Blog - Yurbanism

Friday 5: Articles for Urbanists [October 8th-14th]

This week’s curation of insights and interviews for urbanists

The 50 Coolest Fictional Cities

Design: City As Lab: Everywhere, metropolises big and small are percolating with ideas on how to improve themselves, their apartment complexes, their bridges, their kindergartens, their beds.Here are some of the best. (New York Magazine)

The 50 Coolest Fictional Cities: Some of the most fantastic places only exist within the pages of books, the frames of films, the panels of comics, even the lyrics of songs. (Complex)

Richard Florida on the Economic Crisis, the Great Reset and Creativity: “Quality of place is going to be of growing importance in the coming era to keep cities vibrant and attracting talent and the ‘creative class.’” (MyCityWay Blog)

Back to the Future: James Howard Kunstler offers a road map for tomorrow’s cities. (Orion Magazine)

A Conversation With Allison Arieff, Writer and Editor on Sustainability: Arieff discusses how sustainability issues suffer when they’re thought of as trends; why Julius Shulman deserves to be in a sustainability hall of fame; and why she’s done writing about gorgeous Italian closets and kitchens. (The Atlantic)

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Vancouver Urbanists Meetup—October 16th

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the leftovers are gone, It’s time to reconnect with your fellow city geeks at the monthly Vancouver Urbanists Meetup!

Come out and join me and your fellow urbanists this coming Sunday (October 16th) from 3-5pm, for a few beers and a lively discussion about urbanism in Vancouver, and cities in general.

This month we’re heading to a Vancouver classic—the bar at the Sylvia Hotel in the West End (1154 Gilford St. at Beach St on English Bay).

Feel free to drop in when you can. We’ll be there from 3 pm until at least 5. Give me a call or text at 604-992-4197 if you have any questions or are running late.
You can RSVP on Eventbrite, Facebook, or leave a comment letting me know if you’ll be coming.

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Life in Vancouver [Weekend Watch]

Part of a beautifully shot series of films by EF Intl. Language Centers called “Live The Language.” The videos show prospective foreign students what Vancouver, Beijing and Barcelona have to offer.

I thought that this video does a great job of highlighting various aspects of Vancouver’s urban fabric. What do you think?

[via Scout Magazine, Laughing Squid]

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Friday 5: Articles for Urbanists [October 1st-7th]

This week’s wrap of good reads for urbanists:

Image by Spencer T. on Flickr

Cyclists? Pedestrians? Drivers? Who is to Blame for Urban Tension? As cities become more crowded, tension between pedestrians, cyclists and drivers will become impossible to ignore. (This Big City)

Civic Engagement as Art: A new exhibition explores the influence of public participation in society. (The Atlantic Cities)

Occupy Sprawl! and Occupy the Cul-de-Sac: Inspired by the recent popular discontent expressed so colorfully on Wall Street, Galina Tachieva offers some ideas for those who want to take on sprawl. (New Urban Network)

Messy street patterns boost city’s walkability: Cities that have the most complex and messy street patterns provide the most walkable and enjoyable experiences for visitors and residents. (Vancouver Sun)

Is Smart the Most Sustainable Car on the Planet? Fuel type is only one aspect of a car’s sustainability. (Tree Hugger)

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Steve Jobs Taught Us to Think Different

The world lost a great leader this week. Although some people may think it is a stretch, I’d say the Steve Jobs is to Gen X and Y what JFK is to the Baby Boomer. He truly motivated a generation to “Think Different.” His leadership style and products have inspired countless entrepreneurs to follow their dreams and start their own businesses.

Jobs revolutionized the way we interact not only with each other, but the world around us. His focus on the user experience has introduced millions people to the personal computer, portable music and mobile computing. His focused on design reminded us that form doesn’t follow function, but that when done right form IS function (and function is form).

Steve is best known for tools such as the iMac, the iPhone and the iPad. To me, however, his legacy is not the products he imagined, but rather in the imagination he inspired in us. Here’s hoping that we all continue to heed his advice to “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” Though his life may have been cut short, his memory will live on each time we are crazy enough to think we can change the world.

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

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Mark your Calendars: Vancouver Urbanists Meetup—October 16th

For the past few months, I’ve been holding Vancouver Urbanists Meet-ups on the second Sunday. Given that the second Sunday in October falls over Thanksgiving weekend, I’m pushing it back a week to October 16th. Stay tuned for more details early next week.

To whet your curiosity, here’s a hint to where we’ll be meeting.

I’ll buy a beer for the first person who guesses the location correctly in the comment section.

