VIA Architecture

Monday News Roundup

2012-01-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

The top headlines from last week all in one place:

A comic detailing how the word "sustainable" is unsustainable :)

Inca Public Market by Charmaine Lay and Carles Muro (Dezeen)

Check out the zigzagging wooden roof of this market hall in Majorca, Spain.

The Threat of Poor Urban Design to Public Health (Planetizen)

A profile of the work of Dr. Richard J. Jackson, one of the leading voices calling for better urban design for the sake of good health.

The green dividend from reusing older buildings (Switchboard)

We already know that, in many cases, retaining older buildings can strengthen the enduring legacy and enjoyment of a community. But is it good for the environment?

Does Car + Bike = A Good Thing? (Sustainable Cities Collective)
Besides gaining ultra-buff legs, many ‘part-time’ bike commuters end up with an extra $12,400 at the end of the year!

A Profile of the 'Jane Jacobs of Urban Design' (Planetizen)

An engaging profile of David Lewis, the community planning pioneer whom Richard Florida calls the 'Jane Jacobs of Urban Design,' as he celebrates his 90th birthday.

Rio de Janeiro unveils its first BRT station (Sustainable Cities Collective)

With 10 regular turnstiles and two adapted for wheelchair users, the station was designed to take advantage of natural ventilation using wind sensors.

How Bicycling and Walking Directly Impacts Health (Sustainable Cities Collective)

The 2012 benchmarking report for bicycling and walking ranks all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities on bicycling and walking levels, safety, funding and other factors.

How a rain garden cleans industrial pollution (Switchboard)

As NRDC’s water program rightfully emphasizes, one of the most vexing conundrums in highly urban areas is how to handle polluted rainwater runoff.

Ranking Hous ing Affordability in Americ a (Planetizen)

A report investigates to what extent the affordability of housing is tied to land use policies and how much is related to other factors.

The Subsidized Care Dilemma: Aging in BC

2012-01-27T12:41:00.000-08:00

by Wolf Saar, Director of Practice

VIA Architecture

Volf Saar (credit: Wolf Saar)

Last July, my father turned 90. In November, he moved into a nursing home. This was not an entirely unexpected event considering that he has Parkinson’s and has seen a slow decline in his mobility and his ability to avoid falls. With my 87 year old mother becoming increasingly frail (and, at the time, approaching a hip replacement) it was determined that the safest and most feasible alternative for dad was a move to a place where he could receive 24 hour skilled care. The time of “aging in place” ended for my dad.

The experience of being the adult child of two aging parents took on a new dimension as we shifted attention from in-home care to institutionalized care. Since my parents live in Burnaby, BC while I live in Seattle and my sister is in Calgary, every interaction is either remote or requires a road trip for me or an airplane ride for my sister. As an architect, I naturally approached the move with a designer’s eye. My focus ranged from pragmatic to sensual in trying to control the process from afar.

As a bit of background, I’ve observed that in British Columbia, subsidized care is generally of a high quality, although there is a decidedly “institutionalized” approach to this care, necessitated by tight budgets and government infrastructure. As my father’s needs exceeded what an assisted living facility could provide, there were few alternatives between the standard regimens of subsidized in-home services and full-on nursing care. My experience in the US has been primarily in the “private pay” realm and, although that exists in BC as well, our family’s resources did not allow us to consider the option. How wonderful it would have been to have greater choice and the opportunity to direct and have more control where my father lives but, in BC, government-subsidized skilled care nursing is provided on a “first bed available” basis.

My sister and I were wary of this policy and worried that he would end up somewhere less than ideal so we felt fortunate when he was admitted to George Derby Centre, an attractive facility that incidentally caters to veterans. Never mind that being Estonian, my father fled the Russians in the early days of the war and eventually settled in Berlin where he experienced WW II from the “other side” as a photographer for a US agency stationed in Berlin; he jokes that many of his fellow residents were dropping bombs on him! Aside from this quirk, the facility appears well-funded, well-maintained, and well-managed (although they seem to have some issues with misplaced laundry)...

Volf Saar, weaving (credit: Wolf Saar)

The quality of care and a hallmark arts and crafts facility (my dad has become an emerging weaver!) is offset by a decidedly institutional feel, reinforced by the size of the facility and long corridors clogged with medical carts and other tools needed in the care of the residents. The demands of operational efficiencies were a visible driver in the design. Large common rooms serve as both dining rooms and day rooms and, in their goal to be “flexible” appear to be kept simple in lieu of providing a richness of scale to promote varied interactions and experiences. The proximity of the nurses’ station to these common areas adds to the institutional character. I am consistently dismayed when visiting nursing homes when I see seating around the nurses’ station encouraged. Residents seem attracted by a sense of being where all the action is.

The living units themselves are small dorm-like single-occupancy rooms with a private accessible bathroom. Aside from being small and especially challenging when a wheelchair encounters furniture brought from home, the fact that residents personalize these units helps offset some of the sense that this is a “temporary” situation.

The subsidized system in BC has provided an enormous peace of mind to my parents as they have aged knowing that they will be cared for as health declines and this has indeed been the case. The cost to them is a fraction of what a private-pay alternative would be and the care is good. The down side is that choice is limited. Availability is by geographic region therefore the number of facilities available is limited. The size and type of facility that a resident initially enters is dictated by the available bed policy. Once in a facility, the resident can be put on a waiting list to go elsewhere but that wait can be lengthy and the stress of yet another move can be daunting. Generally, the philosophy and approach to care is standardized. Certainly, a place like George Derby that has put attention to the creation of a home-like experience within a large complex is more successful than others. Creative options like smaller groupings of residents or adult family homes are not evident in the government-provided arena.

My father is well-cared for and has found a few touchstones such as art-making that seem to focus his activities but aside from that, he “exists” day to day and, as is the case with many of his fellow residents, is fairly isolated. As I go through this experience I often wonder how the progressive concepts that the senior living field is engendering elsewhere and in the private-pay world could be transferred to make this time in his life fuller and richer.

Monday News Roundup

2012-01-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

Catch up on last week's top headlines!

Top 10 States for LEED Green Buildings (Sustainable Cities)

USGBC released the top 10 states with the most LEED-certified building square footage per capita. D.C leads the nation while WA State comes in at #5.

The Ten Best Preservation Projects in the Last Five Years (Planetizen)

Featuring buildings from across the country, and one outside the U.S., Nyren lists the top projects that brought back "valuable community resources from decline and neglect."

Climate Action Planning Is Good Community Planning (Sustainable Cities)

Why should a local community create and implement a comprehensive policy to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change?

More walkable urban development is good. But is it good enough? (Sustainable Cities)

Kaid Benfield discusses density: "We should be advocating density that appeals to more people, that we and future generations can be proud of."

Decapitating LA's Skyline (Planetizen)

Ever wonder why LA's skyline is so bland? Apparently it was planned that way...

Unique Urban Experiment (Swissmiss)

Lock a bike to a post. Take a picture daily for 1 year. This is what happens...

Basic House (Inhabitat)

Basic House Is a Golden Self-Inflating Home That Fits in Your Pocket!

Preparing Cities for Seniors (Sustainable Cities)

The World Health Organization has recognized the need for cities to prepare for an ageing population and in 2010 created the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities.

Inner City Abandonment, In Photos (Planetizen)

David Schalliol's photographs of abandoned places around the country are intended to be testaments to various social forces that have broken down urban places in recent years.

Self Destruction, By Design (Christian Science Monitor)

Architects hope to protect buildings by letting them rumble instead of crumble. A new design feature would sacrifice itself during an earthquake without harming anything else.

New Fad Diet: The Low-Car Lifestyle (Sustainable Cities)

The era when low-cost driving made far-flung living – 30-minute car trips to work, 20 minutes to the mall (plus another 10 for parking) – easy and attractive is fading fast.

Transforming Issaquah

2012-01-19T14:44:00.000-08:00

by Katherine Howe, Urban Planner

VIA Architecture

After working on the Rowley Properties Development Agreement and Planned Action EIS for two years, this project was adopted at the Issaquah City Council in December 2011. At the public meetings over 50 community members testified in favor, many citing the need for Issaquah to grow “differently” and their desire to see vibrant downtown places that are pedestrian friendly and have both everyday services and residential housing. Residents agreed with the overall Vision, that these nearly 80 acres of commercial land adjacent to the Sound Transit Park and Ride, I-90 and SR900 could be improved and transformed into two new mixed-use neighborhoods. The Development Agreement brings with it change, this area may eventually accommodate 4.4 million square feet of space, both in residential and commercial use.

Credit: VIA Architecture

This Agreement is great news for those of us who are focused on land preservation, climate, sustainability, and public health. By consolidating development here, it shifts demand, minimizing the pressure for future development to extend further into the Cascade foothills. The Rowley Agreement supports the creation of a walkable environment, completing the City’s street network, encouraging more transit use, and places a mix of intensive use adjacent to existing investments in public infrastructure. By moving to a multifamily housing building type, Issaquah also benefits by providing housing opportunities for a full spectrum of people in various life stages and income levels.

Throughout this process, VIA’s team participated in many local workshops and advisory groups to help figure out how the transformation of a single use, suburban strip might be implemented, as well as the obstacles along the way. Trade-offs discussed included how to achieve economic feasibility for higher density projects, competing desires for new public infrastructure improvements, and opportunities for sustainability initiatives and green building. As a Catalyst Project for the Central Issaquah Sub Area Plan, we partnered directly with the City’s Major Development Review Team to reconsider policies on the City books, many of which were biased towards new green field developments. Re-aligning policies to support incremental infill redevelopment was a challenge and entailed a long negotiation process between the City and the Property Owner – with both sides listening to the other to ensure that the results would not only achieve the public’s goals, but also remain economically feasible.

In the end, the basic framework for the Development Agreement can be reduced to one major goal: Making it easy for future residents, visitors and employees to walk. By concentrating on walking, many of the other desirable urban design treatments fell into place – such as the amount and placement of future parking, the scale and design of buildings, the accessibility of community public spaces, and the type of street network. To achieve this neighborhood incrementally over 30 years, the Agreement included a lot of flexibility, and is perhaps more “hands off” than other New Urbanist Master Plans. Guidelines and performance standards as opposed to prescriptive codes regulate the urban form. This is an important aspect of the Plan, and our client made it clear that without the capacity to be nimble, and react quickly as the market dictates, all this effort wouldn’t result in much redevelopment.

However, to implement an Agreement in this way takes trust, and discretion from both contracted parties. Hopefully what we learn here can also inform future development and Issaquah will continue to include property owners early on, and as equal partners in their discussions of future planning endeavors.

If you missed it, the Rowley Properties agreement was covered by the Issaquah Press, the DJC and the Seattle Times.

VIA’s Matt Roewe completed the initial vision for the 80 Acre Development, while many at the firm were involved supporting the effort, including assisting with the Development Agreement, Planned Action EIS and community outreach.

Tuesday News Roundup

2012-01-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

After a long and frigid weekend in the Northwest, let's warm up a bit with a roundup of the latest headlines and hottest news in architecture, sustainability + design!

Hyper-Realistic Paintings (Colossal)
It's hard to believe these hyper-realistic paintings aren't actually high resolution photographs...

Toy or Tool: Urban Planning as Community Board Game (Planetizen)

Profile of a project by Urban Planner James Rojas, who has constructed an 80-square-foot scale model of Long Beach that residents and business owners can tinker with to illustrate their own vision of the city.

Buenos Aires for Design Addicts (Apartment Therapy)

BA is not only bursting with design inspiration, it offers up restaurants, furniture stores, and fashion boutiques that rival many in New York (the whole city felt like a fusion of NYC, Paris, Madrid, and Rome).

How To Retrofit The Suburbs to Increase Walking (Planetizen)

Researchers look at the largely suburban South Bay area of Los Angeles to offer ways to retrofit auto-oriented suburbs for more pedestrian travel.

Composing the Urbanist Calendar (Sustainable Cities)

The last week of the year is typically reserved for retrospective, and “best of” assessments. Yet, it can also be a time of hope, resolution, and prediction—an interlude of oracles and dreams.

The Joy of Books (Swissmiss)

Bookstore owners Sean & Lisa Blonder Ohlenkamp decide to take it to the next level spending many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto.

A Five Minute Trip Around the World (Colossal)

With a camera in hand, artist Ken Liem embarked on an epic backpacking journey to 17 countries in 343 days taking 6,237 photographs.

5 of the Best Urban Design Blog Posts of 2011 (Sustainable Cities Collective)

How can we enhance the urban form of our cities to make them more sustainable? We’ve featured hundreds of articles on this topic over 2011, and here’s five of the best.

Embracing Green Building Techniques (Planetizen)

Affordable housing advocates find that green building techniques result in higher-quality construction -- and often with costs comparable to traditional building techniques.

5 of the Best Transport Blog Posts of 2011 (Sustainable Cities)

The way we get around our cities is a critical factor in their sustainability. Here are 5 of the best blog posts we’ve featured on This Big City in 2011 exploring that very topic...

VIA Architecture Is Seeking Great Team Members

2012-01-13T15:35:00.000-08:00

VIA Architecture is a strategic architectural and planning firm with offices in Seattle WA and Vancouver BC. We are a studio based practice leading a variety of local projects including transit systems design, mixed-use infill architecture, community plans and urban sustainability strategies. We are currently seeking candidates to fill four positions in our Seattle office:

1. Project Manager

2. Technical Architect

3. Administrative Assistant

4. Marketing Coordinator

1. Project Manager:

This person will work within our multidisciplinary team to provide management and leadership on high-rise residential, commercial and public transit projects.

Experience Requirements

· Registered architect with 6 to 10 years of project management experience

· LEED AP preferred

Key Skills

· Dedicated team player, excellent communicator, possessing demonstrated skill at management of technically complex projects.

· Strong client relations experience and interest in business development.

· Experience with project controls on complex building types, including scope, schedule and budget development, change management, tracking and reporting.

· Passion for high quality design and sustainable design. Experience with sustainable building rating systems an asset.

· Thorough familiarity with the technical considerations involved in coordinating and executing high-rise residential, commercial, and public transit building types.

· Strong experience in the management of documentation created in Revit 3D Building Information Modeling and AutoCAD. Fluency with production in these programs and other drawing programs such as Google Sketchup an asset.

· Skill in the management and coordination of project documentation and preparation of graphic presentation material.

· Strong experience in the management of collaborative design disciplines, including integrated project delivery experience.

2. Technical Architect:

This person will perform a key role within complex project documentation teams to lead development of design concepts through technical execution.

Experience Requirements

· Architect with 10 to 15 years of technical experience

· LEED AP preferred

Key Skills

· Dedicated team player, excellent communicator, with demonstrated skill at the detailed execution of complex projects, including high-rise residential, commercial and transit buildings.

· Deep skills in architectural technical detailing, envelope design, and specifications writing.

· Passion for green building; experience with sustainable building rating systems an asset.

· Fluency in the use Revit 3D Building Information Modeling and AutoCAD, including both strong computer drafting and information management skills.

· Skill in the coordination and production of project documentation packages and preparation of graphic presentation material.

· Strong experience in the technical coordination of collaborative design disciplines, including integrated project delivery experience and 3-dimensional resolution of technical issues.

· Site review and construction phase service experience an asset.

