Preservation
Sustainability and Affordable Housing: Maybe Occupy Is Onto Something
Occupy has been speaking out against the ongoing housing and foreclosure crisis. In conjunction with this cause, and as an adjustment to forcible removal from public spaces by law enforcement, the movement has evolved to Occupying abandoned properties and homes of families facing foreclosure as an act of civil disobedience. This post considers what would be involved in Occupying vacant and abandoned buildings – legally – as affordable housing for homeless families and individuals or for households caught up in the housing crisis. [read more]
Big and small questions about food
I’ve just returned from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Cooking for Solutions conference feeling optimistic about the potential to change the way we grow food, cook and eat. Maybe it’s the wine, the seafood, and the wonderful fruits and vegetables (fried artichokes!) from nearby California farms, but I don’t think so. More likely it’s... [read more]
Clear indications that climate change is affecting fish stocks
The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) launched its latest Report Card on 8th May at the World Fisheries Congress in Edinburgh. It focuses on how climate change is affecting the fish and shellfish we find in our seas, providing both opportunities and threats, and what the social and economic consequences could be. [read more]
Urban Agriculture Isn’t New
In fact, it’s been around since 3,500 BC when Mesopotamian farmers began setting aside plots in their growing cities. In a review of urban agriculture throughout modern history at a symposium at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., a diverse set of academics and designers ranging from historians to landscape... [read more]
Got History?
My fascination with history and place is no secret. While I am intrigued with urban history in many forms, there's always a desire for a connection with the place you inhabit. Typically this fascination comes via maps, which have been well documented, but the timeline of the past 150 years... [read more]
Politicizing the Pritzker
Ningbo History Museum by architect Wang ShuLast month, this year’s Pritzker Prize (architecture’s highest honor) was awarded to Chinese architect Wang Shu. The announcement was surprising for a few reasons. For one, consensus around the architecture blogosphere was that the award would go to a more high-profile architect such as Toyo Ito... [read more]
How Walkable Streets can Reduce Crime
Every city has at least a few streets where you won’t feel completely safe from crime. This might be due to several factors, such as the time of day, who you’re with or the reputation of the area. Research has shown that ‘fear of crime’ affects urban walkability, but now a new project has shown that the reverse may also be true... [read more]
Scaling the Urban Future by Blending the Urban Past
How will the city of tomorrow reflect adaptive reuse of the city of today?I don’t think we ask that question broadly enough, and our day-to-day, property-specific incrementalism can easily overshoot the greatest lessons from history for today’s city politics, regulation and economic constraints.A hometown case in point, last month,... [read more]
Where Are the U.S. World Heritage Landscapes?
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking nominations for the U.S. World Heritage “tentative list,” which is then sent on to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the international organization that determines which sites go into the global list of culturally significant sites. The NPS may need help... [read more]
Placemaking with Soundscapes, Then and Now
As I’ve recently written, visual urban nostalgia has a place in today’s dialogue about cities. Historical photos, videos and reconstructions of a pre-car era, including imagery of more walkable places are all sources of inspiration for a more sustainable urban future. And they are brought to us, by and large, by the internet. Click on... [read more]
Learning From the ‘High Line’ Next Door
Do you ever wander your city and dream about restoring it's old parts? Then this beautiful piece by Chuck Wolfe is for you. [read more]
How Greenways Create Healthy Communities
This post explores using greenways as the connector to parks, neighborhoods, schools and mixed-use centers, allowing for urban and rural ideas to merge and produce a superior hybrid community form. [read more]
Sustainable Cities Collective
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 »
- YOU
- TheCityFix - produced by EMBARQ
- Green Buildings Alive
- Kaid Benfield
- This Big City
- polis blog
- Tyler Caine
- Centre for Cities
- Next American City
- Waverly de Bruijn Klaw
- julian dobson
- Vanessa Francis
- Rodrigo Herrera Vegas
- Kristen Jeffers
- Warren Karlenzig
- Jason King
- Mark Lovett
- Adam Mayer
- Daniel Nairn
- Foster Pepper
- Project for Public Spaces
- Douglas Reiser
- Jim Russell
- Neil Takemoto
- Grown in the City
- ECPA Urban Planning
- Jovan Vucetic
- Geoff Wilkinson
- Chuck Wolfe
Webinar: ISO 20121 - Sustainability & Event Management
When: Thu, 2012-05-24 08:00
Transformation Through Technology: Delivering Better Public Services
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

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“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 ...”