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Witold Rybcynski to Give Inaugural Warren Gill Memorial Lecture

Dr. Warren Gill was a close friend of my fathers. I had the opportunity to meet him a few times, including during a fun visit to New Orleans in 2003. Warren passed away passed away from cancer last September.

The first annual Warren Gill Memorial Lecture presented by Simon Fraser University’s City Program.

Warren Gill was passionately engaged in the cities and neighbourhoods in which he lived and worked. As a member of the senior administration at SFU, he was instrumental in the development of its downtown campus. As an urban geography professor, he inspired many students. A lecture series in his honour will to continue his questioning, raise new ideas and invoke new ways of thinking about life in the urban context.

Witold Rybcynski to Give Inaugural Warren Gill Memorial Lecture

The inaugural lecture in the series will be given on Monday October 17, 2011 at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts with architect and author, Witold Rybcynski.

Makeshift Metropolis — The insights of Witold Rybcynski

North American cities are not shaped only by architects, planners, legislators or mayors, but by the people who live and work and play in them. Ideas have a role to play, too—and noted author and critic Witold Rybczynski explores the influence that planning theories have had on urbanism in the twentieth century.

In Makeshift Metropolis: Ideas About Cities, Rybczynski examines old ideas and new, and shows how the 21st-century city is being shaped by mixed-use developments, downtown living, heterogeneity, density and liveliness.

Details

Date: October 17, 2011 - 7 pm

Location: Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema in the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (at Woodward’s) 149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver (entrance off Cordova Street)

RSVP: Admission is free, but reservations are required. Reserve seats at www.sfu.ca/reserve.

Sponsored by: McCarthy Tetrault, Parklane Homes, UniverCity, and Simon Fraser University.

Details provided via Gordon Price at Price Tags. Cross posted on PlaceSpeak.

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September’s Top Posts

Here are my top posts in order of unique page views from September 2011. Overall, I had 1,969 visitors and 6,175 page views. Links in bold are new posts written during September. All others are from my archives.

Melbourne, Australia by night. (Flickr | Linh_rOm)

Did you catch-all of these posts the first time around? If not, here’s chance to read what others have found most interesting over the past month.

Is your favorite post in this list? Let me know in the comments section.

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What’s Making Housing Unaffordable in Vancouver? [Weekend Watch]

On September 21st, the SFU Centre for Dialogue hosted a public lecture on affordable housing featuring internationally recognized affordable housing expert Avi Friedman, Professor of Architecture at McGill University.

From the event site:

Metro Vancouver’s many attributes make it a highly desirable place to live and invest. Unfortunately, that makes housing, whether rental or ownership, unaffordable for many of the region’s citizens. The need to think outside the box about lower-cost residential options has become an urgent priority. Renowned international housing expert Dr. Avi Friedman will look at what’s making housing unaffordable in Metro Vancouver—as well as the direct and indirect contributions that affordable housing makes to communities. He will describe potential housing strategies, including examples of local and international projects, that offer innovative affordable housing solutions for this region.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend this lecture, but thankfully the SFU team recorded the presentation available online. Here it is. Note, it runs over an hour and a half, but it is well worth the watch. if you don;t have the time today, book mark this post for a rainy afternoon. For a written analysis of the event, check out this thorough analysis in the Tyee.

Thinking Outside the Box about Affordable Housing

Running time: 1h 42 minutes

Avi Friedman, Professor, McGill University School of Architecture

Friedman Whats Making Housing Unaffordable in Vancouver? [Weekend Watch] Dr. Avi Friedman received his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Town Planning from the Israel Institute of Technology, his Master’s Degree from McGill University, and his Doctorate from the University of Montréal. In 1988, he founded the Affordable Homes Program at the McGill School of Architecture where he teaches.

He is known nationally and internationally for his housing innovation and in particular for the Grow Home and Next Home designs. He is the author of ten books and was a syndicated columnist for the CanWest Chain of daily newspapers. He is a practicing architect and the recipient of numerous awards including the Manning Innovation Award and the United Nations World Habitat Award.

In the year 2000 he was selected by Wallpaper magazine as 1 of 10 people from around the world “most likely to change the way we live”.

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A Liter of Light [Weekend Watch]

I think this is pure genius:

From Isang Litrong Liwanag

Isang Litrong Liwanag (A Liter of Light), is a sustainable lighting project which aims to bring the eco-friendly Solar Bottle Bulb to disprivileged communities nationwide. Designed and developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Solar Bottle Bulb is based on the principles of Appropriate Technologies – a concept that provides simple and easily replicable technologies that address basic needs in developing communities.

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