Posted July 7, 200618 yr I'm always surprised when I see a link to an urban planning type blog or website and many times wonder why I didn't know about it sooner. So, I'll throw out a few of the ones that I have come across and read regulary. I'm interested in any other off the beaten path or widely known blogs/websites that everyone else frequents. http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/ http://planetizen.com/ http://www.cyburbia.org/ http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Urban-Studies-and-Planning/index.htm http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KCLE http://www.dataplace.org/
July 7, 200618 yr good idea for a thread, we should share these in one place. i like some of those and also: http://archinect.com/index.php http://www.curbed.com/ http://www.bldgblog.blogspot.com/ http://www.tropolism.com/ http://aiany.org/eOCULUS/2006/2006-06-27.html http://massengale.typepad.com/venustas/ http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/ http://gutter.curbed.com/
July 13, 200618 yr http://citycomfortsblog.typepad.com/ is a nice one. I keep meaning to get the companion book. The subject matter of the blog sways heavily Seattle, but tracks big issues all over the place. This is actually where I first became aware of The Cap. I'm still in awe of that thing, and now I live three blocks away from it. HA!
July 13, 200618 yr A Columbus project where I-670 (which seperates downtown from the Short North) was "capped" by a commercial structure, thus connecting the two neighborhoods. AKA what Cincinnati wants to do with Fort Washington Way. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 13, 200618 yr Thx for the info....however its looks as though it is only one street?!?!? Why would they not expand the project a little more...you know if you're gonna go, go all out. It just seems as though it is a glorified overpass, not exactly a 'cap'. The FWW 'cap' in Cincy would cover about 3 blocks. The big dig would also qualify in my mind....just some thoughts :|
July 13, 200618 yr Other Columbusites can fill in more info on this, but it's my understanding that this was a great compromise between the neighbors and the highway department, the latter party in the mind of widening 670, the former, of course, resisting the footprint of said proposed project. The issue at hand, as I see it, and think this was the view shared by the neighbors and other interested parties, was the larger impact of widening the chasm between the Short North district and the convention center and downtown to the south. In the end, they have a solution that completely and nearly seamlessly heals the gash across High St. originally wrought by 670, all the while, boosting the flow of foot traffic (and dollars) between the convention center and the Short North. I dunno. Maybe you gotta see the thing finished and in person (photos most surely exist somewhere here on UO), but I think it's the bomb. But then, I think many things are the bomb. Except, of course, the bomb.
July 13, 200618 yr I think the I-670 Cap is so popular because it was the first cap to ever have retail and restaurants on it, as opposed to simply grass and concrete..
July 14, 200618 yr Thx for the info....however its looks as though it is only one street?!?!? Why would they not expand the project a little more...you know if you're gonna go, go all out. It just seems as though it is a glorified overpass, not exactly a 'cap'. The FWW 'cap' in Cincy would cover about 3 blocks. The big dig would also qualify in my mind....just some thoughts :| Think of it as a "prototype" for ODOT. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 14, 200618 yr It certainly is not a glorified overpass, it holds buildings on either side, and fits the street seemlessly. FWW will look like a cap; it will be obvious that a highway exists at each end. Not to knock Cincy's project, as I think it is a good idea, but to simply compare size doesn't work in this case.
July 14, 200618 yr Planetizen was mentioned, which is really good. Another one I check out from time to time is KnowledgePlex, which is run by the Fannie Mae Foundation: http://www.knowledgeplex.org/
July 14, 200618 yr Thx for the info....however its looks as though it is only one street?!?!? Why would they not expand the project a little more...you know if you're gonna go, go all out. It just seems as though it is a glorified overpass, not exactly a 'cap'. The FWW 'cap' in Cincy would cover about 3 blocks. The big dig would also qualify in my mind....just some thoughts :| Think of it as a "prototype" for ODOT. I do wish they poured about another 1,000 cubic yds of concrete and joined the Front/Goodale Overpass with the High St. cap. Those two look close enough.
