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Suggested by Thomas Schmeling |
What if you put all 7 billion humans into one city, a city as dense as New York, with its towers and skyscrapers? How big would that 7 billion-sized city be? As big as New Jersey? Texas? Bigger? Are cities protecting wild spaces on the planet?
This NPR article pulls together some great images of dense urban housing as well is some stellar infographics to show the importance of cities to a growing global population.
Tags: density, sustainability, housing, urban, planning, unit 7 cities.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Two Yale architects pose the question in an ambitious research project.
"Hsiang and Mendis have increasingly come to believe that the only way to study and plan for our urban planet is to conceptualize its entire population in one seamless landscape – to picture 7 billion of us as if we all lived in a single, massive city."
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
The federal government's relentless expansion has made Washington, D.C., America's real Second City.
From 1890-1990, Chicago was America's second largest city. Since then Los Angeles has been the second largest city, acting as the west coast capital for the United States. Both of these cities have declined in economic and political importance in the recession, and in this article Aaron Renn argues that Washington D.C. (although demographically not in the same category) could be considered an emerging second city and chronicles it's historic development. Readers may also be interested in how Renn ("the urbanophile") argues that all our impressions about Detroit are inaccurate.
Tags: Washington DC, urban, historical, unit 7 cities.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
The current rise or durability of the economies of the Global South do not signal that economic geography does not matter, but that current investment has simply shifted.
In an era where globalization has rendered distances a minor barrier to diffusion, some have erroneously concluded that geography is no longer relevant to economic development and urban planning. Nothing could be farther from the truth, but that doesn't mean that the 'old rules' of space and place aren't be re-written. This is a nice article that discusses the continued importance of spatial thinking and geography for urban planning.
Tags: urban, planning, economic, urbanism, globalization, unit 7 cities.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
The South Bay Power Plant was imploded Saturday Feb 2, 2013
to clear the way for development along Chula Vista's bayfront.
This powerplant was demolished primarily because of location (watch the cool videos of the implosion). The electrical powerplant provided energy for the region, but it's location right on the San Diego Bay doesn't line up with current land uses. When the area's economy was focused more on manufacturing, this was seen an ideal way to use the wetlands on the bay. Today our city planning priorites has shifted. First, how we view wetlands has changed and we no longer see them as "wasted" space. Second, an attractive waterfront that can be used to generate tourism is seen as a greater economic priority today than it was 50 years ago.
Tags: location, planning, economic, space, industry, California.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
See the big picture of how suburban developments are changing the country's landscape, with aerial photos and ideas for the future
There are many types of housing development patterns throughout the world. This article provides a summary of approximately 20 different housing patterns common in the United States with a visual example demonstrate the impact on the urban footprint (Pictured above is an example of new urbanism in Boulder, CO). Each neighborhood has distinct cultural amenities and attracts particular socioeconomic market segments.
Questions to Ponder: What housing patterns are you drawn to? How come? What are the advantages for the residents to live in that type of community? What are the impacts that the housing pattern has on the physical environment and the urban system? What systems are most profitable for developers? How does the layout of the neighborhood alter the sense of place?
Tags: housing, urban, planning, density, urbanism, unit 7 cities.
Questions to Ponder: What housing patterns are you drawn to? How come? What are the advantages for the residents to live in that type of community? What are the impacts that the housing pattern has on the physical environment and the urban system? What systems are most profitable for developers? How does the layout of the neighborhood alter the sense of place?
Planned Developments and their effects on geography
My favorite is the one with wide roads for your own airplane to get home.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
This image is an excellent visualization to use when teaching about density, public transportation and urban planning.
Questions to Ponder: How is this a persuasive image? Do you argee with the argument that the planning office is making? Are there something important factors that this image ignores?
Tags: transportation, urban, planning, density, sustainability, unit 7 cities.
If you define a "car" as "a separate enclosed vehicle for every passenger or party", then the geometric fact about all cars, self-driving or not, miniaturized or not, is that they take vastly more space per passenger than effective public transit. This will not be a problem in low-density suburbs, but cities, by definition, are places with relatively little space per person. Self-driving cars will certainly improve the efficiency with which cars use space, so they will shift the calculus somewhat. But the bottom line will still be that if you want two crash-safe metal walls between every two strangers going down the same street, you will need a lot more space than if those two people can sit next to each other on civilized public transit.
You will also need vastly more metal and equipment, which means that the self-driving-car-replaces-transit fantasy involves massive industrial production with severe consequences for energy security and greenhouse-gas emissions.
As for the idea that somehow these cars will replace buses but not rail, this may be true around the margins.
What are the benefits for each? Drawbacks? You decide!
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
A promotional video shows planned development of a state-level development zone by government of Lanzhou, a provincial capital in China's arid northwest...
The Lanzhou province is lightly populated mainly due to it's semi-arid climate and rugged topography. The goal is make a 500 square mile area (currently with 100,000 people) into a city with over 1 million people by 2030. To make this new metropolis, developers are planning to literally remove mountains to create a more 'ideal' urban environment. This makes some of the most ambitious environmental modification projects seem tame. For more read, the accompanying article from the Guardian.
