoing coverage of light rail expansion issues in the Seattle area.
satire and mode-shifts in Seattle’s deep bore tunnel
Posted by – August 7, 2010
Many articles summarize the complex issues associated with Seattle’s viaduct-replacement/deep-bore tunnel debate.
Such articles are often accompanied by a cross-section supplied by the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), illustrated here.
Inspired by the WSDOT cross-section and ongoing discussion of applicable transit modes, the embedded myurbanist commentary below graphically focuses on but one question along the way.
the streetscape of light rail opposition
Posted by – August 1, 2010
Bellevue, Washington has been alive with debate about planned light rail alignments in and around its downtown this year, with Sound Transit, the regional transit agency, often at loggerheads with local elected officials about the preferred route to be selected for study and eventual implementation.
Last month, Sound Transit selected a segment adjacent to a close-in residential neighborhood for further evaluation in the project Environmental Impact Statement.
The situation remains a textbook application of the challenges which Paul Symington and I addressed in our recently republished report, “Urban Centers and Transit-Oriented Development in Washington“, (the “Barriers Report“), downloadable here. In keeping with our discussion of political, organizational and interagency implementation challenges, the Bellevue City Council and many residents oppose Sound Transit’s preferred alternative.
On the ground, opposition is clear from the landscape of signage, and from an imaginary train ride captured below–well over a decade before completion of Sound Transit’s East Link. Regardless of which alignment is chosen and constructed, consider rides with memories of where planning-era signage was located along the way!
announcing more urban insights at urbanpointofview.com
Posted by – July 30, 2010
Today marks the launch of a related site, UrbanPointofView, which provides a compilation and “portfolio” of my interdisciplinary approach to urban land use issues.
For an integrated summary of urban insights, at home and abroad, please see the embedded link below.
inspiring the walkable waterside: who gets, who pays?
Posted by – July 18, 2010
In the ideal urban setting, waterside venues are optimal places of human interaction, and are often destinations on longer treks across neighborhoods which Alex Steffen terms “deep walkability”.
Such venues are also symbolic of the politics of placemaking: who gets and who pays amid the unfolding challenge of how to fund and maintain?
The renderings of France and the United States below suggest five elements of the “walkable waterside” within the context of sustainable urban experiences–as presumed characteristics of smart growth and consistent with the touted norms of today’s walkable urbanism.
These modified photos add to prior myurbanist renderings here and here, which visualize the contemporary dialogue about multimodal urban experience, and aim to enhance our sense of the possible.
The displayed examples share at least the following elements:
1. Walking places.
2. Biking places, with enabled separation from other transportation modes.
2. Places of congregation, recreation and observation.
3. Intermingling of water-dependent trades.
4; Food along the way.
5. Natural settings blended with the urban fabric.
Even with the prospect of stimulus-era federal assistance, cash-strapped cities in challenging economic times often lack necessary resources to implement, maintain and sustain these elements of successful places. The legitimate budgetary needs of other, complementary urban needs, such as human service, public safety and infrastructure maintenance and improvements compete for the public dollars which result from taxes, bond issues and the traditional suite of urban revenue generation.
As a result, without more, the places we want may lose a competition for scarce resources in the world of local public finance.
Accordingly, what is the supplementary private role in public placemaking? Can we further innovate legally permissible public-private partnerships to assure the bright colors of rendered community?
In this case, perhaps compelling imagery of human interaction can beget further innovation.
urbanists at work
