In America…
CNN’s Best Small American Towns lists many in the Midwest and Northeast and being preferable to live in based on job opportunities, schools, safety, economics, weather and activities. I wonder why west coast cities fare better than small towns in that region do? Across the pond…
I know I already posted a bunch of links to analyses of the London riots, but this is a bloody brilliant discussion of the social disconnection that is rife throughout society but was expressed in the form of riots.
Continuing the conversation…
In relation to my recent post as an American citizen/Australian resident seeing the Midwest for the first time, here the Melbourne Urbanist comments on the Americanization of Australian places (and here’s a little on how American’s see Australians).
My recent post also included a brief discussion of American individualism that I’ve noticed. This is connected with transport planning here.
It’s never too early or too late to be an urbanist!
I still remember the awe with which I received the knowledge that someone had actually planned our cities and they hadn’t just magically appeared in their functional states… when I was 20. Imagine what we could do if we grew up with this knowledge? Enter Planetizen’s kids book!
And for mature age students there’s a dvd!
Finally, UNESCO’s newest World Heritage List includes "representing a masterpiece of human creative genius" as criteria. What an opportunity for spectacular city building!
Urban issues and Burning Man – it all connects for me...
In 12 hours I leave for Burning Man 2011: Rites of Passage. This event has been touted as a transformational experience by everyone I talk to who has been before. This artistic representation of city evolution ties in nicely with my current focus.
I am so looking forward to seeing stars on this trip. Yep, they don’t exist in Chicago – the city’s too damn bright! I’ve previously posted in the need to design for sound in our urban environments and this article brings a similar attention to how designers should consider light and its environmental and health effects.
*Note: Black Rock City, NV (the temporary city that is formed by the Burning Man event) is home to 55,000 where the only lighting provided at night is hand lit street lamps. If it can work there…
Finally, a funny!
Further evidence that confidence is key (especially to Vietnamese pedestrians!)
Your link to the Melbourne Urbanist has an extra space at the end, so it doesn't work. Take the %20 chararacters off the end and you're good to go.
ReplyDeleteGreat piece on Urbanophile, by the way. You would love Minneapolis!
Jeremy in Minneapolis
Thanks Jeremey, that link should be fixed now. I've had a great response to that piece and am now planning trips to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh for this research cycle. Perhaps I'll hit Minneapolis in the next round!
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