3. Administrative Assistant

job requirements:

· 2-4 years reception experience in a creative office environment

· Excellent organizational, multi-tasking, and prioritization skills

· Knowledge of general IT support

· Team player that is willing to do a variety of tasks as needed

· Experience in event planning, meeting scheduling, and client hospitality

· General office management experience

· Good Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite skills

· Experience in graphic design or marketing support an asset

4. Marketing Coordinator

Job Requirements:

· Excellent Microsoft Office skills

· Proficient in Adobe Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)

· 6-8 years marketing experience, 2-3 years in the A/E/C industry preferred

· Ability to work well under deadline pressure and handle multiple assignments concurrently

· Excellent communication skills – a “people person” with a positive outlook

· Team player that is willing to go the extra mile

· Detail oriented

· Ability to work with strong personalities

· Strong writing and graphic design skills

· Willingness to travel to our Vancouver, BC office

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Generous benefits, including medical/dental insurance, retirement funds contribution matching, and transit subsidy.

How to Apply

Please email resume in PDF with cover letter/email, and the title of the job you are interested in in the subject-line, attention Catherine Calvert, AIA, ccalvert@via-architecture.com:

· Please include samples of your work, keeping total email size below 3 MB.

· No phone calls or office visits please.

· Applicants must meet minimum experience qualifications to be considered for these positions.

For more information about VIA Architecture, please visit our website at http://www.via-architecture.com/

Monday News Roundup

2012-01-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday morning! Peruse the links below for the latest in architecture, art, and design!

The City of the Future (Switchboard)

This year, TED's annual award went to not an individual but to the city of the future... in which more than ten billion people on planet Earth must somehow live sustainably.

A little game that shows you how public transportation works... (Wikispaces)

The goal of the Bus Meister game and the Public Transport Priority Best Practices wiki is to help educate non professionals about the importance of public transport priority.

What happens when you give kids thousands of stickers? (PoppyTalk)

Artist Yayoi Kusama gave children thousands of colored dot stickers as an invitation to collorabate in the transformation of her latest interactive installation.

Super Low-Impact Straw Bale Cafe (Inhabitat)

A perfect example of the trend of straw bale building, which is rapidly making a name for itself as a viable construction method...

2011: A Year That Revealed The Power of Place (Sustainable Cities Collective)

This week, TIME magazine named The Protester its Person of the Year. He would have never earned that distinction had he not been so visible, had he protested from home.

The new economy: work closer, live smaller, connect better (Switchboard)

The Urban Land Institute’s latest forecast for the real estate industry has lots of hopeful news for the environment; perhaps also some sobering news for the economy.

How coffee and cycling helped shape our Greenways

In order to create a web of routes within walking distance of every resident - Tilo Driessen mapped all the places in the city where they served espresso, and all the bike shops...

A Happy, Flourishing City With No Advertising (Good Cities)

In 2006, the mayor of São Paulo, Brazil, Gilberto Kassab, passed the "Clean City Law," which banned every billboard, poster and bus ad in the city.

Smaller, more sustainable living with neighborhoods that fit in (Switchboard)

Kaid Benfield discusses sustainable living patterns and the need for a diversity of choices within a community given the recent heyday of sprawl.

Seattle Residents Save $12K a year by Taking Transit (Publicola)

A new report by the American Public Transit Association places Seattle in fourth place on its list of what various cities’ residents can save from taking public transit to work.

Brooklyn's Secret Subway Vent (Sustainable Cities Collective)

This "house" in Brooklyn is actually "the world's only Greek Revival subway ventilator," a secret entrance to the 4/5 line, and disguised emergency exit.

Adapting to Changing Times: The legacy of old dairy barns

2011-12-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

by Catherine Calvert, Director of Community Sustainability

VIA Architecture

Western Washington has an architectural legacy from its former dairy agricultural past which is both valuable and perplexing at the same time. This area was once considered ideal for dairy farming due to its gentle climate and lush landscapes, producing brands such as Carnation, which became synonymous with “contented cows” and healthy milk products in the early 20th century (1). As with so many forms of small-scale agriculture, the family dairy farm began its decline as industrial-scale enterprises began to dominate production in the post-WWII years. The agricultural landscape gave way to suburban development throughout the Puget Sound area, but in many places there remain visible reminders of this architectural and cultural past. The challenge now is how to preserve and adapt these structures, particularly barns and silos, to present-day uses. In recent months we have visited three former dairy farms that are each rising to this challenge in distinctly different ways.

Petersen Farm, Silverdale

The Petersen Farm in Silverdale is a 167-acre parcel that was farmed for 51 years as a dairy and subsequently a beef cattle farm by Gerald Petersen, who passed away in 2009. His estate has been working with the Great Peninsula Conservancy, a Kitsap-based non-profit land trust, to purchase the development rights to the property in order to maintain the property as active farmland in perpetuity. Last month, with local business and community support, the farm’s fundraising campaign met its goal to raise matching funds for a USDA Farm Protection Grant. This is one of the last remaining large agricultural parcels in Kitsap County, and preservation of the area’s farming heritage in the Clear Creek Valley is an important community legacy.

Petersen Barn (credit)

Peterson Barn (credit)

An interesting thing about this farm is that it contains portions of three homesteads in the area that date back to the late 1800’s, when the land was first cleared. One of the original houses built by the pioneering Levin family still stands on the property, as does the 1902 Holm barn, recently placed on the Washington State Heritage Barn Register (2). This makes for an interesting archaeology in considering restoration work, and how to be respectful to several simultaneous layers of architectural history. The barn, a gable-on-hip style with vertical stave wood grain silos adjacent, is in need of basic structural stabilization work before any new uses could be contemplated. Preservation and adaptive reuse of this structure is going to be a big challenge.

To read more about this project visit:

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/22/conservationists-working-to-keep-this-central/

http://www.greatpeninsula.org/documents/SavePetersenFarmbrochure.pdf

Kinnear Ambold Barn, Fall City

Also recently placed on the Heritage Barn Register is the Kinnear Ambold Barn, part of an original 40-acre farm that served as a dairy until the 1940’s. Much smaller in scale than the Petersen property, a portion of this farm is privately owned, left to a Seattle business owner by an elderly neighbor in 2008, and the remainder being donated to the PCC Farmland Trust. Its barn sits prominently on the Fall City-Issaquah Road, and is noted as a prominent feature on this historic corridor in King County literature (3).

Originally built in 1910, this is an English Gambrel style milking barn with an adjacent concrete stave silo. Deeply buried in blackberries when the current owner took on the task of building renovation, the floor and foundation were decayed enough that restoration was not a possibility, and a complete re-build of the lower floor was the only way to save the building. Working closely with King County’s preservation architect Todd Scott, the owner hopes to modernize the structure to meet current codes while honoring the building’s original architectural style, and provide the infrastructure to suit a future commercial tenant. The site is ideal for who could develop a business catering to interest in local agriculture, or some kind of commercial enterprise that caters to the cyclists and sightseers that pass by frequently on the Issaquah-Fall City corridor.

Kinnear Ambold Barn, Fall City (credit VIA)

To read more about this project visit:

http://www.djc.com/news/ae/12034831.html (subscription required)

http://www.dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Round9_PresentationBarns.pdf

Tahoma Farms, Orting

One of the PCC Farmland Trust’s most recent conservation projects is the 100-acre former Ford Dairy in Orting. In 2009 this farm was transformed, through the purchase of development rights, into three organic farms including the 40-acres Tahoma Farms. The Ford Dairy had operated for over 70 years and had over 300 cows at its peak; the Tahoma parcel received the bulk of the building infrastructure from the former dairy, including a rambling collection of barns, sheds, silos, and paved livestock yards. The challenge for the current owners is that their production is focused on organic fruits and vegetables rather than animals, so they have little use for such a large amount of built space beyond basic needs such as office space, washing and storage rooms, and equipment storage.

Most of the buildings are in fair condition, consisting less of traditionally enclosed barn space like the Petersen or Kinnear Ambold properties, and more as a large and diverse covered area of pole construction with trusses and rafters. The opportunity is there to eventually develop these structures into uses that are compatible with organic farming, creating a potential agritourism destination and diversifying the farm’s income stream. The buildings are currently clustered together in a way that suited the dairy’s needs; the design challenge for adaptive reuse will be to keep the best of the structures and create space between them for other uses to flourish.

Aerial of Tahoma Farms (credit Google)

Tahoma Farms Barn (credit VIA)

Tahoma Farms former dairy structures (credit VIA)

To read more about Tahoma Farms:

http://www.tahomafarms.com/

http://www.pccfarmlandtrust.org/our-farms/orting-valley-farms/

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2015934162_pacificpfootpcctrust28.html

What these barns share, despite different settings and circumstances, is the challenge of adapting to a change in context. All purpose-built for an industry that no longer needs them, through a variety of ownership strategies, funding sources, and commercial needs, each of them is likely to find its way back to an extended useful life. Here are some great examples of the reuse of barns and silos that could be used for inspiration:

NL Architects adaptive reuse competition, Amsterdam (credit)

Adaptive reuse barn, SCDLP, UK (credit)

seARCH Architects, Residence, Amsterdam (credit)

References:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnation_(brand)
(2) http://www.dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Round10_BarnPresentation.pdf
(3) http://your.kingcounty.gov/kcdot/roads/wcms/planning/historic/corridors/IssaquahFallCity.pdf

Photo credits:
1: http://www.buylocalfoodinkitsap.org/the-peterson-farm-a-legacy-in-danger
2: www.highdynamicrangeimages.wordpress.com
3: VIA Architecture
4: Google
5: VIA Architecture
6: VIA Architecture
7: http://inhabitat.com/abandoned-silos-transformed-into-a-climbing-gym/
8: http://dornob.com/vernacular-barn-converted-into-spacious-modern-home/
9: http://weburbanist.com/2009/10/12/adaptive-reuse-15-creative-house-home-conversions/

Happy Holidays from VIA!

2011-12-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

For over 25years, VIA has sent out holiday cards to clients, colleagues, and friends. Thisyear however, in the spirit of the season, we’ve decided to devote resources toa new holiday tradition that will give back to our communities.

Staff inboth our Vancouver BC and Seattle WA offices donated cans, scratched theirheads, and worked collaboratively on a “canstruction” project. After buildingtheir design, cans were donated to the local food bank. Play the videos belowto see what each office canstructed.

Wishing youthe very best for this holiday season!

Cheers,

The VIA Team

Monday News Roundup

2011-12-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! Let's start the week off right by catching up on the top headlines in sustainability and urban design:

Living in Vancouver comes at a price (The Globe and Mail)

With a fresh mandate and another majority on council, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is laying out new priorities for affordable housing.

How Planning is Like Growing Tomatoes (Planetizen)
An organic system is rarely the sum of its parts. Nothing demonstrates this as clearly as sinking your teeth into a store-bought tomato, writes Ben Brown...

In Copenhagen, gas stations are equipped for bicycle care (Springwise)

Norwegian gas company Statoil has equipped five of its Copenhagen stations with Cykelpleje centers dedicated to bicycle maintenance and repair.

The Benefits of Urban Forests (Planetizen)

This video explains how urban forests provide environmental benefits to densely populated cities that have felt a surge in health problems due to poor air quality.

A day in the life of a pop-up café (Sustainable Cities Collective)

For two years now NYC's DOT has been partnering with local restaurants to install pop-up cafés in parking spaces - creating vibrant public spaces the whole community can enjoy.

HopStop Infographic: Top Urban Travel Trends (Sustainable Cities)

Check out HopStop's infographic for insights into how commuters in more than 68 major metropolitan areas travel.

Addressing Climate Change Via Cities (Sustainable Cities)

This post takes a look back over the collaborative series COP17, discussing the best ideas explored and whether the agreement reached last Friday is enough.

Vibrant & Energy Efficient Social Housing Community in Scotland (Inhabitat)

Grödians, a vibrant social housing project, consists of 34 single family homes all traditionally designed but with major improvements for energy efficient design.

Folding Bikes Gain Popularity in Brazil (Planetizen)
Maria Fernanda Cavalcanti, a resident of Brazil, writes that folding bicycles "...have been catching the attention of urban cyclists everywhere."

Monday News Roundup

2011-12-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Here's what you missed last week from our Twitter Feed!

Transburbia: Tools for transforming suburbia (Transburbia)

An Evolving Repository of New Concepts, Processes & Tools That Can Help Transform Suburbia

Video: A Bird's Eye View of China's Rapid Urbanization (Sustainable Cities)

China's urbanization is happening at a pace never seen before. The following video shows a decade of transformation of 11 Chinese cities traced via Google Earth.

The Architecture of Banana Control (Sustainable Cities)

This article gives an introduction to the involvement of design for dissimulation or artificially inducing the fruit-ripening process. It is architecture pretending toward a condition of ideal nature.

Thoughts About Density (Seattle Transit Blog)

A response to both the oft-repeated notion that tall buildings and density are essentially the same thing, and the idea that what’s good for developers is perforce good for density and/or urbanism.

Bicycles and Chickens: A hidden side of Phoenix (Sustainable Cities)

A report of the third annual Tour de Coops, an event put on by the Valley Permaculture Alliance showcasing cool chicken coops throughout Phoenix. This year, an ingenious bicycle component was added to the tour.

Thumbs up for green architecture (Inhabitat)

While we’ve been talking about how cost-saving green architecture can be for some time now, a new nationwide government report has actually documented some impressive statistics that make it official.

Twin skyscraper design in Korea (Dezeen)

A design for twin skyscrapers in Korea attaches the two with a cloud-like pixelated cluster, dubbed "The Cloud" by Dutch architects MVRVD.

Raising Awareness of Renewable Energy - Not a bad idea... (Sustainable Cities)

Artist raises awareness of renewable energy with a public art installation in Durban. The sculpture is a giant interactive tree with lighting that is charged by numerous bicycles and solar panels.

Jan Gehl on Livability from the Moscow Urban Forum (Sustainable Cities)

This is a quick post to share a keynote presentation by Jan Gehl given at the Moscow Urban Forum. Gehl discusses urban livability, from reducing traffic jams to designing comfortable public spaces.

Monday News Roundup

2011-12-05T08:39:00.001-08:00

Warm up this cold winter Monday with the hottest news and headlines from last week!

Sometimes all it takes is a little extra paint for placemaking (Planetizen)

Alyse Nelson describes the carefully placed and collaborative intersection painting of City Paint in Portland, OR as "community empowerment" at its core.

The promise of bike sharing to reduce emissions (Sustainable Cities Collective)

With the launch of NYC’s first system next spring, it appears that bikes and bike stations may become as widespread and popular as they are in Canada and throughout Europe.

2011 Holiday Gift Books in Architecture and Design (Daily Dose)

Just as the title implies, a gift list for design-minded just in time for the holidays.

Do we (still) need Vancouver? (New Urban Network)

Vancouver is known to have become one of the world’s most livable cities. This article discusses the many lessons we have learned (good and bad) from this great city as a model of urbanization.

Why Montreal needs to tap into the "Development Charge" (Planetizen)

McGill University planners have released a report highlighting untapped sources of revenue in municipal funding. The most glaring of them: fees levied on developers to pay for city services.

Dear America, we need more public transportation! (Switchboard)

APTA reports those who switch from driving to public transportation can save almost $10,000/year. But, in the real world, more Americans will take public transportation only if it becomes more plentiful and convenient.

The Intersection of Health and Urban Planning (Planetizen)

Although urban planning used to be more connected with health, over the decades it has gotten more obsessed with separating uses and planning for automobiles.

A Simple Portrait of an Urban Place (Sustainable Cities Collective)

From time to time, a single image captures the look and feel of city life, and successfully depicts an urban place where people come together...