July 14, 200618 yr It certainly is not a glorified overpass, it holds buildings on either side, and fits the street seemlessly. FWW will look like a cap; it will be obvious that a highway exists at each end. Not to knock Cincy's project, as I think it is a good idea, but to simply compare size doesn't work in this case. You wont be able to see one end from the other end for the FWW version. Its three blocks of parkland/greenspace. And of course the overpass fits the street seamlessly.....thats what overpasses do...they connect a street (seamlessly...if done correctly) over another roadway, railyard, etc. BTW, I would not consider this example in Cbus to be unique....this kind of thing is done quite often in Venice, in particular, and other European cities. But whatever, I'll drop it now....I have obviously angered some of the Cbus forumers with my lack of fondness for this overpass. Sorry, now back on topic.
July 14, 200618 yr It's quite impressive in person, mainly for its unimpressiveness: you really have no idea you're standing over a highway. Honestly, when I went down to High St. looking for it the first time, I didn't realize I was on it until I was on it. But hey, if it's good enough for Venice, it's good enough for me (minus the stinky, garbage-filled canals).
July 14, 200618 yr It certainly is not a glorified overpass, it holds buildings on either side, and fits the street seemlessly. FWW will look like a cap; it will be obvious that a highway exists at each end. Not to knock Cincy's project, as I think it is a good idea, but to simply compare size doesn't work in this case. You wont be able to see one end from the other end for the FWW version. Its three blocks of parkland/greenspace. And of course the overpass fits the street seamlessly.....thats what overpasses do...they connect a street (seamlessly...if done correctly) over another roadway, railyard, etc. BTW, I would not consider this example in Cbus to be unique....this kind of thing is done quite often in Venice, in particular, and other European cities. But whatever, I'll drop it now....I have obviously angered some of the Cbus forumers with my lack of fondness for this overpass. Sorry, now back on topic. Well, the concept is unique for American standards (as the Europeans and Asians have done with their Florentine bridges and Bridges of Sighs and such). Thus, it's a "prototype" for American planners (as many American planners across the country have used The Cap as an example of commercial bridges). "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 17, 200618 yr another interesting takeon economic development issues, http://edpro.blogspot.com/
August 1, 200618 yr innovative caps can hardly be considered unique for american standards nor prototypes anymore given they have been around our cities for quite a long time now. the seattle, nyc, etc caps may not be as old as the ponte vecchio in florence, italy, but they aint nuthin new under the sun either. i do hope the cols cap inspires the backwoods clods at odot tho.
August 1, 200618 yr I wold have to say my own: Cleveland vs. The World http://clevelandplanner.blogspot.com/, and, View from the Dashboard http://dashboardcamera.blogspot.com/. Seriously, one of the best places to go for news of things happening around the county (except for here, of course) is the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/blog/ I also regularly read these (to lazy to copy and paste all of the url's): * Brewed Fresh Daily * Callahan's Cleveland Diary * Cleveland History Blog * Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog * Entrepreneurs for Sustainability News * GreenCityBlueLake * REALNEO * Virtual Levin * American Planning Association * BoomtownUSA by Jack Schultz * Citistates Group * CoolTown Studios * Demographia * New (sub)Urbanism * Planning Livable Communities * Smart Communities * theboxtank * Urban Planning Research * Visioning the Future of Our Neighborhoods * Magical Urbanism * Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space * Satan's Laundromat * Smart Mobs
March 21, 200718 yr Here's an historical one that might be of interest to many of you.... http://www.kingbridgecompany.com/ Lots of great old photographs and graphics on this site! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 16, 200717 yr Just got this in the email: We are just starting a news website at http://www.planningnewsvote.com/. PNV is a vote-based website for all planning news: Urban, Rural, Environmental, Economic, Transportation, Technology, Development, Preservation, Education, Federal, State, Local, International, Regional, County, City, Town and Community. As its user, you participate in determining all website news by discovering, posting, commenting, voting (or burying) and sharing the news that matters to you! We welcome participation from all planners. PNV is a Maryland-based Planning Technology Group. Regards, planner@PlanningNewsVote
August 16, 200717 yr UrbanCincy "Come for the news, come for the commentary...just come to UrbanCincy for all things urban in Cincinnati."
August 16, 200717 yr ^ Musky posted some good ones. I like Boxtank too. Two or three I like AUDC (inspired that Au$tin Road thread I posted a while back) I really like this one...its been leading me down some new paths, via the extensive blogroll, but I also appreciate the thinking here, too: Critical Spatial Practice And this nice dark one... Subtopia
August 16, 200717 yr I like the Cyburbia feature where they aggregate posts from hundreds of urban blogs.
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