Suburban slumming?

A thought-provoking Atlantic Monthly article about the potential demise of the traditional American suburbs as the subprime mortgage crisis unfurls.

One thing it reminded me of was the background anxiety I felt growing up in the suburbs. I spent most of my high school years without parents around and always had a sense of anxiety when coming back to our house when my sister and I had been gone for the day. What would stop anyone from breaking in, hiding in the basement and then sneaking out to terrorize us? Maybe I was watching too many horror movies, but I always thought the collective brainwave that thought suburban neighborhoods were safer than cities - when you literally never saw a friendly soul on a suburban street ever - was off.

The article also reminded me of a TV show I caught only once, on one of the many home improvement networks out there. I now can't remember the name of it, but there was a guy with a British-accent who found new homeowners of very poorly constructed housing. Their homes were, perhaps after only a couple of years, really falling apart. Literally stuff like rain dripping from the sills on the inside of the house. The host would then go on a rampage making the houses more solid, whether it was putting insulation in the attic, caulking around window sills, etc, really basic stuff. The best part is how angry and indignant he got about it - and rightly so. This sounds random, but if you read the AM article, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Islands of LA/Green Streets

Can't remember if I heard about this and just haven't posted, but you should know about it too. Community-based art, turning neglected spaces (meant to control cars) into pieces of art - Islands of LA. You can see a slideshow of what they're doing here.

There was also a very good and short Streetsblog piece about Green Streets in NYC, tying it into sustainability.

Everyone calls her Friend

With this profile, now everyone will be saying that they've known Jen Bekman. Hurray Jen, I couldn't be more pleased for you! (I'm also a satisfied customer of 20x200, a habit I urge everyone to indulge in.)

NYC Neighborhood Achievement Awards

via flickr

Yet another competition celebrating all the neighborhood-based achievements in the city. So what if there is no cash prize, there are plenty of entrepreneurs out there doing good who would benefit from a big boost of publicity. Launched by the Department of Small Businesses. Go here for more details.

"We Love You, Public Space!"

Image from flickr

I love groups like the Vancouver Public Space Network. Hyper-local interventions resonate deeply, especially when there is so much mass-anything. (via NowPublic)

Capturing place

Well, can you?

An intriguing proposition indeed.

Happy New Year!

It's the Year of the Rat, yes, it's true, a perfect year for NYC. While my parents have a month-long celebration oversees, I am alloted one evening. These images are from the best party I've attended so far this year at the Hester Street Collaborative New Year's Celebration.


Waiting to dance




Lanterns the kids did with stamps of rats on them. You can catch more at the Sara D. Roosevelt Park in the LES through Feb 15.


Staircase at office...love the way it's in the middle of the floorplate and how transparent it is. Forces people to interact...

Alive from Chicago

I'm not in Chicago, but I found this picture I took while I was there scoping out neighborhoods and attending last year's GreenBuild.

Isn't this mailbox a great idea? This particular street in the Lincoln Park area felt very well-tended for, very alive and balanced. I especially loved the groomed alleyways that snaked behind the houses (unfortunately did not think to pull out my camera).



Also, Look how much space is given to the pedestrian space, instead of to the road The tree pits are spaced far apart along the walkway too, so there's a feeling of space and lush growth.

Age-friendly neighborhoods

montague street
Originally uploaded by James Andrachuk

When I moved to Brooklyn Heights, I didn't expect to stay long in this particular spot. It's a small studio, and currently needs to provide for a couple with an energetic dog. But as I have gotten to know the neighborhood, I realized that it would be a dream spot in which to grow old. It's in an elevator building across the street from the library, two blocks from the closest subway station, one block from two bus lines, two blocks from a drugstore, two blocks from a grocery store, and two blocks from a dry-cleaner, among other amenities. The Green market is open three blocks away every Saturday and it is one block from a park. There isn't ample seating in the neighborhood, but there are wide sidewalks that are well-maintained. (Through another lens, this place would be great for kids too. But I digress...)