Achievement in smart growth honored by EPA (Switchboard)

One of the country’s very best, grassroots-led revitalizing neighborhoods and one of our most articulate city plans for a more sustainable future are among this year’s national honorees for achievement in smart growth.

7 Trends for Planning Post-Oil Cities (Sustainable Cities Collective)

In this post, Robert Bowen of Future Cape Town looks at the Masters Thesis of Allen Rhodes, entitled Planning the Post-Oil City, highlighting the seven trends identified and the opportunities they present for cities.

Friday Feature: Alex Sandoval

2011-12-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

Since we last posted a Friday Feature, VIA has welcomed a wave of new talent to the firm. We start our series again by introducing one of our gifted urban planners, Alex Sandoval. Check back soon for more first-hand perspectives on what it takes to become an architect!

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Alex and I’m an Urban Designer and Planner at VIA in Seattle. I went to architecture school back in Mexico City where I grew up. After working as an architecture designer for some time, I realized that I was most excited and interested about those large regional projects that influence the way cities are experienced. That interest brought me to Seattle where I did grad school in Urban Planning. It’s been 6 years already and I still have a lot to do in this amazing region.

What made you decide to go into your field?
I was born and raised in one of the largest cities in the world: the great Mexico City with a population reaching over 20 million people. I suppose growing up in such a dense and chaotic urban environment made me quite conscious of the issues and benefits of living in a city. This is why I decided that I was not going to have a career designing sprawling single-family communities but rather to be a proponent of dense and compact living. Just like we recently heard all over the news, the World’s population has reached the 7 billion mark and it is projected that by 2050 we’ll reach over 10 billion! According to 7 Billion & Me, the day I was born there were 4,331,448,959 people in the world and since then 4,363,658,538 more people have been born. With all these alarming figures all I can think is that we need to make the decisions now that will accommodate such growth where it actually makes sense; re-densifying our urban centers while still making them livable. Big challenge!

What did your family think of your chosen field?
They were very supportive however I was supposed to go into a career in medicine following my father’s footsteps.

Who is the teacher who had the most influence on you and why?
I had a lot of great professors and mentors, however, definitely the best professor I had was a close group of friends from architecture school. With these 7 guys we opened a little studio where we would get together after school to help each other out with our school projects, do some critique sessions and just overall talk and exchange ideas. We kept this little studio running for over 3 years and evolved it to a point where we were actually running a business submitting proposals and entering design competitions. At some point we were actually making money out of this so I’ll have to say that this true hands-on experience was definitely the best learning I had.

What was the biggest hurdle you faced along your educational path? (academic, financial, motivational, family or peer pressure, outside distraction, etc.)
Definitely financial; It’s hard to live on a student budget especially while pursuing a design degree. There are so many expenses, materials, software, books... not to mention all that coffee intake.

What inspires you?
I don’t believe there’s one true source of inspiration. I’d rather believe that through cumulative work we come up with the best design solutions. To me the actual wow moment comes at the end of the process when you look back and realize the amount of work you had to put on just to arrive at a particular design. That is truly inspiring.

What schooling is required for success in your career?
Urban planning is such a broad field that people from almost any career can be a part of the process; in fact, I would highly encourage anyone interested to include as many points of view as possible. It is important, however, that people that want to be an active participant have some technical skills. It took me 5 years of architecture school and 2 of planning to develop some sort of technical and design skills and I still have a lot to learn.

What kind of people are the most successful in your field? Are there any specific attributes?
Good communicators.

What is the best advice you were ever given?
No la forces (Don’t force it). Sometimes we as designers can be stubborn and get stuck in one design solution trying to figure it out right at the beginning without even exploring other solutions; however, I have learned that design is actually an iterative process and it is through this process of trial and error that we can come up with the best design solutions. It is through this back and forth process that design teams learn a lot and develop ideas that at the time may not be applicable to the project but can be recycled in the future for different projects.

Is your field growing? (ie. is there room for new entries and is there career growth?)
Big YES! I believe urban design and planning is something that is going to keep growing just as cities and municipalities are requiring more and better planning to accommodate population growth. Remember, 10 billion people by 2050, that’s a lot of planning!

What advice would you give someone considering a career like yours?

Get involved. Urban planning typically requires a public process so it is very easy to become part of it by just attending public meetings, design reviews and public charrettes. Participating in these types of meetings can give students an idea of what this planning thing is all about.

VIAVOX tonight: Patrick Condon Book Reading + Signing

2011-11-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

Please join us for an upcoming VIAVOX:

Book Reading + Signing: Patrick Condon’s

Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities

Design Strategies for the Post Carbon World

When: 5:30pm Monday, November 28^th 2011

Where: Seattle Coffee Works - 107 Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Free; Open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

Patrick Condon, Professor at the University of British Columbia, will read samples from his latest book Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities:

Questions of how to green the North American economy, create a green energy and transportation infrastructure, and halt the deadly increase in greenhouse gas buildup dominate our daily news. Related questions of how the design of cities can impact these challenges dominate the thoughts of urban planners and designers across the U.S. and Canada. With admirable clarity, Patrick Condon discusses transportation, housing equity, job distribution, economic development, and ecological systems issues and synthesizes his knowledge and research into a simple-to-understand set of urban design rules that can, if followed, help save the planet.

No other book so clearly connects the form of our cities to their ecological, economic, and social consequences. No other book takes on this breadth of complex and contentious issues and distills them down to such convincing and practical solutions. And no other book so vividly compares and contrasts the differing experiences of U.S. and Canadian cities.

VIAVOX: giving a voice to current issues in architecture, planning, and design

Monday News Roundup

2011-11-21T10:35:00.000-08:00

A roundup of the top headlines from art, design, sustainability and architecture:

Finnish supermarket develops slow check-our lane for disabled and elderly (Springwise)

The slow-track checkout lane at Finnish K-citymarket is aimed at the elderly, the disabled, and anyone else who wants a more relaxed shopping experience.

Hatert Housing by 24H Architects (Contemporist)

This sturdy tower designed by 24H Architects acts as a recognizable sculpture from all sides. It will serve as a housing program, new public space for citizens and a community health center.

Paris-based Designer Suzy Lelièvre (Colossal)

These assorted projects showcase her uncanny ability to portray ordinary objects in extraordinary ways

Dan Bertolet of VIA Architecture discusses Issaquah's zHome (Green Building)

VIA's own takes a closer look at the success and cost efficiency of Issaquah's net-zero energy townhouse development.

Great cities invest in great architecture (Planetizen)

ArtPlace America has issued a landmark series of grants dedicated to supporting the 'creative class' and enhance communities through the arts.

Ever seen a paperclip bike rack? (Colossal)

As seen on campus at the Minneapolis Art Institute

A fascinating bit of creative land use (Sustainable Cities Collective)

NYC's conceptual, subterranean public park attempts to pipe natural light underground

Co-Housing Offers A Fresh Approach To Sustainable Development (Planetizen)

A return to community focused development is changing the design of neighborhoods across the country.

Monday News Roundup

2011-11-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

Catch up on what you missed last week!

Architecture and design help the brain to recover (University of Gothenburg)
New research reveals that well-planned architecture, design and sensory stimulation increase patients ability to recover both physically and mentally.

Gorgeous oil paintings by Andrew Salgado (Colossal)

White and yellow themed health center debuts in Mallorca, Spain (Contemporist)

The Haunting Disappearance of Pine Point, Pop. 1200 (Switchboard)
A relatively normal small town for 25 years, Pine Point simply disappeared in the late 1980s after the local mining operation shut down. It exists today only as vacant streets, a cemetery, and the memories of its former inhabitants.

Corrugated Art by Mark Langan (Design Milk)
Hailing from a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, artist Mark Langan creates three-dimensional sculptures using reclaimed corrugated cardboard.

Dune House, Thorpennes, England (Design Milk)
The design of 'Dune House' is a creative one – fashioned after the concept of a floating roof

Suitcases from the Willard Asylum for the Insane (Colossal)
A photography series showcasing the entire attic-full of suitcases left behind by patients admitted to the asylum who supposedly never left.

The amazing resurgence of the South Bronx (Switchboard)
New York City's South Bronx is making an astounding comeback. Not that long ago, the neighborhood was perhaps the country's most villified, a setting for all that had gone wrong in urban America...

TransLink awarded gold sustainability status by APTA

2011-11-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

We have previously written about sustainable transit guidelines, including work being done by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) to set up “best practices” for sustainability in transit.

Just a few weeks ago, APTA recognized TransLink for its sustainability efforts, awarding it Gold Sustainability status – the highest level of recognition ever awarded to any North American transportation authority.

The following are just a few of the ways that TransLink achieved their gold status:

§ Having drivers turn off their buses when stopped for more than three minutes

o Cutting diesel fuel use by 1.28 million liters (338,140 gallons)

§ Energy retrofits and energy efficiency improvements

o Cutting energy use by 16%

§ Increasing ridership, adding 180 hybrid buses, and choosing less carbon-dependent transit options (such as the Canada Line)

o Reducing carbon dioxide emissions per passenger kilometer by 18%

“Marine Drive Station on the Canada Line" Photo Credit: Ed White

Click here to read more about APTA’s 2010 annual conference, and ways to include more sustainability in transit.

New Hire: Dan Bertolet

2011-11-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

VIA Architecture has recently hired Dan Bertolet as an urban planner.

Dan is a planner and urban designer with a deep commitment to sustainable urban development. He holds a Masters Degree in Urban Design and Planning, as well as a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. With over seven years of experience, Dan has worked on a wide variety projects including station area planning, town center redevelopment, Hope VI master planning, and market-rate mixed-use urban infill.

He will continue to head up Citytank, a blog that believes that cities are a solution, and strives to provide ideas that “help fulfill the promise of cities to both expand the human spirit, and sustain a thriving planet.”

Monday News Roundup

2011-10-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Please enjoy these tasty news treats and tweets from last week!

World's Largest Pumpkin Carved into an Awesome Creepy Sculpture! (Inhabitat)

Prefab, 10'x10', Affordable Homes (Planetizen)

Stación-ARquitectura Arquitectos has designed a modular home to house poor families in Monterrey, Mexico made from recycled materials.

How to suspend 2,000 dandelions from the cieling w/ out making a wish! (Colossal)
An unusual art installation by Regine Ramseier.

Jan Gehl on the Past 40 Years of Urbanism (Planetizen)

Famed urbanist Jan Gehl looks back at the writing and thought on how people use the urban environment -- including his own -- over the past 40 years.

Living Sustainably on a College Campus (Sustainable Cities Collective)
Tips for getting sustainable on campus.

Does Affordable Housing Have to Look Bad? (Planetizen)
lison Arieff explodes the unspoken myth that public housing must look cheap and unattractive, citing some stellar examples of affordable design.

On the Corner by Eastern Design Office (Contemporist)
This Japanese house designed atop a thin triangular lot ending up looking really sharp.

What do we really know about planning? (Sustainable Cities Collective)
Few would disagree with the need to simplify a planning system widely seen as expensive and unwieldy by both applicants and planning authorities. This article discusses the Localism Bill and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Wanted: Food Lawyers! (Switchboard)
...Right now, my advice to law students and new lawyers is to consider how you can apply your skills to the fast growing local, sustainable food movement that seeks to fix our broken national food system.

Creating Places for People (Planetizen)

That's the title of a draft report from the Australian Dept. of Infrastructure and Transport presenting model processes for creating high-quality urban environments.

Walk 21 - Vancouver, BC

2011-10-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

by Graham McGarva, Founding Principal
VIA Architecture

The 12th annual Walk 21 International Conference was held this year in Vancouver, BC from Oct 2nd to October 5th . These conferences work to “create a world where people are able to walk as a way to travel, to be healthy, and to relax.”

As the bi-pedal of poetry and mathematics were brought together, the Doctors (as in medical doctors who presented at the conference), emerged in the lead as advocates for active transportation.

Many of their presentations pointed out that they could do little, just help people with their pain when it is already too late. It is, in fact, planners who save lives.

Dr. William Bird, leader of the Natural England and Intelligent Health NGO’s in the UK, gave us the math “3-4-50”; the blunt fact that in our western world, three behaviors -- poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, and tobacco use -- contribute to four diseases: heart disease/stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory conditions, such as asthma. These diseases result in over 50 percent of all deaths.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) September 2011 Conference on Non-Communicable diseases resoundingly concluded that despite global media concern over the transmission of communicable diseases (AIDS, SARS, Ebola virus etc.), in terms of impact and threat it is non-communicable disease that is the new global epidemic.

If this appears to be a circular reference of rhetoric that leaves you feeling at all cynical, then Dr. Penny Ballem, the City Manager for Vancouver, spelled it out in simple arithmetic. If education spending were kept at 27% of the provincial budget and health costs kept growing at 8% with a continued rate of revenue growth of 3%, then the health costs in 2018 would rise to 72% from 42% in 2005. Under the premise of a balanced budget, health costs would have vacuumed up all of the public purse.

Now that we had been grabbed by our purse strings, we were all paying attention.

The resounding conclusion of the poets and the doctors is simple: improving our health habits will lead to improved quality of life and result in significant savings to taxpayers.

1 in 6 people in North America have some form of disability. Walking, rather than obesity, is the issue. Despite the billions of dollars spent on advertising lean products, calorie counting means nothing if you don’t get off your butt. The best improvements are seen in those who go from least active to slightly active ( from there the geometric scale flattens out).

And as we collectively drag our buttprints across the sands of time Dan Leeming, Principal of Planning Partnerships in Toronto, reminded us it took 100,000 years to learn to walk upright and only 60 years to undo it.

Larry Frank, Professor at the University of British Columbia, translated this into the transportation planning perspective that the 350 calories in a pizza will get a cyclist 10 miles, a pedestrian 3.5 miles and an automobile 100ft.

Much policy has been based on "decision based evidence making." 99% of US transport funds have been dedicated to things other than ped/bike (active transportation).

The current leading edge of research, not surprisingly, is on the hidden health costs of transportation. The engineers are not necessarily the problem as the distinction is increasingly being made that connectivity is the key versus proximity. People’s perceptions are all important.

Gordon Price’s “Motordom” has become the defining reality of our suburban environments – with every message screaming impediment to the latent pedestrian that is trapped inside every car. And for a century each generation of children has been confined within decreasing orbits of autonomous locomotion.

We have corralled ourselves in and fattened ourselves up for the slaughter. It is up to us to rethink the boundaries that we place in the path of our daily lives. Thus walkability and connectivity are what the doctors’ prescribe for our health dollars, engineers for our transportation dollars, and urban planners for our design dollars.

In short, every curb radius counts.

It was a great conference, with lots of the multi-disciplinary enthusiasm without which nothing great will ever be achieved. So I ended my conference enthusiastically walking through the future that will be Surrey City Centre – the largest (and most walkable?) urban environment in British Columbia.

Monday News Roundup

2011-10-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Facebook App to Track Household Energy Consumption (Planetizen)

In early 2012, Facebook will launch a yet-to-be-named app that will allow 800 million users to access home energy usage information provided by their utility company. This 'Social Energy Application' will help users manage their energy.

For ultra-green dev't, how much flexibility is too much? (The Seattle Times)
Seattle planners already can bend some development rules for projects that promise to be extra-green. But how much flexibility is too much?
Norway Showroom Built from Re-Used Doors and Windows (Inhabitat)

Working around the theme of "Re-Use," a group of architecture students constructed this inspiring artistic pavilion made entirely from old windows and doors in Trondheim, Norway.