Questions to Ponder: What potential environmental impacts come from this scale of modification? How will this massive influx of the population impact the region? Could this type of project happen in other part of the world?
Tags: environment, urban ecology, planning, environment modify, China.
The developer is claiming this will be "protective development." I am not sure if I buy that. They are moving mountains- which means everything that comes with that, wildlife, trees, etc... And they are building an airport and an oil refinery (amongst other things).. Urbanizing can be great for the economy- but at what cost. Elizabeth Allen
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Neighborhoods that are perceived by outsiders as economically successful have created a cultural niche that draws in visitors with a mixture of shops and amenities that appeal to a particular demog...
A vibrant cultural ambiance is not just a backdrop for selling commodities in shopping districts. The feel of a neighborhood and a sense of place can be the commodity as Air BnB is artfully demonstrating.
Tags: neighborhood, place, culture, economic, planning.
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Suggested by Mickey Herouin |
One of the nation’s most influential groups of engineers said it presented detailed warnings that a devastating storm surge in the region was all but inevitable and proposed ways to prepare.
MH: Hey, you know what? A bunch of engineers accurately predicted the kinds of damage the East Coast would face from a strong storm surge. Maybe we should give that science stuff a little consideration in our future plans in designing our cities.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Jerry Dobrovolny, Vancouver’s director of transportation, has a lot of nerve trying to spin a tale that the city’s new transportation plan isn’t “focused on a war on the car.” He should walk across the street from city hall to Yuk Yuk’s comedy club...
Not everyone (especially not the author of the linked editorial) is a fan of Smart Growth and other urban planning paradigms that promote alternative forms of transportation (categorized in the editorial as anti-vehicle bullying).
Questions to Ponder: Does Vancouver's planning seem "anti-vehicle" to you? Are some places "anti-cycling" or "anti-walking?" What would these places look like? What do you see as the best transportation model for our cities?
Tags: transportation, urban, planning, sustainability.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
TED Talks Map designer Aris Venetikidis is fascinated by the maps we draw in our minds as we move around a city -- less like street maps, more like schematics or wiring diagrams, abstract images of relationships between places.
This video touches on numerous themes that are crucial to geographers including: 1) how our minds arrange spatial information, 2) how to best graphically represent spatial information in a useful manner for your audience and 3) how mapping a place can be the impetus for changing outdated systems. This is the story of how a cartographer working to improve a local transportation system map, which in turn, started city projects to improve the infrastructure and public utilities in Dublin, Ireland. This cartographer argues that the best map design for a transport system needs to conform to how on cognitive mental mapping works more so than geographic accuracy (like so many subway maps do).
Tags: transportation, urban, mapping, cartography, planning, TED, video, unit 7 cities.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Ironically, some land use patterns become more visible as the sun goes down. There are some sharp borders in this image of Toronto that was taken by the Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield and it is a wonderful teaching image.
Questions to ponder: Why is there such sharp divisions between the illuminated and obscure portions of the image? What does this sharp division say about the land use patterns? Would we see this pattern in the United States? Why or why not? What urban model(s) can help explain the spatial layout of Toronto?
Tags: urban, planning, remote sensing, geospatial, Canada, models, unit 7 cities.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Seven million people living in 423 square miles (1,096 sq km).
These apartments are so small that they can only be photographed from the ceiling. Massive urbanization with limited space means that real estate is at a premium and many laborers will not be able to afford large living spaces. Hong Kong is an extreme example of this and it brings new meaning to the term "high-density housing."
Tags: housing, urban, planning, density, urbanism, unit 7 cities.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
I will confess that I have personally never played SimCity, but I do know educators that have tapped into that gaming experience to teach spatial thinking and some principles of urban planning. This link is designed with those teachers in mind.
Tags: urban, planning, spatial, unit 7 cities, edtech.
It's all about gaming to help them get connected. I heard a story from a colleague today. He said that every year at this school, an veteran would come and talk to the students about the military and World War II but students really didn't get it. So the next year, he had them all play Call of Duty right before the veteran visited the school. He had them storm the beaches of Normandy (on the hardest level). They all failed. The next time the veteran came to speak, they were animated and asking questions about how could they have managed such a feat.
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Suggested by C. Kevin Turner |
Read the Transcript: http://to.pbs.org/b6sR86 The capital of the South Asian country Bangladesh, Dhaka, has a population that is booming. However, it stands ...
This is a great introduction to the demographic explosion of the slums within megacities. This is applicable to many themes within geography.
Tags: Bangladesh, water, pollution, poverty, squatter, planning, density, South Asia, development, economic, megacities.
Another look at a growing megacity and its shantytowns.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Melani Smith is Director of Planning and Urban Design at downtown Los Angeles based Meléndrez, a landscape architecture, urban planning, and urban design firm. Melani’s…
Changes are afoot to make Downtown LA (the center of a metropolitan area that is notoriously tied to freeways and the private automobile) more walkable and reshape the look and feel to make it more of a neighborhood.