I realized just how fabulously lucky I was - sure, I benefit from all of these amenities now, but I was more struck by how much I would benefit if I lost my mobility, had a significantly reduced income, and am perhaps far away from family. Anyway, all of this to say, I was pleased to find this new initiative from the City Council and the New York Academy of Medicine called Age-Friendly New York City. We easily take for granted our ability to cross the street for example, and don't often stop to think that others might experience difficulty.

Thursday, Thursday, Thursday

I highly recommend checking out the image source.

Where are you going to be?

Join the Hester Street Collaborative in celebrating the Year of the Rat.
5:30 pm design activities for children in the workshop
7 pm cocktail and hors d'oeuvres
113 Hester Street

Still wondering about green architecture? Find the answer at the Goethe Institute, where it will launch a year-long inquiry, "What is Green Architecture?", curated by MoMA's Andres Lepik. The series will be kicked off with a talk by the German architect Jürgen Mayer H.
7:00pm, Goethe-Institut New York
1014 Fifth Avenue@83rd Street

Finally, it's the all-star round: PPS hosts a Social with special guests Transportation Alternatives and The Open Planning Project. C'mon people, this is the crowd behind Streetsblog, NYC Streets Renaissance, all things streets. It's kind of like a sub-gathering of TED, but it's tangible, about New York, and you're invited.
5:30pm
The Edge Bar, 95 E. 3rd St between 1st and 2nd Ave

Community development turned on its head

A couple of articles that caught my eye, both from the NYT.

Starbucks is closing one of its three locations in Kansas City, Missouri, although the local coffeeshop next door is flourishing. It will be interesting to see what it does in the next several months, as it has not rescinded any of its goals to grow the number of franchises around the world. I'm not opposed to Starbucks, especially when they're able to use their muscle to open a spot in neighborhoods which may be high risk for a mom-and-pop, but no one can like the fact that they have stratically set up shop in places to edge out existing businesses.

In New York City, community groups oppose a big development on public land that seems to be geared for...communities. This is the dispute over Hudson Pier 40 - should it stay as a ball field and risk neglect, since the city has already stated that it does not have the funding to rehabilitate the field? Or should it become a mega-entertainment/recreation complex (complete with ball fields) and serve a greater population? (Methinks that Related could come up with a better compromise to meet the needs of the community, and honestly, parents of the now tony Village, you shouldn't be hoarding ball fields).

On Thursday, Jan 31

Image from my friend's 20x200, get 'em while you can.

This event posting is dedicated to this one, for whom I have a soft spot. Go out and find some inspiration to make the public spaces around you better.

From Design Trust for Public Space:
"Tipping Points: Art, Design, Architecture, Politics, and Civic Engagement"
Moderated by: Susan Szenasy; editor in chief, Metropolis Magazine
Introduction by President Dr. Thomas Schutte
6:30 pm to 8:00pm, Thurs Jan 31
Reception to follow

Seeded with the idea of political engagement and grassroots activism this session will speak to driving change in NYC. The audience will be encouraged to offer ideas and strategies to continue the momentum of change. Open to the community.

o Letitia James - City Councilwoman, Brooklyn, District 35
o Wendy Feuer - Asst. Commissioner for Urban Art and Planning, DOT
o Laurie Kerr - Mayor's Office for Long Term Planning and Sustainability
o Blaise Backer - Director, Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project
o Sean Meenan - Owner, Habana Outpost
o Deborah Marton - Executive Director, Design Trust for Public Space
o Eva Hanhardt - Coordinator, Pratt EMS program

Higgins Hall, Pratt Institute
Southeast corner of Lafayette Avenue & St. James Place, Brooklyn
G train to Clinton/Washington

Hi again

Yes, it's me. I disappeared because, well, there's already so many other things that you could be looking at online, and who needs to be on the computer when they are in front of a computer 12 hours a day; not me. But last night, at the Princeton Architectural Press's holiday party, (yes, of all events, thanks Russell!), I started to get that tingling of wanting to write again. So I started poking around, and yes, I found this, Invisible Paris. Perhaps this is old news, but this idea of how to see is something to always consider - when we are considering understandings and scenarios for good places, how are we looking at all the perspectives available?