La Concha House (Contemporist)

La Concha is a home that has been remodeled from a 15th Century barn on the Island of Guernsey. The house was developed as a fluid, three-dimensional plan, inspired by ‘The Nolli plan of Rome’ 1748.

Transportation Designers Uninvent the Wheel (Inhabitat)

The wheel has revolutionized life on planet Earth. However, as scientists try to wean us off our fossil fuel dependency, engineers are developing new concepts for transportation that eschew wheels in favor of next-generation technologies.

DomestiCity: A Photo Essay (Sustainable Cities Collective)
This photo essay explores the ways in which people negotiate the use of their limited living quarters. The available space in or around one’s sleeping quarters is fair game for all domestics...

Roca London Gallery (Contemporist)
Cutting edge, technologically advanced, and futuristic are some adjectives that come to mind...

An Interview with Charles Eames (Herman Miller)
Some fascinating tidbits from a Q&A session with designer Charles Eames.

Bill... Meet Jane

2011-10-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

By Catherine Calvert, Director of Community Sustainability

VIA Architecture

Being a lifelong glutton for continuing education, I find myself at the moment studying both Permaculture Design and brushing up on the seminal Jane Jacobs text “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”. This has been an interesting juxtaposition, and one that holds more similarities than I might have expected.

Permaculture Design is based on the teachings of the Australian Bill Mollison, known for his pioneering work in the 1960’s and 70’s on natural systems design and the means of using these to create ecologically sound, productive landscapes and increase the resilience of human settlements. Best known for its advocacy of food production using horticultural means (“permanent + agriculture”), permaculture is a set of principles and practices that invite the discovery of patterns in the landscape, seeking efficiencies of complementary systems, and closing loops of inputs and outputs of materials and energy.

Developed and popularized further by Mollison’s students such as David Holmgren, Toby Hemenway and others, the system has subsequently been expanded and applied to the “design of buildings, energy and wastewater systems, villages, and even less tangible structures such as school curricula, businesses, community groups, and decision-making processes” (1). Permaculture is currently enjoying a growing wave of popularity, and is seen to be in strong harmony with ideas that support sustainability, relocalization, and the “creative descent” associated with peak oil and the transition town movement.

photo credit – www.permaculture.au.org

Jane Jacobs on the other hand was a strident New York-based journalist who became an outspoken critic of modern city planning in the 1960’s. Despite having no formal training as a planner, she was a keen observer of the urban life of New York City and the ways in which it functioned when allowed to evolve in its own organic way. Outraged at what she perceived as the arrogant intervention of master schemes to impose external order, usually intended to serve the movement of the automobile, she became a highly regarded urban activist who successfully led opposition to plans for building several massive freeway projects in the city. In 1961 she published the seminal work “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”, which outlined a framework for urban vitality based on assessments of scale, function, safety, investment, and architectural infrastructure.

photo credit – http://www.treehugger.com/

It’s not known if Bill and Jane ever met, or if they were even aware of the other’s philosophies and advocacy half a world apart. I suspect however that if they had had a chance to compare notes, the conversation would have been very interesting. Both philosophies developed in the mid-century period of general post-war optimism, therefore making both their work radical in its day. They shared the acknowledgement of the “brokenness” of large-scale infrastructure, monoculture, and the imposition of scale-inappropriate patterns on our landscape. Both developed their ideas from fine-grained, on-the-ground observation of systems that function holistically. Their fundamental principles share some interesting parallels:

Jane’s City Planning Principles:	Bill’s Permaculture Principles:
To generate exuberant diversity in a city’s streets and districts, four conditions are indispensible:	Core principles for ecological design:
1. The district, and indeed as many of its internal parts as possible, must serve more than one primary function; preferably more than two.	Stacking: Each element performs many functions, and each function is performed by many elements. Redundancy is deliberately built into the system.
2. Most blocks must be short; that is, streets and opportunities to turn corners must be frequent.	Edges define areas, and break them up into manageable sections. We are attracted to edges; these accumulate energy and are the most diverse parts of the ecosystem. We need to select appropriate edge patterns for climate, landscape, size and situation.
3. The district must mingle buildings that vary in age and condition, including a good proportion of old ones so that they vary in the economic yield they must produce. This mingling must be fairly close-grained.	Collaborate with succession. Living systems usually advance from immaturity to maturity, and if we accept this trend and align our designs with it instead of fighting it, we save work and energy. Mature ecosystems are more diverse and productive than young ones.
4. There must be a sufficiently dense concentration of people, for whatever purposes they may be there. (2)	Use small-scale intensive systems so that the land can be used efficiently and thoroughly. Close associations of species clustered around a single element (guilds) assist in health, aid in management, and buffer adverse environmental effects. (1) and (3)

Both philosophies are based in the idea of diversity as a fundamental measure of system health, and both warn against the pitfalls of monoculture and monotony:

Bill Mollison:

"Although the yield of a monocultural system will probably be greater for a particular crop than the yield of any one species in a permaculture system, the sum of yields in a mixed system will be larger. Diversity is related to stability... which occurs among cooperative species, or species that do each other no harm. The importance of diversity is not so much the number of elements in a system; rather it is the number of functional connections between these elements. It is not the number of things, but the number of ways in which things work." (3)

Jane Jacobs (quoting a Eugene Raskin essay):

"Genuine differences in the city architectural scene express the interweaving of human patterns. They are full of people doing different things, with different reasons and different ends in view, and the architecture reflects and expresses this difference, which is one of content rather than form alone. ... Considering the hazard of monotony, the most serious fault in our zoning laws lies in the fact that they permit an entire area to be devoted to a single use." (2)

I am finding these parallels fascinating; the root of what both are addressing is the healthy functioning of sustainable systems, be they human systems, food production, natural environments, or dense urban settlements. This kind of radical common sense is even more relevant today than it was 50 years ago, and we would do well to listen hard to their collective wisdom.

References:

(1) Toby Hemenway, “Gaia’s Garden – A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture”, Chelsea Green, 2^nd Edition, 2009.

(2) Jane Jacobs, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”, Random House, 1961.

(3) Bill Mollison, “Introduction to Permaculture”, Tagari, 2^nd Edition, 2009.

Monday News Roundup

2011-10-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Let's start out with the top links from last week:

From Sprawl to Complete Communities (Planetizen)

Galina Tachieva's new Sprawl Repair Manual creates a narrative and visual process for making suburbs more sustainable.

Presentation skills and techniques - For architects! (Life of an Architect)

The spectacular 'green' way to build affordable housing (Switchboard)
Via Verde (“Green Way” in Spanish) is a new mixed-income, mixed-use development nearing completion in a once-severely disinvested area of the South Bronx - but it is like no other affordable housing development you have seen. It is much, much better.

Well-structured handbags fortified with concrete! (Design Milk)

Green Infrastructure: Making cities sustainable + hospitable (Switchboard)
Case studies demonstrate the successful application of ”green infrastructure” techniques that collect and process rainwater naturally before it flows into receiving waterways as polluted runoff.

Eleven of the Best Urban Design Ideas in the World (Planetizen)
From a penthouse dwelling above an air-raid bunker to an "inside-out" building where plants grow on the walls through rainwater irrigation...

Frii Bike (Wannekes)
Beautiful and eco-friendly, the Bike Frii is composed of recycled plastic elements.

Monday News Roundup

2011-10-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

Top headlines from last week for architecture, planning and design:

The First Government-Sponsored Bike Sharing System (Planetizen)
The first North American community to offer a government-sponsored bike sharing system dubbed "Capital Bike Share" celebrates at one of D.C.'s newest parks, Yards Park.

Transitions Lenses for Buildings (Fast Company)

Windows that automatically change color to reduce heating and cooling bills are the next step of smart buildings. South Korean scientists just got a lot closer to automating them.

Bright Entryways (Apartment Therapy)
The foyer is your home's first impression. Why not make it a wow? Here are some inspiring bright entryways from across the spectrum.

"Re_Home" created for Natural Disaster Recovery (Inhabitat)

The central premise behind U of Illinois students' "Re_Home" is a fast response time in order to get families in more permanent housing. As such, Re Home is sustainable, flexible and easily set up!

Preservationists vs. Urbanists (Planetizen)

Preservationists are all about preserving our past while Urbanists harvest lessons from the past to create better places in the future. Seems like these two groups would get along quite well. But no.

Breathtaking Images of Spiral Staircases (1 Design Per Day)
Photos credited to Nils Eisfeld

Would you use plants to power your home electronics? (Design Milk)
Moss Table, from the 2011 London Design Festival, is an experimental table that uses plants to generate energy on a micro level.

How Temporary and Simple Places can Define City Life (Sustainable Cities)
In building urban community, it remains imperative to reassess—with simplicity in mind—and to always remember first principles, such as shelter and the wheel.

Monday News Roundup

2011-10-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

The top news from last week's Twitter Feed:

Sustainable Communities Must Embrace the Familiar (Switchboard)
The path to a more environmentally benign future lies not in convincing consumers that they must change, but in giving them the things they seek in a more sustainable form.

Smaller Can Be Better When It Comes to Traffic Solutions (Planetizen)
Megaprojects like the Outer Beltway are promoted as the solution to D.C.'s traffic woes, but Schwartz says "...smaller, localized projects taken as a whole can be better than the larger, flashier projects."

Bike Shares Struggle to Work With Helmet Laws (Sustainable Cities)
Australian cities are still struggling to implement similar schemes due in part to the compulsory helmet laws.

The World's 12 Most Beautiful Train Rides (Infrastructurist)

Transportation Choices Can Keep Money Local (Sustainable Cities)
According to this infographic from Denver bikes, four of five dollars you spend on your car leave your local economy.

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces (Kottke)
This witty and original film is about the open spaces of cities and why some of them work for people while others don't.

Urbanization Increases the Need for Sustainability (Sustainable Cities)
With the inexorable rise of urbanization come a variety of compelling reasons for making cities sustainable.

Is your city on the Top 10 List for Mass Transit Commuting? (Inhabitat)

An Agri-Cultural Perspective on the City of Vancouver's Transportation Plan

2011-09-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

By Graham McGarva, Founding Principal
VIA Architecture

The Vancouver Transportation Plan outlines an overall transportation strategy for the city
(Credit: City of Vancouver)

After Vancouver was knocked from its perch as the world's most livable city by traffic tie ups on a Vancouver Island Highway, I began to think back to the fundamentals of the City of Vancouver Transportation Plan that was launched on May 12th this year. Especially since these traffic tie ups were 100km from the City, and involved an hour and a half ferry ride (plus waiting time) just to get to them. For all anyone in Vancouver knew, these tie ups could well have been caused by agricultural tractors getting our 100 mile diet to market.

The good news story is that Vancouver is the only City in North America with increasing population, jobs and trips, coupled with a decrease in car trips - because urban development is focusing around the City's growing non-vehicular transportation networks.

The future for Vancouver is not about taking the drivers of today and getting them out of their cars; there is no problem with them continuing as they are. Vancouver's success has been that thousands of new residents and workers are not choosing to use cars to get around town.

In response to the pretty pictures and video proposed for high level public consultation with a million people walking, wheeling, biking, busing and motoring in the sunshine, the stakeholder questions moved on from drinking our own kool-aid to emphasising the issues of our "rainy days in February" and "getting the goods in and out of town".

Following up afterwards with Jerry Dobrovolny, City of Vancouver Director of Transportation, we discussed the importance of canvasing Vancouverites' collective "culture of expectation" (or more likely cultures of expectations) with respect to the social contract around urban movement. Thus, setting aside the question of absurdity of 'measuring' traffic impacts across 30km of ocean, there is a core livability question that needs be addressed, even if it cannot be answered. What does an amber light or a flashing do not walk sign mean to me, really - not just when I am on my best behaviour taking my driver's license test - but every day when I walk, drive or cycle and interact with others (or not)?

This issue of 'expectation' is a hot button with respect to Downtown Vancouver's separated bike lanes. We have the paradox that the Vancouver bike lanes were designed with wide lanes and broad buffers and no right turns signs for motorists, precisely in order to attract uncertain cyclists who were fearful of mingling with vehicles. The design outcome then resembles a freeway for cyclists, some of whom are clocked at above the vehicular speed limit. Such expectation of aggressive and unimpeded mobile velocity can intimidate pedestrians and potential fellow cyclists alike (and scare the heck out of motorists trying to disobey the no right-turn signs).

For the rest of this article and more of Graham's musings, visit his page on City Slices, a blog dedicated to the "poetic imagery of an architect"

Monday News Roundup

2011-09-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! Catch up on what you missed below with the top links from last week:

What 9/11 Taught Us About Designing Skyscrapers (Fast Company)
The first building to be erected adjacent to ground zero has become a test case for addressing the design failings of the ill-fated towers and forging a model for how skyscrapers should be built in the future.

3D Drawing Machine (Colossal)

Vision is a rather unique 3D drawing device allowing almost anyone to draw images in perfect perspective using nothing but your eyes and a pen.

Is 'Urbanism Without Effort' the Best Urbanism of All? (Sustainable Cities)
Real neighborhood experiences can provide a meaningful gloss on current discussions about how to make cities better and increase shared places for all.

Sprawl vs. Farms (Planetizen)

Reports from Fresno, where sprawling development has clashed with agriculture, the region's bread and butter.

Impacts of Wider Stop Spacing (Human Transit)

Moving bus stops further apart achieves a range of benefits in speed and potentially frequency. Zef Wagner from Portland Transport studies the claim in the Portland context.

Your Name in Bikes (Inhabitat)

Juri Zaech's Typography Bike Frames Are Bent to Actually Spell Out Your Name!

Designing Cities with Children in Mind (Sustainable Cities)

A non-profit is advancing the Playtime in Africa Initiative: transforming undeveloped land into a child-centric, play-friendly public centre where the entire community can re-imagine 21st century urban living.

Smart Growth Investment and Economic Vitality (Switchboard)

A report confirming what we have been told about the economic imperatives facing smaller cities and towns in Heartland America: to become resilient, prioritize investment in smart growth and efficient transportation.

The Role of Transit in Natural Disasters (Seattle Transit Blog)

Re-Purposing Alleyways

2011-09-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

By Jordan Lewis, Intern
VIA Architecture

Last summer I had the opportunity to work on a project to activate a neglected alley in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. While alleys tend to have a bad reputation and are generally not thought of as potential community assets, many cities and their residents have taken an active approach to transform these utility streets into spaces thriving with activity.

Nord Alley Party September 1st, 2011, credit: Jordan Lewis

The goal of Seattle's AlleyArt project is to re-energize a forgotten alleyway into a vibrant public space -- providing space for local art installations, movie screenings, food vendors, as well as an event space to watch the World Cup Games.

Photo of World Cup Alley, 2010, Pioneer Square, credit: Jordan Lewis

In Melbourne Australia, 'laneways' have been successfully revitalized following a study by Gehl Architects and Planners in 1994. The city of Melbourne encourages and provides grants to local businesses and artists to enhance the character and diversity of these intimate city streets.

Photo of Melbourne Alley, Australia

In Fort Collins, Colorado the city has recently embarked on a downtown alley enhancement program. Plantings, outdoor lighting, murals, bike racks and even a piano encourage pedestrian foot traffic and biking.

Photo of Fort Collins, CO, credit: Lisa McShane

In San Francisco, the 'Linden Living Alley', has become a successful pilot project for the city to development a network of green streets, particularly in areas under-served by public parks.

