Civic Center

Continue to be blown away by the work of Candy Chang and her collaborators including Red Antenna. Wow. The mission statement of Civic Center? "We create projects that make cities more accessible and engaging."



Looking forward to the release of "Once Upon a Highway," "Artist as Neighbor," and "Neighborland."

De-mapping man

A project of one man and his relationship with Google street view mapping in Binnenhoff, Den Hague.

...paving the way to better living

A few weeks ago, we took NPR's Gregory Warner on a neighborhood walk that turned into an epic urban hike through South Bronx, Randall's Island, and ended in East Harlem. We had just come back from Meg Charlop's service when we met up with Gregory. In some ways, it seemed a fitting way to pay tribute to Meg.

The Marketplace segment is here. Don't you think Javier has a future in media?

Planning Corps meet-up April 21

Rad illustration by illustrator Holly Wales

Come on out if you didn't make it to the first one and check it out for yourself. Details here.

BONUS: A young Dutch planning student's take on the first Planning Corps meeting. Unbridled enthusiasm makes me smile.

Banksy in LA "Park"

Can't stop looking at this Banksy project in LA.

DoTank:Brooklyn

Seriously, there's a proliferation of planner/designers who want to take action; enough talk, do something about it.



Here's the last one for today DoTank:Brooklyn.

DoTank is a public vessel for interdisciplinary exploration, engagement and enhancement of our urban environment through means that are outside of the formal urban planning process. We make rapid and meaningful change by exploring and testing in our laboratory: Brooklyn, NY.

By catalyzing local intellectual capital, we carry out interventions meant to improve the built environment. We connect, capture, build, design, and produce, and above all else, we Do.

Velo City

So much good energy being spun out in NYC urban planning/design these days. Here's another one:

Velo City’s Story

The idea for Velo City came to us last summer after several conversation-filled bike rides led us to share our experiences as women of color in the urban planning and design professions. Acutely aware of the need for greater diversity in our fields, we have set out to make this change by starting a non-profit initiative that brings awareness of planning and design to diverse communities through the medium of cycling. Thus Velo City’s mission is to introduce youth from underserved communities to urban planning and design concepts, community involvement opportunities, and career options in architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning/design. Through cycling, Velo City’s participants will experience a safe, healthy, and sustainable way to explore the City’s built environment and access its’ open spaces. As an organization, our over arching goal is to increase diversity in the planning and design professions by raising the awareness of these fields.

Velo City has found natural partners in Partnership for Parks and Recycle-A-Bicycle; two well respected and long established New York City-based non-profit organizations whose missions are aligned with ours. Recycle-A-Bicycle is also Velo City’s fiscal sponsor and mentor. Together we are developing innovative cycling-based education programs for youth.

In fact, this summer we are launching “Bikesplorations”, a pilot program that will be based out of the East River Park in the Lower East Side. Starting in July, 10 to 15 youth from the neighborhood will become Velo City’s first participants to explore their community through the cycling-based program. The bikes, generously donated by the Dutch government, will be made available to us by Recycle-A-Bicycle.

This is a very exciting time for us and we hope you will join us in celebrating Velo City’s launch on Thursday, April 29, 2010. All proceeds raised from the event will go directly towards funding our pilot program.

Please find us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and ways to get involved!

We’d like to invite you to celebrate this occasion by joining us for our first fundraising event!

Please join us on Thursday, April 29, 2010 from 6:00-9:00 pm for a happy hour fundraiser at White Rabbit, 145 Houston Street NY, NY. Please go to our NYCharities event page for more details and to RSVP and purchase tickets.

If you are unable to attend but would like to contribute, please go to Recycle-A-Bicycle’s donor website and simply designate your tax-deductible donation for “Velo City.”

Gettin' down Superfront

One of these days, I will make it out there, promise.

From Dutty Artz

This Saturday Jace/rupture (DUTTY ARTZ) and Mitch McEwen (SUPERFRONT) are hosting a discussion panel on Do-It-Yourself Public Space Making at SUPERFRONT’s Brooklyn storefront gallery. The event is second in a series that leads up to the construction of a public space in the backyard of the gallery. Panelists include Cristina Goberna (Fake Industries | Architectural Agonism), Justin Moore, (New York City Planning, Brooklyn), Ena McPherson (Parks, Arts & Culture, Community Board 3), Jordan Seiler (New York Street Advertising Takeover).

Choose to participate in 1 of 3 teach-ins after the panel: 1) community zoning basics 2) spring gardening tactics 3) property disobedience and public dialogue.

April 10: Mixtape on DIY Public Space Makers 4pm – 6pm *plus* Opening Reception for SUPERHERO 6pm – 8pm

$5 suggested donation for the 4pm panel and workshops, but no one turned away.

The Mixtape will run from 4pm to around 6pm.

This event is part of the Cypher on Urban Affairs, a public program at SUPERFRONT partly funded by the Brooklyn Arts Council.

Memorial and Ghost Bike Dedication for Meg Charlop

Memorial and Ghost Bike Dedication for Meg Charlop
Bicyclists ride in remembrance of a Bronx mother, advocate and mentor

Bike Ride Details
When: Saturday, April 10, 1 pm
What: Bicyclists riding from Norwood to the site of Meg's crash in East Tremont.
Where: Valentine-Varian House, 3266 Bainbridge Avenue between East 208th Street and Van Cortlandt Avenue East, Norwood, the Bronx

Ghost Bike Dedication Details
When: Saturday, April 10, 1:45 pm
What: Friends and colleagues speak in Meg's memory, lay flowers and dedicate the white-painted Ghost Bike in her honor.
Where: Intersection of Crotona Avenue and East Tremont Avenue, East Tremont, the Bronx

This Saturday, Transportation Alternatives will join residents of the Bronx to honor Meg Felice Charlop. Meg was killed on March 17th while riding her bicycle to work in East Tremont in the Bronx. According to media reports, she was avoiding a car door opened in her path when she was struck and killed by a bus.

Meg devoted her entire life to helping New Yorkers fight for health, dignity and a better future. She improved her community at every scale from individuals she mentored, to home improvements on abandoned houses, to advocating for better infrastructure. As the Director of the Community Health Division at the Montefiore School Health Program, Megan worked tirelessly to encourage more active, healthy living in neighborhoods with few open spaces or amenities.

Friends, coworkers and colleagues will ride from Norwood to East Tremont, where they will dedicate a Ghost Bike in her honor.

Perception: fear vs. reality

Check out where pedestrian crashes lie.

Thanks jd.