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Megacities: Five of the World’s ‘Biggest’ Cities
As the world urbanises and our lifestyles evolve, cities are getting bigger. And I’m not just talking about population sizes. As This Big City kicks off a fortnight of themed posts on Megacities and Microcities, what better way to start than by taking a look at five of the world’s ‘biggest’ cities?Tokyo – the world’s largest metropolitan... [read more]
City-wide Clean Development Mechanism: A Framework for Empowering Cities
As the dust settles after the COP17 Climate Talks in Durban, a sigh of relief is released. The mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol have survived to see a second commitment period. The mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol—the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Joint Implementation (JI) and emissions trading—provide flexibility as participating countries attempt to comply with their emission reduction targets. Each of these mechanisms allows developed countries to fund emissions reduction projects outside of their borders in order to meet their domestic targets. The CDM has been universally embraced by the first and third world as a way to encourage sustainable development and green economic growth in developing countries. [read more]
The Top Landscape & Architecture Posts of 2011
In selecting our list of the 10 best works of architecture and landscape architecture in 2011, we at Polis have settled on works that highlight a number of issues dear to us. This was a year of social change, a sputtering economy and fewer big projects — one in which design was decidedly not the only issue. Some of the projects on the... [read more]
Tokyo's Urban Forest
Somewhere between surreal and ‘thank goodness someone was wise enough to preserve this space’ lies Kitanomaru koen in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. I randomly discovered this space one evening while riding my bike around the Imperial Palace.”Where does this unlit road lead to?”, I asked myself. It’s pretty rare to find a street in Tokyo with no... [read more]
Learning from Japan
Hourly Japan 's tragedy grows almost beyond comprehension. (3/16 Update: The head of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said this afternoon that releases of radiation at Fukushima have been "extremely high" and that "could impact the ability to take corrective measures.") There is universal empathy over the pain and suffering being... [read more]
Featured Quote: Tokyo and 'no-good' architecture
"Photographic books amplify a desire for an architecture which simply can't be found in our surroundings. In such a situation, then suddenly architectural design holds no interest anymore; the future appears depressing. If we can't try to turn 'disgusting' buildings into resources, then there is no reason to particularly stay in Tokyo... [read more]
Tokyo Subway Dreams
I've been thinking a lot on transitions lately, in particular the times in transit. So when I came across these ethereal photographs by Michael Wolf, I was immediately drawn to his ability to capture the moments when time seem to pass by at a different speed. Trapped in an in-between world, the expressions on these commuters are of... [read more]
How Small Can a Living Space Get?
As a nation obsessed with making things as small as possible, the Shinjuku Capsule Hotel in Tokyo seems a natural development for the Japanese. Instead of renting a room with a TV, en-suite and double bed, this hotel offers tiny capsules, measuring only 2 metres by 1.5 metres. Each pod contains a light, a small TV with headphones, and... [read more]
Urban farming: Ginza Farm’s rice harvest
I stopped by the Ginza Farm periodically last year to watch the rice grow, and to see how neighborhood workers and shoppers enjoyed this new public space that evokes Japanese culture and the centrality of rice farming. Kids harvest rice at Ginza Farm | Photo by Jared Braiterman On November 1, Ginza Farm celebrated the rice... [read more]
The City and its Flooded Double
[Image: From Aqualta by Studio Lindfors].Studio Lindfors—of Cloud Skippers and Cloud City fame—have released a stunning new series of images, published here on BLDGBLOG for the first time, in which we see New York City and Tokyo after a catastrophic flood. [Image: From Aqualta by Studio Lindfors].Called Aqualta, the project is an... [read more]
Smarter Cities and the Olympics, Part 2: Big Change is coming to Tokyo
The race to host the Olympics is the race to the smartest city. In order to catch the eye of the Olympic committee cities have to become smarter - more efficient, greener and more sustainable. This series explores different initiatives proposed by various cities vying for the 2016 Olympic bid. Be sure to look for upcoming posts on... [read more]
A Little and a Lot
The largest city on earth – Tokyo. Image by Altus. I have often found myself reflecting here on matters of scale – of blocks and streets, of cities and neighborhoods. Recently I have found myself thinking about the relationship between the really, really big, and the fairly tiny. Let me explain. We lead our daily lives in familiar... [read more]
Sustainable Cities Collective
What's New on
Kaid Benfield is director of sustainable communities and smart growth at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC. More »
Chris Cheatham is a LEED Accredited Professional and green building authority who frequently speaks to groups and associations. More »
Jared Green is Web Content and Strategy Manager at the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) More »
Rodrigo Herrera Vegas is a writer for for one of Argentina's main newspapers, La Nación, and a radio show host. More »
Warren Karlenzig Warren Karlenzig is the founder and president of Common Current. More »
Geoff Wilkinson is the Vice Chair of the Building Standards Faculty of the Chartered Institute of Building.i More »
Chuck Wolfe Chuck Wolfe is a lawyer, professor, and photographer who blogs at MyUrbanist. More »
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Transformation Through Technology: Delivering Better Public Services
When: Thu, 2012-05-24 08:00
Webinar: ISO 20121 - Sustainability & Event Management
When: Thu, 2012-05-24 08:00
Sustainability and Affordable Housing: an Interactive Charrette
When: Sat, 2012-06-02 11:00
Tourism and Sustainable Futures: Beyond 2015
When: Fri, 2012-06-15 09:00
Public Sector Leadership: driving cultural change
When: Thu, 2012-06-21 14:36
Youth Policy Summit on Urban Sustainability at UC Denver
When: Sun, 2012-06-24 12:00
“Ever since it appeared in The Road. Braddock has been on my radar for some time. They have been working hard up there for a long time. Very good to see the community pushed into the spotlight. Looking forward to watching this series of articles!”
“I don't walk by choice. My vision forced me to give up my car years ago. I won't lie, I miss being able to drive. I hate the bus, though Santa Clara's VTA is one of the best systems in the country. But I am able to get around. And I walk to shop, sometimes as far as 3 miles away. Sometimes I take the bus back, sometimes I just walk back. This changes ...”