Photo of Linden Alley, San Francisco, credit: Flickr - NeighborhoodParks

Although alleys take up a significant portion of space within our cities (streets and alleys combined take up around 30% of the city land) they are often neglected by residents and architects alike as many buildings turn their backs to alleys. By activating existing utility streets and designing buildings that are sensitive to the street level, alleys present great opportunities to create a more vibrant public realm, interweave green spaces and improve pedestrian connections.

If you live in Seattle check out the Alley Network Project website for events and ways to get involved: http://alleynetworkproject.com/

For those of you in Vancouver check out Livable Laneways Vancouver for events: https://www.facebook.com/LivableLaneways

Source:
"Seattle Integrated Alley Handbook: Activating Alleys for a Lively City," Mary Fialko and Jennifer Hampton.

Monday News Roundup

2011-09-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here's what you missed from our Twitter Feed last week!

What would cities say to one another if they could talk? (Sustainable Cities)
Featuring "Metropopular," a charming animated short film exploring city stereotypes through an imagined dialogue between anthropomorphized metropolises.

Popsicles and the Importance of Simplicity (PlaceShakers and NewsMakers)
Rehashing the importance of simplicity via the “popsicle test” — the ability of an 8 year old to safely get somewhere to buy a popsicle, then make it home before it melts — as the measure of a good neighborhood.

One Path to Better Jobs: More Density in Cities? (Planetizen)

Economist Ryan Avent writes that the statistics show that people who live in denser cities have better jobs and are more productive.

More "Parklets" Pop Up in Vancouver (Planetizen)

Transplanting the wildly popular pilot projects in NYC and SF across the northern border, the City launches VIVA Vancouver program that converts parts of eight streets into public spaces.

Ever seen roofing made from the wings of a 747? (Design Milk)
The 4,000-square-foot Wing House, as it has become known, is made from an old plane that was 230 feet long, 195 feet wide and 63 feet tall, but cost David barely nothing.

Polluting power plants turned green neighborhood development? (Switchboard)
Industry analysts predict that environmental and economic factors will lead to the retirement of dozens of aging coal-fired power plants in the coming decade, which present tremendous opportunities for new civic and private uses.

100% Design London (Life of an Architect)
Some of what you will be missing at this year's 100% Design London festival - a showcase of a vast range of weird and wonderful materials from wood and plastic to embroidered wallpaper and steel cladding.

Meaningful Sanctuary in a Space for Many

2011-09-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

By Kristin Jensen, Interior Designer
VIA Architecture

I can say that I enjoy living in an apartment built in 1898, because I am a person who appreciates the design details of the time. For me, built-ins, high ceilings, solid wood mouldings, large bright windows, and hardwood floors are more important interior details than new appliances, modern heating, or a dishwasher (Okay, I kick myself sometimes for living without a dishwasher.) There is something so satisfying about coming home to solid interior elements. They create a sanctuary.

The Grex, 1898

The once common telephone nook

When I say “sanctuary”, I don’t mean a refuge or shelter, “sanctuary” here is like the inmost recess, the holiest part of the church that contains the altar. I once lived in an apartment where I could hear the woman above me sneeze. I did very little living that year and a lot of worrying about being quiet to avoid eviction for breathing too loud. That apartment was a shelter from the outdoors, but it was not a sanctuary.

More than a roof over a head, a sanctuary makes us feel comfortable, secure, and peaceful. In a sanctuary, we can be dynamic and joyful. We can create calm. We can project ourselves into the space and feel reassured in return by the interior’s design.

Simple design elements are part of making a sanctuary, such as wall color; light grey for "calm", a vibrant yellow for "lively." The feeling and choice is as unique as the individual. As an interior designer, I have the vocabulary to help individuals realize their vision. But, what happens when designers are speaking for large groups? The needs of the whole overshadow personal preferences. In large project architecture firms, this is the interior designers’ challenge.

I am currently working on an Assisted Living project, where EVERYTHING has more purpose and meaning than the average individual eye can see. For the residents that will live there, it is the type of place that many would understandably be reluctant to call home. Whereas a personal sanctuary reflects individual choices and independence, most assisted living residents will move in with neither. Yet, it is the space that will last longer than their memories and will likely be the last interior space image they remember.

The design elements of assisted living are driven by operational and elder care needs. Wall color that is soothing, lighting for older eyes, stain resistant carpet - those are easy. But, choosing carpet that doesn't disturb depth perception, chair rails that are really hand rails, wall coverings that indicate floor levels, and room dividers that act as walker storage are the things that an individual doesn’t notice, let alone think about.

Every design element has a reason, everything has a purpose, every detail is meaningful. Designing a space to function well is integral to the purpose of the building as a whole. Allowing the space to address individual emotional needs are also essential to creating a sanctuary for a large number of residents. We can create interior spaces that are harmonious to surrounding communities and residences to bring inside some of the much needed outside. For example, many residents will find a lonely bench in a long corridor as a much needed friend. A prominent place in each room to display a treasured piece of themselves will let residents show everyone who they are.

Memory Box

Once the common areas are defined and designed, it comes back to the details. It is in the details that a space becomes an inviting place and a room becomes a sanctuary. The challenge is knowing that it is ultimately the individual who decides what is meaningful to them and what is simply “taking up space.” Wrestling with these details is all an investment in sanctuary. I think about it all the time. I think of details that convey the feelings we get from a piece of art or from something as simple as a smile. I think, back in my apartment, part of my sanctuary is reflected in the sponge that matches the dish towels and pot holders. Through interior details, large and small, we seek to give the residents on our project the sanctuary they deserve.

VIAVOX: Ken Greenberg Book Reading

2011-08-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

By Trey West, LEED® AP
VIA Architecture

One of the world's foremost urban designers, Ken Greenberg, recently participated in the VIA sponsored VIAVOX series to share a few excerpts from his book, Walking Home, The Life and Lessons of a City Builder. In his first novel, Mr. Greenberg shares his passion and methods for rejuvenating neglected cities and argues passionately for the importance and possibilities of their renewal. Below we would like to share a portion of Ken's book that he read for us that was especially impactful. It is a narrative wherein he describes a street as it progresses from a city's downtown or historic core, through the city and into the suburbs. It is a familiar description; one that I find could fit almost any major street in any city.

Ken Greenberg's Walking Home:

INTRODUCTION

Think of Broadway as it follows New York City’s progress from the tip of Lower Manhattan up the Hudson River or Yonge Street running north, bisecting the heart of Toronto. Consider Commonwealth Avenue wending its way west out of Boston through Brookline then Newton to Route 128 or Woodward Avenue making its way north from the heart of Detroit out past 8 Mile. Picture one of the Parisian Grand Boulevards extending beyond the Périphérique into the vast banlieues. Choose any familiar equivalent in another major city. Though unique in ways, the scenes we would encounter while walking along any of these streets, from their origins in the historic core out to their suburban fringes, would have much in common.

We begin downtown, where the streetscape is snug and compact. The distance from one sidewalk to the unbroken line of building facades on the other side of the thoroughfare is short, and we easily make out expressions on the faces of people across the street. The city blocks are narrow and traffic moves slowly, stopping at frequent traffic signals. Lanes are few and tight, and drivers accustomed to the presence of pedestrians and cyclists know enough to watch for them. When we see something interesting or someone we know on the opposite sidewalk, we can effortlessly cross at a light or jaywalk during a break between cars. Cyclists and drivers make eye contact with us when we negotiate intersections, letting us know that they are as aware of our presence and mindful of our safety as we are of theirs. At frequent intervals, we can shorten our walk and jump on transit—a bus, streetcar or subway train. As we walk, much catches the eye. Most buildings extend right to the sidewalk, and their ground floors are occupied by shops, restaurants and cafés with closely spaced doors and appealing window displays. Offices and residences above the stores contribute a constant flow of people to the busy sidewalks, which are alive with pedestrians of all ages and interests. Some hurry; others stroll and window-shop. Where the sidewalks are wider, we can linger at a café terrace and watch the passing flow. A canopy of trees or awnings may provide shade and shelter. Traffic signals, advertisements and store signs are directed at pedestrians, who also have easy access to newspaper boxes, newsstands, benches, planters, food vendors and, occasionally, impromptu markets or hawkers with tables of knock-off goods.

As our walk takes us out of the historic city centre and into areas that were built more recently, this pedestrian-oriented streetscape begins to change. The basic ingredients remain—the stores, the street hawkers, the residences above—but their form and relationships alter almost imperceptibly, block by block. The roadway pavements gradually expand with more and wider lanes. Sidewalks and other pedestrian spaces contract. At intersections, exclusive left-turn lanes increase the distances we have to walk to get across the street, as do free-flow right-turn traffic lanes called “dog legs.” The blocks get longer, and the distance between safe crossing points increases. Eye contact is lost to distance and increased velocity, and we feel much less inclined to impulsively cross the street to check out a tempting shop window on the other side. Slower-moving seniors, the disabled and people pushing strollers or pulling shopping carts all have to struggle to make it across the street before the light changes, urged on by the flashing timers warning us to clear the intersection. Here, the balance between drivers and pedestrians has shifted. We persevere and continue on our walk.

Gaps begin to appear where missing buildings have given way to parking lots. Our journey is becoming much less appealing. The stores are bigger, with fewer doors and windows to invite spontaneous browsers inside; many are now single- or two-storey buildings, with less discernible or totally nondescript occupancy above. We have to keep a wary eye out for cars crossing our path because the sidewalk is broken up with frequent “curb cuts” for parking and service entrances. The buildings themselves are set back farther from the sidewalk. The remaining window displays are dwarfed by signs standing at the curb or mounted high on the buildings, designed for drive-by viewing. The street may be busy, but here on the sidewalk, we pedestrians are starting to feel a little isolated. A few more kilometres out and the “walls” of the street start to recede even more.

The walk out of the city, from streets with lively sidewalks … (photo credit itr.1)

to forlorn traffic arteries lined with parking lots.(photo credit itr.2)

The roadway has become even wider. Shopping plazas sit even farther from the sidewalk—across parking lots, with no pedestrian route to the shop doors. Few trees shade the narrow sidewalk, and an eclectic mix of pavement surfaces keeps breaking our rhythm as we pass gas stations and drive-thrus at larger intersections. We are in a world visually dominated by back-lit signboards. We are clearly in another country. We are meant to drive here. The street is no longer recognizable as a shared public space; it is a single-purpose traffic artery. Malls replace plazas and storefronts are barely visible from our narrow perch on the vestigial sidewalk. The only signs we can see are the corporate logos on otherwise undecorated walls or large post-mounted billboards.

Since no one is expected to walk here, this environment has been constructed with little regard for weather. On a hot and sunny or cold and windy day, this walk goes from being merely unpleasant to downright inhospitable. Walking itself has become dangerous. Intersections are spaced far apart, and jaywalking would be much like running across a highway. And when we do come across an intersection, it comes fully loaded with multiple left turns and even wider free-flow dog legs with large radii for higher-speed right turns. There is so little pedestrian time on the signals that the streets are almost uncrossable. Now, unable to keep up with the speed and single-mindedness of the traffic, cyclists have also become rare, just a few brave souls precariously hugging the curb. Forlorn and isolated bus stops are splashed with advertising. As we trudge on through this hostile territory at the side of the road, we see that human activity has withdrawn from the street. It happens only in the private places where people live, work or shop—in separated, self-contained compounds. Big box stores and power centres alternate with office parks surrounded by their own massive parking pads. Low-density residential enclaves defensively turn their back fences to the traffic artery (the “reverse frontages” that signal surrender in this harsh environment), with blank walls and fences shielding their backyards from traffic. A little farther and there will be no more sidewalks. The public social spaces—the forecourts, doorways, café patios, sidewalk displays, where we meet and connect and that make the city feel convivial—are gone. The walk from the house to the mall is either practically impossible or completely discouraging. These last stages of our journey have been a bit like walking onto the tarmac of an airfield or into the tunnel from the subway platform: the signs and signals that exist are meant for creatures of another order. How did this happen?

This imaginary journey illustrates a succession of changing beliefs, values and practices that followed World War II. For the better part of the twentieth century, we had concluded that cities as we knew them were obsolete, and we abused them, devalued them and fled them in much of the Western world. And the city street—the most potent expression of a city’s most admirable qualities—is where we now witness, most vividly, the city’s subsequent demise. Two profound shifts caused this situation. First, cities and their planners started to give highest priority to the unencumbered movement of automobiles and elbowed aside all other concerns. This was seen and accepted as progress. Secondly, the very concept of the city street as a valuable social space was killed, and every component of the corpse was picked over and made into the province of specialists, who paid little heed to the way their work affected the quality of the whole. The traffic engineers dealt with moving vehicles, the municipal engineers were responsible for the arrangement and maintenance of services and utilities, the transit planners determined the location and frequency of transit stops, the emergency service providers dealt with ensuring access—and so on. The parcelled-out world that resulted after a few decades of this fragmented approach to managing cities began to look and feel a lot like the incoherent and haphazard artery of our imagined walk out of town.

Click here to buy the book -- as you can see from this excerpt, it's definitely worth it.

Monday News Roundup

2011-08-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

The best from last week:

Reversible Lanes Puzzle Drivers (Planetizen)

The 10-lane Kennedy Expressway in Chicago is forced to manage significantly more traffic than it was designed to handle. Traffic planners have installed a flexible lane that can increase the flow in one direction, but Chicagoans are baffled by them.

Abandoned Bikes Become Flowering Neon Art (Inhabitat)

A group of renegade bike warriors in Toronto have found a way to turn those forgotten bikes into green street art, and after an initial pushback from City Hall they’ve now got Toronto’s government on their side.

Would you pay a bike tax for more bike lanes? (Planetizen)

Blogger Chewie suggests a controversial idea - a tax on bicycle sales and repair to go to creating more bicycle infrastructure.

Typographic Transit Maps (Colossal)
Each train route is comprised of a long, repeated list of the station stops from that line. There are maps available for Chicago, New York, London, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington D.C.

Tests of a Well Designed Neighborhood (Sustainable Cities)
In a recent post on his firm’s excellent blog, PlacesShakers and NewsMakers, Scott Doyon reminds us of the “popsicle test” of a well-designed neighborhood: if an 8-year-old kid can safely go somewhere to buy a popsicle, and get back home before it melts, chances are it’s a neighborhood that works.

5 Cities, 5 Congestion Solutions (Sustainable Cities)
Congestion problems are different in every city, as are the solutions. Here are five cities with five different congestion innovations, each of which has been featured on This Big City in the last two years.

Fair Food (Sustainable Cities)
Hesterman's guide to growing a healthy, sustainable food system for all

Sustainable Transit Design: Accomplishing More by Building Less

2011-08-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

By Catherine Calvert, Director of Community Sustainability
VIA Architecture

There is a common misconception in the design of large infrastructure projects like transit systems that the inclusion of sustainable design strategies is an “add-on” that increases project cost. In our experience, sustainable design strategies are actually an effective means of: 1) Bringing Value to the project; and 2) Reducing Risk to the transit agency.

Good sustainable design is actually a form of radical common sense that can challenge some of the assumptions that accompany current transit design principles. Using a combination of critical thinking and creativity, the integrated design process examines each component of a transit system to determine if each is necessary (rather than expected), and if each is able to serve more than one function. In Permaculture terminology, this is known as “stacking”, and is the way that natural systems find high levels of efficiency by having each element serve many needs simultaneously. This often means that more can be accomplished by actually building less.