Tags: Los Angeles, transportation, AAG, urban, planning.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
A new study finds that urban minds don't pay as much attention to their surroundings unless they're highly engaging.
It's often noted that people from smaller towns prefer a slower pace of life and people from large cities enjoy the hustle and bustle more. So does the urban environment change how we handle the vast quantity of information in major metropolitan areas? This article points to data that says it does.
Tags: rural, housing, urban, planning, density, urbanism, unit 7 cities.
This helps explain why we are exhausted at the end of the day, and why a walk in the park is so refreshing. We need to make sure city folk have parks nearby.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Before 1950s, not many lived in Indy suburbs. Then things changed: “@jalopnik: How the U.S. Interstate system was born jalo.ps/MWMBRGq”
— Andy Baker (@AndyBakerIUPUI) January 29, 2013
The highway system (and the widespread usage of air conditioning) in the later half of the 20th century dramatically changed the population settlement patterns of the United States and reshaping our cities.
Tags: transportation, urban, planning, density, unit 7 cities.
Very Interesting HUGGERS...we didn't always have highways to cruise on!
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Wal-Mart de Mexico was an aggressive and creative corrupter, offering large payoffs to get what the law otherwise prohibited, an examination by The New York Times found.
Wal-Mart officials worked hard to ensure that zoning regulations were changed so that they could bring a store to a coveted location. They built a Wal-Mart in the shadows of arguably Mexico's most important world heritage site--the pyramids of Teotihuacán. This investigative report uncovers the illegal steps that Wal-Mart took to force through their agenda.
Questions to Ponder: Why would Wal-Mart be so keen on this particular location? Why would some in Mexico oppose this project so fiercely? Would Wal-Mart behave in such a manner in the United States?
I knew that Wal-Mart was rather devious in its uses of force, using both bribery and elbow rubbing to get exactly what they want. That being said the extent of the misdoings in Mexico was shocking. In my opinion Wal-Mart is ruining a national landmark and a great tourist attraction. The question I ask myself is, is there any chance that Egypt would ever allow a Wal-Mart to be built next to their Great Pyramids?
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
TED Talks How can we fit more people into cities without overcrowding? Kent Larson shows off folding cars, quick-change apartments and other innovations that could make the city of the future work a lot like a small village of the past.
This talk is relevant not just because it focuses on many urban issues; it also is a fantastic demonstration of how to use spatial thinking to solve problems.
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Suggested by Ryan LaHayne |
ESPN Video: With the FIFA World Cup two years away, will Brazil be ready to host soccers premiere event?
This short sports documentary (12 minutes) looks at some of the socioeconomic and urban planning issues that are a part of the logistics for a country to prepare for a sporting event on the magnitude of the World Cup. The discussion of demolitions in the favelas (squatter settlements) is especially intriguing. Major sporting events of this magnitude that last for two weeks can reshape local geographic patterns for decades.
There is a massive amount of prep work that is going to hosting the FIFA world cup and the next Olympic games. I wonder what will happen to these beautiful stadiums after the games are over. My bet would be a slowly worsening level of disrepair.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
TED Talks As Vicki Arroyo says, it's time to prepare our homes and cities for our changing climate, with its increased risk of flooding, drought and uncertainty.
Our major cities are suceptible to environmental catastrophes for a whole host of reasons. Cities depend on a smooth of goods, money and services provided by infrastructure that we take for granted and assume will always work 24/7. Presented in the video are some ideas about how we should rethink our cities with a different ecological paradigm to protect our cities more in the future.
Tags: planning, urban ecology, environment adapt, sustainability.
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Scooped by Seth Dixon |
Economic devp't is a result of creating a city where people want to live - @richard_florida is correct businessweek.com/articles/2012-… via @profkjmoore
— marcelo figueira (@MarcoLangzi) October 21, 2012
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Traduction : Tout le monde a entendu parler de l'"airpocalypse" qui décrit l'horrible qualité de l'air à Pékin (particulièrement pendant les JO de 2008). Ici est présentée une photo (prise par Tom Anderson) véritablement fascinante. Le ciel est obstrué de fumées et de pollution, mais cette photo montre surtout 2 "villes" en concurence rivalisant pour obtenir le contrôle du futur de la Chine. Au premier plan, nous pouvons voir une capitale cosmopolite, sophistiqué, technologiquement avancée, engagée par les connections qui naissent de la croissance industrielle. D'autre part, en arrière plan, on distingue la ville industrielle qui produit imprudemment une quantité copieuse de biens de consommations, avec peu d'intérêt pour les normes environnementales ou la sécurité au travail, qui peuvent être vus comme les grands oubliés de la globalisation. Les deux plans sont les deux reflets de la Chine au 21ème siècle, et leur opposition sera l'un des grands enjeux du pays dans les années à venir.