urban
Philosophy of Urban Design
Imagine a vibrant urban streetscape. People walk the wide sidewalks, window shopping and going from store to store. Sidewalk cafe’s and restaurants are packed with happy customers watching the passing streams of people, sipping latte’s, chatting and laughing with friends or texting and tapping away on their favorite portable device. Other locations feature laughing patrons sipping a beer or savoring a fine wine while enjoying a tasty morsel of sushi or cheese. Sidewalk vendors and artists proudly display their wares as the crowds of people ebb and flow as the day moves on.
At night, the scenery and tempo changes as the nightlife gains dominance over the tempo of the day crowd. Nightclubs and bars fill up with dancing, laughing people, swaying to the beat of their favorite DJ, cheering on their favorite sports team or scoring points in the eternal game of romance.
This is the essence of a dynamic, successful streetscape which urban planners often miss while others sometimes come close. Some locations seem to generate this dynamic almost by accident, while several locations have achieved this vibrancy intentionally.
The urban streetscape is characterized primarily by two dominant features: One, the number of people visiting the streetscape throughout the hours of the day and throughout the days of the year and Two, the number of people that live within a walking distance of the street. Of these two characteristics, the former is a result of the latter. And it is this latter point which many urban planners neglect. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: city, design, planning, urbanRelated posts
Does Urban Planning Balance the Needs of Residents, Industry and Developers?
Toxic air is exposing Port Adelaide residents to major health risks so let’s build more houses say the Newport Quays development.
The Environmental Protection Authority says this needs to be prevented. A report obtained by The Advertiser newspaper found the precinct also faced risks from explosion or fire due to large-scale storage of ammonium nitrate at fertiliser warehouses nearby. This report was handed to the state Development Assessment Commission on July 15 and has remained hidden despite requests to the State Government for its release. It was obtained under Freedom of Information laws.
Quoting from the Environment Protection Authority:
* “Residents of the proposed Dock One expansion face “high potential” of exposure to “unacceptably high levels” of dangerous microparticles known to trigger respiratory disease and lung cancer.
* The combined impacts from industries including the Adelaide Brighton Cement factory, Incitec Pivot chemical warehousing and nearby fuel storage facilities contribute to the risk.
* Housing development should be banned near the sites of existing industry.
* Vulnerable people including the young and elderly are at highest risk of illnesses, including asthma and other respiratory problems.
* Corrosive airborne particles including potassium, calcium and sodium oxides threaten to damage windows and homes.” Read the rest of this entry »