In terms of Risk Reduction, current approaches to risk management tend to focus on issues that may occur in the period from Design through Commencement of Service – cost escalation, time escalation, and disruptions to the delivery process. However, unlike other types of commercial development, transit agencies build their facilities to have an ultimate design life of 100 years or more, with capability for 50 years of continuous operation before refurbishment is necessary. Far greater risks exist that are associated with the lifetime of the system, many of which can be mitigated using sustainable design strategies:

Lifetime risk	Sustainable design response
Cost and availability of electric power in the region	Design for reduced energy consumption and energy recovery
Wear and tear on transit facilities	Specifying for durability
Climate change impacts	Design for extreme weather events
Ridership meeting projected levels	Creating appealing, people-oriented facilities

Sustainable design therefore brings long-term Value on three levels: to the Project, to the System, and to the Community. To the Project, this means potential reductions in capital cost by finding synergies through the integrated design process. To the System, it means bringing long-term value through energy savings, reducing life cycle cost, and using good design to attract ridership. And to the Community, it means supporting public health by encouraging transit ridership, enhancing environmental quality, and providing mobility options that are integrated with public spaces.

In our transit design work, we have explored many opportunities to find “stacking” synergies. Here are some examples of this philosophical approach:

Vertical Circulation:

For underground or elevated stations, it is common practice in transit design to include a combination of stairs, elevators, and escalators to provide vertical access to street level. Elevators are essential for those with disabilities, or for the convenience of travellers with strollers or luggage. Stairs are also essential, but escalators are worth reconsideration in some situations where lower ridership is anticipated.

From a functional perspective, escalators have the advantage of moving large numbers of passengers quickly and efficiently, but strictly speaking their function is redundant to that of stairs and elevators. When provided the option of stairs or escalators, human nature is for people to take the escalator, even if they are capable of taking the stairs. Escalators however have a high capital cost, a high level of required maintenance, and high ongoing energy costs as they generally run continuously whether they are carrying people or not.

Some systems have addressed this issue from a variety of perspectives. At the Copenhagen Metro, a deliberate choice was made to eliminate escalators from underground mezzanine levels to the surface in order to promote public health through the use of stairs. On Sound Transit’s U-Link project, escalators were selectively deleted at some station entrances for cost reasons, where lower anticipated passenger volume did not warrant the high level of associated investment. When eliminating escalators, it is advisable to increase the capacity of stairs in order to compensate for the reduced efficiency of moving large numbers of passengers quickly.

Photo Credit: VIA Architecture

Some transit designers have also found whimsical solutions to vertical circulation– as demonstrated by the ProRail Transfer Accelerator at the recently renovated Overvecht Rail Station in Utrecht, Holland and the musical stairs installed at Odenplan, Sweden. Both are playful means of encouraging passengers to exercise while taking transit.

Lighting Strategies:

Lighting strategies can be a significant contributor to reducing long-term energy consumption at transit stations. Key principles include:

Use high efficiency fixtures with long lamp life
Use high light-reflectance materials to reduce the quantity of lighting required
Use controlled integration of daylight and electric light

Waterfront station, Canada Line, Vancouver: The Canada Line lighting design achieved energy savings by means such as avoiding over-lighting, integrating daylight sensors, and scheduling the lights to turn off during non-revenue hours.

Photo Credit: Ed White

Landscape and Structural Synergies:

Good integrated transit design includes an ongoing dialogue between structural design, urban design, and landscape teams to develop solutions that solve many issues simultaneously. Some good examples of this type of “stacking” are as follows:

Commercial Station, Millennium Line, Vancouver – this station platform was sited in the former Grandview railway cut, which is located several meters below street level. During the public consultation process for the station design, local residents were concerned about the loss of habitat in the cut and about preserving the green space that it provided in the highly urban neighborhood. VIA’s design solution was to line the east side of the cut using a stacking, precast ‘green wall ‘system that not only retained the soil but also provided space for planting and associated habitat.

Photo Credit: Ed White

Canada Line, Vancouver – one of the common issues associated with transit infrastructure is vandalism and anti-graffiti strategies. On the Canada Line, the design team used a series of trellis structures around guideway columns to act as ‘green screens’. These not only discouraged graffiti but also provided enhanced opportunities for landscape in the surrounding urban environment. Green screens of this nature can also be used on bridge abutments, and the screens can be made hinged or demountable to allow for structural inspections as required.

Materials Strategies:

Many creative strategies are available to the design team that relate to the use of materials. These fall into several general categories – Reuse and Salvage, Local materials, and Design for Durability. Some examples are as follows:

Reuse and Salvage – Transit agencies that have been constructing systems for many decades often have a “boneyard” or similar source of materials that have been salvaged from previous projects, for use in current project design. The re-envisioning and re-purposing of these materials can provide a creative design challenge to architects and urban designers, saving embodied energy and capital cost.

Photo Credit: Waterleaf Architecture

Where new transit projects require building demolition, it has become increasingly common to have salvage goals written into demolition contracts. These materials can either be repurposed within the transit project, or accounted for as credit within the demolition contract.

Local Materials – The Millennium Line SkyTrain extension in Vancouver pioneered the use of wood in modern transit structures, a material not used for transit design for many decades. On very old systems such as the London Underground and the Chicago “El”, it is still possible to see wood used in escalators and station platforms, but wood had generally been eliminated from transit design due to concerns about fire hazard, durability, and other technical considerations.

Three of the Millennium Line stations designed by VIA – Rupert, Renfrew, and Commercial – featured wood beams as prominently visible structural members. This choice was made for a variety of reasons: to honor the historical context of the timber industry in British Columbia, to promote the use of new wood technologies, and to add warmth and richness to the visual environment of the station platforms. In order to address the technical concerns associated with wood, three ‘rules of engagement’ were established to govern the appropriate use of wood: 1) that it be located out of the ‘touch zone’, or minimum 3 meters above the platform surface, to prevent vandalism; 2) that it be completely weather protected; and 3) that it be dimensionally stable, in this case through the use of glu-lam technology.

Photo Credit: Ed White

Design for Durability – Often the most underrated form of sustainable design, the specification of materials that are durable is essential to successful transit design. Not only does this save long-term cost associated with ongoing replacement or refinishing but it also avoids the indirect costs associated with station closures and down-time due to maintenance activities. The use of stainless steel for transit handrails, as well as precast concrete or stone stair treads, and porcelain tiles for platform and concourse pavers, are essential strategies in durable transit station design.

In summary, good sustainable design directly supports good transit design. A robust integrated design process will reveal the opportunities for efficiencies and synergies between disciplines, resulting in both short and long term cost savings and economies of effort during design and construction.

Monday News Roundup

2011-08-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all our loyal fans and followers! To keep you up to date here's a roundup of the most interesting links from last week:

Lego Greenhouse (Design Milk)

Entitled the “LEGO Greenhouse”, this large-scale installation will be made entirely out of the iconic building blocks, begging the question: is it possible that life-sized LEGOs could be used to build structures?

The Importance of Regional Planning (Sustainable Cities)
Planning at the regional scale is critical. In order to meaningfully influence environmental impacts associated with development, land use, and transportation, we must act at a level where central cities and suburbs can be considered together.

Playgrounds Pop Up in New York (Planetizen)
Neighborhoods in New York City have built temporary "pop-up" playgrounds in an effort to encourage more physical activity among children

How Urban Design is Changing Architecture (Sustainable Cities)
A group of design and media luminaries have been inspired to develop and implement an educational program aimed at preparing designers to address complex problems in Russia and around the world.

How Green is Your Bicycle Commute? (Inhabitat)

With bike sharing and committed bike lanes on the rise, it seems like biking would be the no-brainer option for an eco-friendly commute, and yet some critics ponder if biking is actually better than taking the bus or a cab...

Can Issaquah residents come together? (Issaquah Reporter)

The latest draft of the Central Issaquah Plan focuses on transportation, density, and connectivity.

What Makes a Resilient City? (Sustainable Cities)

"Resilient" meaning cities that can last, make it through crises, possessing inner strength and resolve, as well as appropriate built form and physical infrastructure.

The Commons: Thoughts from Madison

2011-08-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

By Catherine Calvert, Director of Community Sustainability

VIA Architecture

This past June I had the pleasure of attending the Congress for the New Urbanism conference (CNU 19) in Madison, Wisconsin. Never having been to Madison, I arrived with no prior knowledge about the city, and was wholly unprepared for the strong sense of the commons that I experienced there.

Madison is quite unique in its city planning; a small downtown set on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, and located in its pivotal center is the state capital building. Completed in 1917, this imposing white domed structure forms the terminus of each radial street in a rigid 8-point symmetrical geometry. The immediate surroundings of the Capitol grounds are a formal, tree-lined park that forms a significant green space in the center of the city. This is markedly different from our Washington state Capitol in Olympia, which is set away from the urban center in a campus setting with other legislative facilities.

(Photo Credit: legis.wisconsin.gov)

(Photo Credit: alumroot @ Flickr)

(Photo Credit: VIA Architecture)

At VIA and the Community Design Studio, we talk about rediscovering “The Commons”. Wikipedia defines this as a term that refers to resources that are collectively owned or shared between or among communities, and attributes to Peter Barnes several characteristics of commons: “The first is that the commons cannot be commodified – and if they are – they cease to be commons. The second aspect is that unlike private property, the commons is inclusive rather than exclusive — its nature is to share ownership as widely, rather than as narrowly, as possible. The third aspect is that the assets in commons are meant to be preserved regardless of their return of capital.” (Reference 1)

Although commons can refer to any collective cultural asset, from an urban design perspective, the commons is associated with public space. Civic in character, the commons is used for a variety of community gatherings such as celebrations, or any other kind of event dedicated to public assembly and enjoyment. The traditional village green once served this function, and in a larger city, public squares, parks and streetscapes now also become the milieu for communal urban life.

(Photo Credit: VIA Architecture)

(Photo Credit: Berkeley image bank)

During my few days in Madison, the capitol grounds provided two excellent illustrations of the use of the commons as the spatial backdrop for collective expression. On a Friday evening, there was a gathering of protestors opposing provisions in the state’s Budget Repair Bill proposed to restrict public employee collective bargaining and address a state budget shortfall. This was one of a series of protests at the capitol that had occurred over the previous few months, and this particular evening’s gathering was peaceful, accompanied by significant police presence, and with the other activities of a Madison summer evening carrying on in the immediate surroundings.

(Photo Credit: John Hart, Wisconsin State Journal)

The next morning at dawn, with no trace of the gathering of the prior evening, the Dane County Farmer’s Market was in full swing. Operating continuously since 1972, this market is the largest producer-only farmer’s venue in the country. Tents are set up around the entire perimeter of the capitol square, with so many customers each week that pedestrian flow operates in a counter-clockwise direction only.

(Photo Credit: hawcreekoutdoors.com)

The demonstration of abundance in early June, in comparison to the products of our record-cool Northwest spring, was staggering. Madison is considered a national hot spot for farmer-chef connections and is the home of many restaurants notable for their celebration of local cuisine. With this kind of bounty outside their front doors, it is easy to see why:

(Photo Credit: VIA Architecture)

Among the keynote speakers at the Madison CNU gathering was Andreas Duany, one of the leaders of the New Urbanist philosophy. In his 2011 book on Agrarian Urbanism (Reference 2), Duany discusses some flaws associated with New Urbanism that have become apparent with the “diminished circumstances confronting the 21^st century”. Among these is the assumption that social interaction would be based around retail shopping as leisure occupation, which has now been proven unsound as Americans readjust their priorities and adapt to a new economic reality. Duany proposes that the farmer’s market (resulting from surrounding agrarian activities) becomes the new urban condenser, and that societies coalesce around two major activities – the selling and exchange of food, and the community hall as gathering place.

Madison provides an interesting demonstration of this approach; using the backbone of the civic space to support both the energy of the market and the passionate beliefs of its citizens. It is helpful to look to cities like Madison as precedents that demonstrate a more deeply rooted understanding of what the commons should be, rather than to models of newer development that often apply a ‘surface treatment’ of the commons by over-utilizing retail to simulate civic life.

We have written previously about the Transition Towns movement and the desire by many communities to rediscover the power of the collective. Madison is an inspiring model of a town that is using both its historic infrastructure and its present-day vitality to strengthen urban-rural connections and maintain the importance of its commons. As designers we can continue to be mindful of the importance of our public spaces, and to ensure that our community assets include well-designed, appealing and appropriately scaled gathering spaces that serve our civic needs and reinforce the sense of place that expresses our communities.

Reference 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_commons

Reference 2: "Theory & Practice of Agrarian Urbanism," Andreas Duany and DPZ, 2011, The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment.

Monday News Roundup

2011-08-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Here's what you missed last week:

Fantastical Concept City Moves in Circles (Planetizen)
If the whole city is moving, does that technically make the city itself a form of transit? This video explains that transit is unnecessary in a rotating city: your office building will come to you.

New Data on Walkable Neighborhoods, Cities (Switchboard)
A recent survey of 7,000 “avid walkers” found a variation to the rule: within each level of population density (low, medium, high), the proportion of frequent walkers increases as the perceived walkability of the neighborhood goes from low to high.

Sustainable Skyscraper Could Meet 20 Percent of City's Food Demand (Sustainable Cities)

The “London Farm Tower” is a sustainable building concept that can actually cultivate 1.5 million pounds of fresh produce per year! Offering a way to combat urbanization and diminishing agricultural lands, the London Farm Tower operates much like a tree, depending on solar energy and rain water to grow and survive.

The Car is No Longer King in Boston (Planetizen)

Mayor Thomas Menino declared that "the car is no longer king in Boston" as the Hubway bike-sharing system made its debut this week, putting the city abreast with Washington D.C.

World's Tallest Blog Post: World's Tallest Building (Archidose)

It's all about the next contender for the tallest building in the world: Kingdom Tower would surpass the Burj Khalifa by at least 173 meters (567 feet). Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia would be over 1 kilometer tall...not yet a mile but pretty tall nevertheless.

Greenery Clad Housing Complex (Inhabitat)

This 11-unit apartment complex is made from 100% recycled steel and fully clad in greenery

Could you live in a 4-foot-wide home? (Apartment Therapy)

Even if your apartment is big, your building is likely only a few feet from the buildings next door. Most of us just walk right on by these gaps without a thought - but writer Etgar Keret noticed a four-foot-wide space in Warsaw, Poland and decided to build a home there.

Want to speed up your transit? (Planetizen)

Follow San Francisco's lead and let your passengers enter any door they please, says Yonah Freemark. A pilot program on the J-Church line is testing out the idea.

Where in the World? A Google Earth Puzzle (The Atlantic)

Looking at the world through via Google Earth offers striking images of the diversity of our planet and the impact that humans have had on it. Today's entry is a puzzle. We're challenging you to figure out where in the world each of the images below is taken.

A Trip to Denmark

2011-08-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

by Graham McGarva, VIA Architecture

Jan Gehl is probably the best tour guide you could hope for in Copenhagen. And so it was, after luxuriating over a couple of long lunches together, wherein the topic of grandchildren was as least as prominent as kamikaze cyclists and professional liability insurance, my wife Susan Baker and I took Jan’s marked up map with us over several succeeding days of walking and cycling.

We rented bikes for 3 days, and traversed the city north-south-east and west. We enjoyed both the sunshine and the rain (having learned to wait on our bicycles under a big tree when a short downpour rolls in). We found almost all the special bits of street and park that Jan pointed us to, especially enjoying those pockets where people clearly pour their daily affection.

