Yes, the US vs. Europe comparisons (particularly with cities) are tiresome and unfair. Obviously, old European cities were not built for cars the way many US cities were.

But this does nicely illustrate one of the many reasons to undo the damage of US car dependency, particularly by ceasing sprawl and switching to infill growth — alternative transportation modes like cycling more easily serve compact developments than they do car-sprawl.

See the larger infographic here

NYC's Pneumatic Tube Mail Network - Untapped New York

Whatever Happened to Ecology? Technology and Sustainability from Banham to Today - Anthony Vidler

November 12, 2008 at Slocum Hall

El recreo de la E.T.S.A.M.

El posgrado Espacio Público: políticas urbanas y ciudadanía (UOC-UAB) tiene el propósito de tratar el análisis, el diseño y la gestión del espacio público desde una visión transversal. Abordarlo desde múltiples dimensiones y capas, de forma integral, asumiendo la heterogeneidad y complejidad....

“Quien tenga una placa solar en su tejado o cualquier otro sistema de producción de electricidad renovable propio deberá registrarse para empezar a pagar el nuevo “peaje de respaldo” (término acuñado por Iberdrola). Quien no lo haga podrá ser sancionado hasta con 60 millones de euros” - Fuente.

Por otra parte, la Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU) ha denunciado que el nuevo Real Decreto sobre autoconsumo es “inútil para el consumidor”, y considera que el Gobierno legisla "en contra de los consumidores que quieren producir su propia energía".Según su comunicado, el nuevo reglamento introduce un canon que tendrán que pagar quienes produzcan su propia energía por “beneficiarse del respaldo que le ofrece la red eléctrica”, lo que supone "pagar por lo que es tuyo", ya que el autoconsumidor ya paga la potencia contratada en su factura eléctrica.

Ya no fue suficiente con ahogar a las renovables cortando el grifo de las subvenciones en plena expansión de este tipo de tecnología en nuestro país (y en el mundo, ya que somos éramos potencia mundial), usando como excusa la crisis económica. Luego se cuidaron muy mucho de extender el rumor infundado de que las renovables no son rentables (de hecho lo son más que el resto, y más si metemos la contaminación y sus efectos secundarios traducidos a dinero en la ecuación). Ahora van directamente a por el autoconsumidor final, tratándolo básicamente como un pirata de la energía.

@ferranMartin

Within the frame of Archstoyanie 2013, SVESMI has presented Field Library: 8 (literally) romantic installations, 8 modalities of reading and 8 experiments on the Russian landscape establishing a poetic connection among nature, reader and a book.

Photos by Anastasia Sheveleva, Alexander Sverdlov and Julia Ardabyevskaya _ All rights reserved.

Nikolay Plissky used birch branches to create this 72 foot tall tubular structure.

Y es de scan

YES WE SCAN

Demonstrators hold a banner during a protest against the supposed surveillance by the US National Security Agency, NSA, and the German intelligence agency, BND, during a rally in front of the construction site of the new headquarters of German intelligence agency in Berlin.

Photograph: Gero Breloer/AP

This map (and list) from Transparency International shows an index of perceived public sector corruption by country, as of December 2012.

A Better New York Transit Map Through the Power of Circles

Max Roberts, a U.K. based mapmaker has redesigned the NYC Subway Map as a circular abstraction. He believes that the current linear, geography-based map is misleading as the the geography is not entirely accurate and leads people into believing they will have to travel further than in reality. The circular map is far enough away from a geographical base that it doesn’t create distortion problems, yet it is still close enough to the shape of the city that it retains familiarity.

Read more at: http://www.fastcoexist.com/1682692/a-better-new-york-transit-map-through-the-power-of-circles#1

bQt3iku.jpg

Architectural hermit crab habitats by Aki Inomata via Designboom

japanese artist aki inomata creates intricately crafted plastic habitats for hermit crabs, which are influenced by the architecture of major cityscapes — the new york city skyline, a parisian apartment, and a tokyo-style house. the semi-transparent, delicate forms are designed in the style of physical human environments, which ironically become a shelter for the aquatic arthropods. the biology of the hermit crab makes it a fascinating example of identity transfer — as they grow they require larger shells and periodically interchange their external portion with other members of the crustacean community. inomata connects her study of the hermit’s transformation to the self-adaptation of humans, whether it be in acquiring a new nationality, immigrating or relocating.

Circular Hobo Home is a Rolling Circus Marvel via Weburbanist

In this strange circus performance piece, two travelers turn architectural conventions on end, moving an offbeat nomadic home through a comedic narrative via carefully choreographic actions. A bit of theater-to-go, The Wheelhouse features careworn gypsies, and revolves around homeless living but is bolstered by conceptual architecture and compelling acrobatics.

We make space, then space makes us.

SoP - Scale of Environments 

Scaffolding by Various 

photos via 1, 2, 3, 4

Most architecture has to be built twice, the second time is what everyone sees, the finished piece. But the first time is through ubiquitous temporary material. No matter how monolithic a structure becomes, the realizing of it, the baking of it, can always be broken down into tiny pieces. Some people say buildings are much more exquisite during construction, the visuals complexity of scaffolding have a large part in that, but it communicates more than beauty, it reveals the buildings secrets.     

SoP - Scale of Environments