So, unfortunately, things on BttN will be less frequent, but hopefully always worth a read.

Exciting stuff on the street

On another front, there are some interesting, exciting things happening on the street level.

A countdown crosswalk at 6th Avenue and 8th Street. Even without the digital countdown, the adjusted timing between pedestrians and cars is much improved for this confusing intersection.



Also on 6th Avenue and 10th Street, there's a bicycle crossing. This is one of those spots where the street is marked for bikes to be on either side (look to the way left of the image for the other bike marking). What's the thinking behind this?

Busy week

Another busy week. I went to visit CarpetCycle's recycling center (they will come in and remove carpet before demolition, save it from going into the landfill). The CEO spends a lot of his time looking for people who are looking for raw recycled material, so check out CarpetCycle if you fit that category. I just think it's great that someone's business model includes helping industry innovate. He does studies with universities around the country.


Isn't it great that all this stuff isn't going into a landfill?


Last night I checked out some of the best of the best from architecture schools in this region at the Center for Architecture. I loved a project out of Parsons. It was a proposal for a new Yankee Stadium that twisted up the traditional stadium form which allowed for lots of flexible use public space underneath the seated viewing areas. Go check it out.


Studying the boards



So many great minds, but then this happened: Incidentally, I went to the AIA again this morning, to attend a session for the Green Issues Task Force with regard to PlaNYC. This is an open task force, anyone may attend. Am I just being a curmudgeon, but does the NY AIA seem particularly ineffective with this very pressing issue of our city's sustainability plan? Does anyone know of a design profession group that's actually making inroads for this plan? I know the congestion pricing issue has been discouraging, but there's many many other initiatives that can get off the ground. Anyone??

L.A. Downtown public spaces

Our office in Los Angeles is way up in the sky, so I can get a pretty good view of downtown (from one side, anyway).

From above, there seem to be a lot of public spaces, but they are two or three stories above street level, usually above a parking garage.










This is what it's like from the street:




You need these pedestrian walkways to get to the public spaces, but how do you get up there?




Actually, I shouldn't assume that those green spaces are actually public. But you have to wonder when much of the retail is underground.



In addition to elevated plazas, sunken plazas are also quite popular.




There are a couple of spots where it was more humane, like in front of the Los Angeles public library.



And the plaza across the street from the library.



Downtown Los Angeles seemed to be a true Modernist experiment - separation of cars and people, elevation of cars in status, and separation of everyday functions (buying and eating lunch, shopping) from the banality of walking on the sidewalk. During the day, downtown isn't half-bad, but I did get annoyed when the hotel told us not to jog because the downtown was too dangerous. This perception was only reinforced by native LAists, who also told me not to walk around at night when I mentioned going for an after dinner stroll. It will be interesting to see how the city develops downtown, especially with the big Grand Avenue redevelopment project.

I did get to ride the subway, which I have been very curious about....



...only I was not supposed to ride it back.

LA

I'm in LA for the rest of the week, but back in New York, it looks like the CitySol festival is worth checking out.

Dumbo's public space experiment

...hard to see, but it's twilight on Pearl/Washington Street in Dumbo. I realize that it is imperative to let cars know that there is a public space here where they once were able to run willy-nilly, but the number of barriers seems to repel the people who should be using it. Cars still drove by as fast as possible...thinking it was a construction site.

This is what it's like inside the square.



Update: of course, Clarence from Streetfilms beat me to it! He's got some clearer shots in this video.

Vancouver's sustainability plan

Vancouver releases its sustainability plan, EcoDensity,

"the City’s bold, new vision for how Vancouver will grow in the future. It’s about the kind of city we will leave for our grandchildren. It’s about the affordability of our city for everyone. It’s about maintaining Vancouver’s status as one of the most desirable places in the world to live."

Now this is one city that doesn't side-step the use of the word "density."

FAQ: Managing Millenium Park

From Flickr

From my work, I am guessing that a frequently asked question is how to best design, manage (and fund) public spaces, especially high profile ones. So, here is Ed Uhlir, Director of Design, Architecture and Landscape for Millenium Park in Chicago, answering some questions about the famous park.