Highlights came in contrasts. One was exploring the intimate streets at the edge of Osterbro with its, colour, texture and even the impromptu children dancing in the middle of the streets. The all jammed in together, built as workers housing more than a century ago, but now a where-all-the-intelligentsia-want-to-live-there kind of place. We walked through several of these environments, such as Jan Gehl extols in his book “Cities for People” on our way to the FC Kobenhaven soccer match where we watched them win the Danish Championship at the stadium just around the corner.

Another highlight was the wasteland of Orestad. You can read all about its cleverness in the excellent BIG archicomic “Yes is More”, or you can enjoy the cycle there and back, stunned by its lack of beating heart in its relentless cleverness. At the end of nowhere – otherwise known as a crashed up building called Otellalet, was a pleasant café, where the resident hermits came to gather. The ideas are visible, give everyone the freedom of an outlook of endless open air, and we don’t need to walk past anyone as we are all virtually connected, just a click away.

Right away I THOUGHT I understood what I was seeing played out – the gulf between the generations. Expressed in Osterbro’s repository of safe memories that appeals to the baby boomer generations; in contrast with Orestad’s cyber space of openness, a clear reflection of the younger generation breaking free from convention. However, it was the young kids who were happily playing in Osterbro’s city centre streets. And it was a retiree walking his dog along the canal bank, who told us how he loved living in Orestad, much more amenity that the suburb he came from and well served by the metro and the shopping mall for everything that he might need.

The commonality of both environments was that in both the car was “coped” with (and very expensively) – both are about qualities of amenity, that the in-between of the suburbs cannot address.

What was not apparent, from all the construction and renovation, is that all this is to accommodate a country with a shrinking population, not growth. This is about choice, not necessity nor affordability.

In our corner of the world, accommodating 30% growth in 30 years with any measure of affordability is the primary challenge. And the new places at the edge must have the qualities of the centre. So with our tightly constrained land base, I see Orestad and automatically in that emptiness of place, I think of opportunity for urban infil. However I am sure it would take a doubling of density to make a meaningful local impact - which I am also sure is not the expectation of the current residents. These are the subrubanites, now freed from the tyranny of their car.

So, with neighbourhood life held hostage within the fortress walls of the shopping palace, I guess that a century could pass before the energy will build for the regeneration that I might envisage. That is about the time a neighbourhood seems to go from 'ordinary' to 'slum/wrong side of the tracks', to 'exclusive'.

That is also the time it took Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens to go from being a leftover portion of the City’s military ring of defensive moats and ramparts, to being the amusement park that you have to take your children to (grandchildren for Jan Gehl). Thinking that over, don’t highway cloverleafs just make you immediately think of future ice cream cones and candy floss!

(Remember - the goal of city building is for the cafe canopy to be in the right place).

Monday News Roundup

2011-08-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here's all of the great articles and interesting tidbits you missed last week!

Escape Roundup: Hip Hostels (Apartment Therapy)
These days, it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between a design-conscious hostel and budget-minded boutique hotel. Some places think of themselves as hostels, but call themselves hotels, while others call themselves hotels, but operate more like hostels. It’s all a matter of price and amenities...

Design:Made:Trade Round Up (Design Files)

Filling an important niche as Melbourne’s ‘indie’ trade show, D:M:T is always a mixed bag, and this year was no exception.

Wieden + Kennedy Portland Office (Wanken)

Impressive before and after photos of an abandoned-warehouse-turned-corporate-headquarters in Portland, OR. The massive office building holds several hundred employees and multiple organizations.

Urban Vitality + Mixed Use Dev't (Sustainable Cities)

Mixed-use developments have been gaining ground as a successful planning design strategy to increase transportation options, revitalize local economies and enliven communities.

Solar Panels Have a Cooling Effect? (Inhabitat)

It turns out that solar panels can do more than provide you with renewable energy - they can significantly cut down the power needed to heat and cool your building as well.

Colorful Kuwait Hotel (Dwell)

The interior design of a Kuwait hotel gets seriously daring with the use of color.

Vancouver to End Homelessness (Planetizen)

The city of Vancouver is planning to offer more than $42 million in land and capital grants aimed at developing affordable housing. Its part of a 10-year plan to end homelessness in the city.

The Colour of Cities (Yurbanism)

I’ve noticed that various cities each have a unique colour palette that contributes to it’s underlying urban terroir. Here are the results for some major cities.

Considering a Car-Free LA (Planetizen)

After surviving Carmageddon, LA has caught a glimpse of the city with less traffic and carbon footprint and it’s tempting to want to make it a sustained reality. A car-free California may be too ambitious and premature but it isn't stopping some groups from initiating a movement.

What billionaires do when we're not looking... (Inhabitat)

What would you do if you were a billionaire? Buy an Aston Martin? Live on a private island? Cure world hunger? A mysterious billionaire from the United Arab Emirates has loftier ideas – literally. He has carved his name on an island near Abu Dhabi, and it is so large that it can be seen from space.

Monday News Roundup

2011-07-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here's what you missed out on last week!

Saying Goodbye to 'Leave it to Beaver' Urbanism? (Sustainable Cities Collective)
An exploratory tour of the iconic front yard and lawn. Long protected by cultural position -and zoning setbacks -is the classic Leave it to Beaver lot configuration really part of a sustainable future?

Cardboard bank in the Netherlands (Dezeen)
Amsterdam architects have created a bank using giant cylinders of cardboard and paper to enclose meeting rooms and multi-ply cardboard for textured patterns.

Urban farming in a box (Swiss Info)
Swiss entrepreneurs Urban Farmers are pushing the concept of local production and have come up with a pioneering solution to many of the problems of conventional farming methods.

How walkable is Seattle? (Seattle PI)
Walk Score just released its latest list of most-walkable cities in the nation, and Seattle made the top 10!

Law and Order and Parking Lots (Sightline)
In this post, we take a look at how Northwest municipalities deal with parking at drinking establishments. Who gets it wrong, and who gets it (almost) right?

When Design Kills: The criminalization of walking (Grist)
It's a plain fact: When you design streets solely for cars, people die as a result. So why don't we design streets for the reality of human needs and behavior?

Report: Centers, Cities, Clusters (Sustainable Cities)
This report focuses on sustainable economic development through case studies from Barcelona, Boston, and Curitiba highlighting innovative strategies for economic development in urban cores.

The Modern List Manhattan (Build LLC)
As an architectural laboratory and one of the greates social experiments ever conducted on earth, NYC is one of the best places for the design-minded to observe, research, and learn.

Retro Futuristic Space Colonies (Wanken)
A lot of great futuristic visualizations came out of the 1970's including these brain warping space colonies that could accomodate up to 10,000 people.

VIA Vancouver Cycling Activities

2011-07-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Doerksen, VIA Architecture

Bike to Work Week
This spring, VIA added a couple of extra bike racks to our storage space because of how many of us are cycling to work these days. Some of us are fair weather commuters, but we have a couple of die-hards in the office too. A couple of VIAites recently participated in Bike to Work Week. Collectively we logged almost 75km. Not bad considering us urbanites have pretty short commutes. However, we have a number of cyclists in the office who neglected to log their commutes despite the fact that they regularly ride to work (not naming names here – you know who you are!) Next time we’ll have to ramp up the VIA team spirit and show the city just how many bike commuters there really are around here!

Ride to Conquer Cancer
A few weeks ago, two VIAites participated in this year’s Ride to Conquer Cancer, an annual fundraising ride from Vancouver to Seattle supporting the BC Cancer Foundation. This year’s ride was the largest in history, with over 2800 cyclists who raised over 11 million dollars!

The cold, wet spring we’ve been having continued, making the 240km a truly epic endurance event. Cycling for two days in the rain required as much mental endurance as it did physical. It was all worthwhile when we arrived at the campsite on Saturday to hot showers (and cold beer!). The festive atmosphere was truly amazing.

Getting back in the saddle at 7am on Sunday morning was pretty tough, but the rain provided motivation to get to the finish line and we kept up a pretty strong pace for most of the day. Crossing the finish line sure felt great!

DVA cycling forum
On behalf of the Downtown Vancouver Association, VIA has been instrumental in organising a DVA forum on cycling in the downtown called The Business of Biking. Presentations by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition and the BC Food and Restaurateurs’ Association addressed the new role that cyclists are playing in the economic development of the downtown core.

Monday News Roundup

2011-07-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Interesting news and articles you may have missed last week:

Polish Pop-Up Hotel Made of Recycled Materials (Inhabitat)
Architects Jerzy Wozniak and Pawel Garus decided to solve their city's sold-out hotel problems by creating a pop-up hotel in an unoccupied apartment building. On a very tight budget, the team created Quotel, a comfortable temporary hotel, using inexpensive furniture and recycled elements.

Sustainable architecture in the Americas (Guardian)
From Rio to Cupertino, cities across the Americas are waking up to the benefits of sustainable design.

Bikes of Amsterdam by Charles Siegel (Preservation Institute)
This post is dedicated to all the Americans who have told me that most people can never bicycle, because (1) you cannot carry your groceries home on a bicycle, and (2) you cannot chauffeur children around on a bicycle... These pictures of bicycles in Amsterdam may open their eyes.

An edgy yet cozy urban garden (Remodelista)
In her outdoor compositions (or "3-D collages"), Beth Mullins uses alternative materials mixed with textural plant combinations to create evocative vignettes. We especially like this rooftop garden in San Francisco, where Mullins uses layering techniques to make the most out of a small space.

Thoughts on Blue Urbanism (Design Observer)
As planners and designers, we need to take up the mantle of blue urbanism. Just as green urbanism challenges us to rethink sustainability at the city scale, blue urbanism asks us to re-imagine ourselves as citizens of a blue planet. How can we become better stewards of the world's oceans?

Cities and Suburbs as New Economic Generators (The Atlantic)
In the wake of recession, cities and suburbs are being knit into giant city-states, with millions of people and billions -- even trillions -- of dollars of business.

A House That's Business in Front, A Party in Back (FastCo Design)
One one side, you've got exotic foliage sprouting wildly off a curving facade; on the other, a wall of flat, symmetrical windows that could pass for the front of an office building. We like to think of the place as the architectural equivalent of a mullet.

Transportation Reauthorization Plan Revealed (Infrastructurist)
John Mica, chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, rolled out a proposal that would authorize $230 billion for transportation infrastructure spending over six years.

Announcing our new Community Design Studio

2011-07-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

VIA Architecture is pleased to announce the formal roll-out of its Community Design Studio (CDS). Informally conceived in 2009 as an initiative to serve smaller-scale, yet equally visionary projects that have not been traditionally taken on by architecture firms, we are ready to introduce this approach to a broader audience.

VIA has built its reputation on integrated architectural design and community planning over a period of 26+ years, and we are perhaps best known for our large-scale projects such as the various phases of Vancouver’s SkyTrain system, the Seattle Monorail Project, and master planning for communities as diverse as Southeast False Creek, Bremerton, Kelowna and Tacoma. Yet quietly in the background, we have long served community groups, non-profits, and other smaller clients with thoughtful, crafted responses to much more humble needs. It is this work that we are now bringing to the forefront.

We are inspired by the growing interest locally and globally in urban agriculture, homesteading, community-shared resources, the revival of practical skills and preservation. Simultaneously, we are aware of communities across the country that are, in some measure, fragmented or even broken due to social, economic and environmental factors such as missing infrastructure, unequal access to food and outdated regulations. We recognize the great potential to address these issues in profound ways through small-scale, hands-on design approaches that can have a powerful cumulative effect.

Our focus with the CDS will be issues of applied craft, community resilience, planning and design for food production, and other problems where we can be of direct assistance to improving the quality of life for our clients. Our work seeks to restore and reinvigorate communities through thoughtful, practical and cooperative solutions around food, mobility and open space.

The CDS consists of architects and community planners within the VIA team who share a passion for helping to create connective communities that are resilient and thriving. The team is led by Catherine Calvert, VIA’s Director of Community Sustainability, who brings a background of not only architecture and sustainability work, but specialized training in areas such as Farm Design and Permaculture.

Our services include:

Integrated design and planning for small-scale residential, commercial and institutional projects in rural and semi-urban areas.
Visualization and early design services for agriculture-focused site planning and building projects, both urban and rural.
Education around issues of strategic sustainability, local resilience and design for self-sufficiency.
Resolution of regulatory barriers to community-based projects.
Facilitation of community discussions or workshops.

To date we have worked on a variety of projects in the Seattle area, including:

Rainier Vista Community Farm – VIA has been assisting Common Ground in the design of shelters made from salvage materials.

Atlantic City Urban Farm – VIA has been working with Seattle Tilth and the Friends of the Atlantic City Nursery on site planning concepts for conversion of the former Seattle Parks nursery to a new urban farm.

Spectrum School Farm – VIA provided early site design concepts for a one-acre farm on the campus of the North Kitsap High School, designed to support the school science curriculum and provide food for the school kitchen

Option A

Option B

Finn River Cidery in Chimacum WA – VIA is working with this 33-acre organic farm on site planning concepts, as well as the design of the Chum Hut, a shelter for educational gatherings adjacent to the salmon-bearing Chimacum Creek that runs through the property.

Our projects are both urban and rural in location, serving the Puget Sound and Fraser Valley regions to date but with the potential to expand beyond these areas to wherever we can be of assistance.

VIA has been actively interested in the topics of food security, planning for agriculture, and issues around integrating art and agriculture in urban areas. See our previous blog posts on these topics:

- Grow: an art + urban agriculture project
- Trends in Small Farming - Kitsap County
- Rethinking Highest + Best Use
- Transitioning Towards Local Resilience
- Agriculture through Rose-Colored Glasses

A New Trend in Airport Hospitality

2011-07-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

by Catherine Calvert, VIA Architecture

The American Farmland Trust blog had an interesting piece today on a new trend in airport hospitality – food service establishments that feature fresh products from the local region. San Francisco International is one of the first to include this kind of amenity, and other airports including Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall and LAX are following suit on a smaller scale.

Certainly any kind of fresh food is welcome, as airports are notoriously challenging environments for the healthful-minded traveller. It is likely that it is easier to sustain a year-round supply of fresh food in the Bay Area than it might be in regions where fresh food is more seasonal in nature.

http://blog.farmland.org/2011/06/san-francisco-airports-farm-to-flight-%E2%80%93-green-and-local/

I’ve always wondered however, at the extent of flat land occupied by airports, and if there might not be a higher and better use for the fields in between runways. If the safety issues could be resolved, could this land be made productive and/or more ecologically functional? Wouldn’t it be interesting to land in a cornfield that happens to also contain an airport? Food for thought.

A review of the Architectural Registration Exams

2011-06-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Doerksen, VIA Architecture

Disclaimer: the opinions in this post are my personal opinions, based on my experience with the ARE’s. They are not the opinions of VIA Architecture.

I am exactly half-way through writing the Architectural Registration Exams. On Monday, I wrote my fourth (of seven) but I don’t know yet whether I passed it or not, so I could be slightly more than half-done or slightly less. So far the process has been exhausting and often frustrating. I’m finding that I need about 6 weeks to study for an exam, if I spend 20 hours or so per week studying. This varies by exam, of course, but that’s probably a decent average. I know many people don’t spend that much time studying, but I like to be prepared and I’ve been passing, so I guess it’s paying off.

