“ The notion that ‘no one knows what good architecture is, is intellectuals’ greatest gift to developers.”
My friend, Prof Chong Keng Hua of SUTD is looking for passionate people to join his urban lab. Only awesome people need apply.
Liveable v lovable cities - FT.com
“We need to ask, what makes a city great? If your idea of a great city is restful, orderly, clean, then that’s fine. You can go live in a gated community. These kinds of cities are what is called ‘productive resorts’. Descartes, writing about 17th-century Amsterdam, said that a great city should be ‘an inventory of the possible’. I like that description.” - Joel Kotkin, a professor of urban development
And yes, I think Singapore is liveable but not (yet) lovable.
Learning from 'hip cities'
NY Times profiles some ‘hip cities’ and only one Asian city made it into the list: Shanghai.
All the cities profiled have a mix of good urban planning, interesting culture (people, music, food), nature (parks, beaches, sustainable energies, bicycles) and a relatively low cost of living.
You’ve heard about NYC’s High Line. Now, an underground park called the Low Line. (by inhabitat)
Creating Great Community Places
Many have tried and less have succeeded in creating great public places for the community. Project for Public Spaces (PPS) compiled some guiding principles that might be useful for anyone who might be working on such projects.
Look for partners: Partners are critical to the future success and image of a public space improvement project.
Money Is Not the Issue:This statement can apply in a number of ways. For example, once you’ve put in the basic infrastructure of the public spaces, the elements that are added that will make it work (e.g., vendors, cafes, flowers and seating) will not be expensive.
You Are Never Finished: By nature good public spaces that respond to the needs, the opinions and the ongoing changes of the community require attention.
Beautiful words from one human to another. Discovered via @iamkhayyam.
Superheroes and their bicycles
(via iaminlikewithmybike)
“ One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
(via explore-blog)