20 hours per week is a part-time job. In addition to my full-time job. 7 exams at 6 weeks each: if I take a week off between each exam that is essentially an entire year, assuming I pass every single exam the first time. Currently, I’m only working 4 days a week because I couldn’t stomach the thought of 60 hour weeks (40 of them paid) for an entire year or more. I know that many people do it, but don’t know how. Forget work-life balance! I’m lucky that VIA has been very accommodating.

In my experience though, the time spent studying for the ARE’s isn’t really the hard part. The hard part is that it’s difficult to stay motivated when the content of the exams favours American codes and business practices and the study material itself is expensive, poorly written and often full of mistakes. That’s why it would be great to be able to write an exam written for Canadian interns, based on Canadian content. (If only such a thing existed. Oh wait… It does!)

So far the AIBC is the only provincial (and territorial) licensing association that continues to require its interns to pass the ARE’s as opposed to the Canadian ExAC. Although it’s difficult to say exactly why the AIBC insists on sticking with the old system, I’ve heard a couple of “reasons.” The usual one involves the importance of having reciprocity with American jurisdictions. It’s hard to believe this is anything other than an excuse. First off, why would it be more important for an architect in Vancouver to have reciprocity than, for example, one in Toronto? It seems unlikely that only BC architects work across the border. Secondly, if all Canadian architects are licensed based on the ExAC, then a new reciprocity agreement will need to be negotiated with NCARB. If reciprocity really is that important, then a new agreement will be reached sooner or later.

The other reason I’ve heard for not offering the ExAC in BC is the financial burden of administering the exam. When you consider the expense involved in continually developing and updating content that crosses so many areas of expertise, not to mention invigilating and marking the exam, this reason has the ring of truth. However, if the majority of the cost involved comes from creating the exam questions, doesn’t it follow that the more provinces to provide the exam, the cheaper it is for everyone? And why is the AIBC the only association that can’t afford it? (I was an intern in Quebec as well, so I know for a fact that dues are higher in BC!) This reasoning makes me feel that the AIBC isn’t as committed to supporting its interns as other provincial associations.

In 2010 the AIBC surveyed interns regarding their working conditions and progress towards becoming registered. The most significant response, in my mind, was that over 70% of respondents felt that they had not been adequately compensated and over 60% felt that the time and energy spent towards registration had not been worthwhile. The comments specifying why they felt this way were diverse, ranging from the length and difficulty of the process itself, the lack of compensation and work-life balance, and the direction of the profession in general.

It’s clear that the process of becoming a registered architect is long and difficult and the ARE’s are a large part of this. It’s not necessarily a bad thing that the process is hard. Architects have a lot of responsibility and require a very broad knowledge base in order to do the job well. As with any respected profession, becoming a member should be challenging and rigorous. But it should also be worthwhile. Although I’m half-way through and committed to finishing the NCARB ARE’s, I’m also looking forward to when the AIBC finally adopts the ExAC, because I think it will make the registration process a lot more accessible and fulfilling to BC’s interns.

Grow: an art and urban agriculture project

2011-06-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Doerksen, VIA Architecture Vancouver

A couple of weeks ago, I spent a Saturday afternoon helping facilitate a workshop for Grow: an art and urban agriculture project. The Grow project is multi-faceted participatory art project exploring themes of community development, food security and urban agriculture through a series of workshops, lectures and “creative experiments in urban agriculture.”

The main site for the Grow project is a 10,400 sq ft. plot of land on the north side of the seawall walkway in SEFC. Over the summer, this land will gradually be transformed into a community garden, through a series of sculptural installations. Dubbed “the Bulkhead Laboratory,” the plot is a transitional space, an overgrown remnant of False Creek’s industrial past sitting next to the carefully designed landscaping of SEFC and the deliberately constructed habitat island. It is space that has the power to challenge our definitions of “urban green space,” “community gardens,” “public open space.”

The workshop I attended, the second in an ongoing series, focused on exploring urban agriculture, specifically, creative solutions to growing food crops in containers and small spaces. The workshop began with a presentation from lead artist Holly Schmidt and collaborator/industrial designer Ocean Dionne of the Vancouver Design Nerds. They presented some creative container designs and art projects from around the world, and the group discussed the requirements for growing mediums, drainage, light and other considerations for container gardening.

After the presentation and discussion, we took a walk around Southeast False Creek. The discussion turned to the prescribed nature of the landscape. It was noted that despite the fact that there is lot of “green space” in Vancouver, much of it is not available to residents to use to grow food, or even to use as they see fit. The landscaping around SEFC is beautiful and it meant to be looked at. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but the popularity of community gardens in recent years shows that Vancouverites are seeking out green spaces that they can participate in, green spaces that can be productive as well as decorative.

We spent some time discussing the possibilities for agricultural interventions into the existing landscape. Self-watering gardens floating in the water features? Using magnets for attaching containers to metal fixtures or furniture? Are there possibilities for creating small productive spaces within this decorative landscape? We eventually made our way over and took a quick look at the Bulkhead Lab, a completely non-prescribed space where our ideas could be given form.

The rest of the afternoon was spent sketching out, creating and planting some simple containers. Then we installed them over at the Bulkhead.

The Grow project will be going on all summer. There are upcoming tours, talks, workshops and work parties. Check out the Grow website for more information.

Monday News Roundup

2011-06-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

News flash! Cyclists are *not* selfish and rude! (TreeHugger)

Planting the seeds of a food revolution (The Dependent)

Mapnificent -- a powerful tool for urbanists (YuriArtibise)

Can we live local? (Sustainable Cities Collective)

Monday at rush hour on Georgia Street (PriceTags)

Bainbridge tries peer pressure to save energy (OPB)

Want more cash in your pocket? Live in a neighborhood with good transportation options (Grist)

Creating the urban diary (Sustainable Cities Collective)

This is one of the strangest, skinniest houses I have ever seen (Arch Daily)

Check out these images of an extension to a museum inside a ruined castle in Germany (Dezeen)

Stunning flower walkway (tumblr)

Have you ever seen the stairs in Brazil's ministry of foreign affairs? (flickr)

Vancouver and the Stanley Cup

2011-06-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

With Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final now over (my sincerest condolences to Vancouver), let's take a look at the urban experience surrounding the event, and how TransLink dealt with the crowds.

Last Friday, screens were set up in downtown Vancouver to allow fans to watch the games broadcast from Boston. The city estimates that over 70,000 fans turned out, filling the streets and businesses in the area. Although they lost the Boston games, those who came downtown to watch the home games, were reminded of the Olympics and the excited atmosphere that overtook the city. Vancouver is ideally set up for such gatherings/events and the mood of the people was, and is testament to this. Many businesses closed early to allow staff to go watch the games and restaurants/bars did their best to accommodate the lines which started forming well before the games were due to start. Again, much like the Olympics, which overtook the City not too long ago, people were encouraged to use transit, bike or walk.

The lessons learned from the Olympics enabled TransLink and the City to effectively manage massive crowds within a downtown environment. With anywhere between 100,000 - 150,000 expected to attend game 7, TransLink used the following methods to streamline access:

asked riders to buy return tickets early (avoiding long lines after the game)
set up portable fareboxes that required exact fare
increased SkyTrain service to run an hour later than usual
extra buses on standby, and extended hours
an additional third ferry
re-routing buses due to street closures

They also added a note on their website that there would be a "zero-tolerance policy for open liquor and rowdy, dangerous, and unsafe behaviour." Although they were well-prepared for the crowds, they weren't prepared for the riots, which were reported to be inflicted by only a "small group of troublemakers."

An article from Sports Illustrated reported that Vancouverites "woke up this morning to news reports that portrayed this beautiful city in out-of-control chaos, a sharp contrast from the goodwill engendered from its successful Olympics 16 months ago."

The riots are an unfortunate event that overshadowed the positive aspects of yesterday: that Vancouver has an wonderful urban environment that is conducive to large crowds filling the streets, coming together to cheer on their team. After the Winter Olympics last year, Chicago Tribune writer Philip Hersh said:

"One cannot overlook the passion and general goodwill of the people who both put on the Games and celebrated them until all hours in a city that never before had allowed itself such continuous, unrestrained fun."

Although the riots will possibly affect events in the future, the passionate and generous atmosphere of Vancouver was still present throughout most of this past week. So instead of the images being focused on in newspapers and online, let's remember the Stanley Cup through the following images:

flickr: dai.rong

flickr: John Biehler

flickr: Ariane Colenbrander

Monday News Roundup

2011-06-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Wow -- can't believe it's been a few weeks since we last posted. Things have been crazy here (in a good way).

So for your Monday, here are some links from the week that you may have missed:

Want more cash in your pocket? Live in a neighborhood with good transportation options (Grist)

Creating the urban diary (Sustainable Cities Collective)

Seniors are piling onto public transit, is your community ready? (New Urban Network)

Inner City Farms -- Urban farms in Vancouver (BC Business)

West Vancouver students flock to credit course in urban agriculture (Vancouver Sun)

Do long commutes cause divorce? (GOOD)

Workplace Cited as a New Source of Rise in Obesity (NYTimes)

Vancouver eyes ways to get more cars off the streets (Vancouver Sun)

A bike lane that’s projected on the street as you ride (GOOD)

What Kind of Beach House are You? take this quiz! (Architizer)

Does Downtown Seattle Have Enough Bike Parking? (Planetizen) (as a biker, I vote no!)

Artist Decorates Abandoned Bike, Gets Fined (Planetizen)

Love that Boston Pizza has temporarily changed its name to "Vancouver Pizza" for the Canucks series (BCLocal)

10 Incredible Infrastructure Images (Infrastructurist)

14 of the World's Most Amazing Subways (Inhabitat)

a site that pokes fun at modern architecture photography (Unhappy Hipsters)

Vertical bike storage system that doubles as decor (Inhabitat)

Fashion writer gives some good suggestions for what to wear while cycling city streets (Wall Street Journal)

Community by Design: A Boomer Gift to the Next Generation

2011-05-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

VIA Architecture is pleased to announce an upcoming event in conjunction with McGill University:

Community by Design: A Boomer Gift to the Next Generation
Alan Hart, AIA
VIA Architecture

Sunday May 22, 2011
12:30 – 3:00 pm
Smith Tower – Chinese Room
506 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

Refreshments will be served
No charge for admission

The Baby Boomer generation began as one of the most idealistic that engendered hope for the future and the planet. Although highly energetic and innovative, Baby Boomers have taken a lot more from the planet than we have given back.

Many of those born between the World War II and Vietnam War years only deferred thoughts of saving the world in order to make a living. Now they want to return to their roots and “make good” on early promises to themselves, and to their communities. Retirement may not be appealing either professionally or financially, but “returnment” or “encore” careers have become hugely popular as Boomers seek to spend the next chapter of their productive years doing work that is meaningful both to themselves and to the world. Embracing community, and being active agents of positive change, will be this generation’s legacy for the next generation.

This generation of 78 million now has an unprecedented opportunity to make our cities greener, healthier and happier places to live. Ideas like alternate housing choices, generational continuity, increased mobility, urban agriculture, intelligent grids, local energy/sufficiency and incremental framework for change will be explored using real world examples including some from VIA Architecture’s projects and initiatives.

Alan’s talk will be followed by a discussion of McGill University’s initiatives in campus greening, alternative energy projects, and community involvement.

Tacoma wins Home Depot's Sustainable Community Development Award of Excellence

2011-05-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Home Depot Foundation awarded its second annual Awards of Excellence for Sustainable Community Development to Tacoma, WA; Burlington, VT, and Boston, MA. The awards recognize and celebrate cities that are incorporating real-world sustainability initiatives into their day-to-day operations, with a focus on wise use of budget dollars and increasing the livability of each community for all residents.

City of Tacoma won the "large city" award for 2010 -- with the announcement stating that they have "incorporated sustainability throughout its comprehensive plan ensuring that sustainable policies and business practices are considered when making all departmental decisions"

Here are some examples of sustainability practices that they have already implemented:

25 new bike racks in the public right of way
Public Works is using recycled road material, including chip seal oil containing 5 percent recycled rubber tires
Fifteen hybrid vehicles were purchased as pool vehicles this last year, encouraging the use of fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles within the City of Tacoma. A fleet anti-idling policy has been established for General Government.
Tacoma Rail has installed idle reduction technologies on 10 of its 17 locomotives that have resulted in a 40 percent fuel savings.

Click here and here to see other posts that we've written about Tacoma.

To read more about their submission, click here.

Designing for Loss: The Shrinking City

2011-05-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

by Amanda Bryan, VIA Architecture

Whether we’re comfortable with saying out loud or not, the American Dream is based on the idea of expansion and acquisition. First exemplified by the Louisiana Purchase, then modernized by the Interstate Highway Program, and now globalized by our corporate prosperity in countries around the world, we have gotten very good at dealing with growth. If there is one thing that Americans know how to do, it is expand, expand, expand (and yes, I know the same can be said of our waist lines). But do we know how to deal with the antithesis of expansion - shrinkage? To be specific, I’m talking about The Shrinking City, a phenomenon synonymous with the words suburbanization, deindustrialization, and decentralization.

While the issue of the Shrinking City is not unique to the United States, having found perch in old industrial belts like Eastern Germany and post-socialist regions of Russia, our Shrinking Cities are a little different because they are not the products of war, natural disaster, or governmental upheaval. The American Shrinking City is a once vibrant urban center, formerly dependent upon a highly industrialized local economy, which finds itself subject to a rapid population decline within its city boundaries and bloated with an excess of abandoned spaces and buildings.

If we look at the poster child of our nation’s car manufacturing industry, Detroit, we can see that its population has decreased more than 50% over the course of the last 60 years. According to the newest census report, this declining trend is still continuing with a population loss of 25% over just the last decade. The physical reality of this drastic population means that The City of Detroit is now facing the demolition of 10,000 empty residential buildings, 3,000 of which are slotted for demolition by the year’s end. The economic reality is an eroding tax base while the cultural implication is a culture of resignation that pervades the psyche of those left behind.

So how can a city like Detroit move forward from its shrinking urban form? There have been many ideas proposed over the years, all of which focus on the reclamation of excess space and concentration of existing residents. One such proposal came from the Community Development Advocates of Detroit, a nonprofit trade group of local development organizations, which suggested that Detroit could be classified into 11 neighborhood zones like homestead sectors, village hubs, and traditional residential sectors.

The vision for one of these urban homesteads involves instituting rural living conditions geared toward agricultural uses in exchange for disconnecting from city services like water. Another community group, Detroit Declaration, has suggested creating urban farms in areas deemed as “weedy wastelands” and consolidating smaller parcels to promote urban infill. These ideas represent just two groups’ efforts out of the half dozen who are turning the notion of the city on its head in order to rethink the possibilities of a shrinking city.

http://www.takeabite.cc/category/blog/•urban-agriculture-community-gardening/

However, one thing that these groups have not done is specify which areas should be demolished and which should be preserved because there is a strong belief that this decision belongs to the city. While some skeptics are worried about placing this decision in the hands of government out of fear of a huge land grab, the general belief is that the doing nothing is only a recipe for continued shrinkage and misery. According to Richard Florida, the key to reimagining The Shrinking City is not to hand over whole sections of the city to the government or developers but instead to enable residents to spearhead the revitalization and build quality places they can identify with.

I would dare to suggest that maybe the City of Detroit ought to be the facilitators of a large-scale collaboration between the developers and residents because as Jane Jacobs put it, “The key is to engage the residents of the area, the business owners, the shopkeepers, the workers and the commuters. They’re the ones that can show the way to rebuild.”

Why not use our best asset, a culture based on growth, and harness it within a framework that can be held accountable by the people?