Feb
8
imagine (le) mile-end.
réimaginer notre ville / re-imagine our city
Feb
7
I know I shouldn’t compare, but man it would be nice to have projects thought through at this scale (details here).
I am not saying I love everything about this project, but I appreciate its ambition, and how it combines so many functions and ideas into one project. Could you imagine if our Bonaventure Re-think (short on thinking, btw) actually considered the fact that it was connected to other parts of downtown (and yes, was connected to the city of Montréal). Thinking a few blocks out, or even at the city scale, might have led those responsible to try and come up with something that was a little more cohesive, coherent, and interesting.
…something I do love is that this project in San Francisco will take what looks like an 6-8 lane road and replaces it with green space (a 5.4 acre roof-top park/garden). Lovely.
I also love how this very large-scale project (which I often don’t like) is focused on public transportation (including high-speed versions), and uses geothermal and wind energy, as well as other green building principles. A blurb from ArchDaily:
San Francisco’s newest transit hub will centralize all the transportation in the city by accomodating nine systems under one roof. Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects have designed a new terminal, a 1.3 mile extension of the Caltrain rail line, and the redevelopment of the surrounding area which will add 2,600 new homes, a 5.4 acre park roof and a retail street. And a loan of over $170 million given by the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act has given the project an extra push foward. Once completed in 2014, the terminal will include wind turbines, geothermal heating methods and a graywater recycling system. The hub will be a strong message that green technology can successfully be combined with modern transportation. “We are thrilled to be one of the first modern rail stations in the United States to achieve this historic milestone and look forward to continuing to make progress on the Transbay Project,” explained Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan, Executive Director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA).
…anyway, nice to see that even in tough economic times there is no shortage of inspiring projects. I almost wouldn’t care if we NEVER built something like this in Montréal … I would just love to see someone in Montréal (in the design and/or public realm) actually propose something audacious, innovative and forward-looking for once.
Feb
4
Portland's 2030 Bike Plan
An interesting article in the Christian Science Monitor about Portland’s very ambitious 2030 Bike Plan.
A quote from the article (and someone not convinced it could fly):
Critics think the mayor and cycling advocates are dreaming. For starters, the plan would require a new steady revenue stream.
“They want to make bicycling more attractive than driving for all trips of three miles or less,” says John Charles, president of the Cascade Policy Institute. “Nothing they do is going to make that happen for most people.”
They do have some interesting ideas, though …
The plan calls for an expansive interconneted bicycle network, new street designs and an array of education programs. It also mandates studying funding concepts in coming months.
Some ideas — licensing and registration fees for bicyclists, a citywide sales tax on new bikes and advertising in bike lanes — would target just cyclists. But a proposed “green transportation” bond would ask everyone to pay.
…and I am sure we’ll a lot more about it in the coming weeks and months. For more detail, go here.
Jan
31
What to do with all these "terrains vagues"?
How timely! … a competition asking us what we think about les terrains vagues … these abandoned spaces that are littered (excuse the pun) here and there across our cities.
What to do with these blights on our otherwise polished and taxable cityscapes? If you have ideas, insights, a project in mind, or just some abstract ranting you’d like to get off your chest, I would suggest getting your entry in before June 1st, 2010. Here are the details.
I love it. In case you hadn’t guessed, I (and my friends) have many ideas for abandoned (industrial) spaces in Montréal … (here’s one of our favourites, right here in Mile-End):
I wonder if the committee reading submissions would believe me that just by leaving these things be … and inviting nature to run its course (more or less) you could end up with a place that merits field guides, guided botanical and wildlife tours, and otherwise just being called a ‘biodiversity conservation site’ (or something of the sort).
…anyway, I’ll give it some thought. You should too!
:)
Jan
26
Landscape architecture at its best: Tanghe River Park, China
Kongjian Yu of Turenscape took a slum and a garbage dump and turned it into this:
(photo found here.)
If they could do that, then certainly we think of something respectable for an abandoned field (that is already 90% of the way there) in the Mile-End, n’est-ce pas?!
I love it, what a great design.
Instead of simply laying grass and putting up street lights and benches (like most cities in Canada would do in a similar situation), the public authorities and the design crew in this Chinese example have opted for something that prioritizes biodiversity and nature, as well as world-class design.
(found here.)
Any close critique of the details — from the plants chosen to the benches designed — will show you how seriously those responsible for this project approached their task.
They have achieved something here that is every bit as successful as the High Line in New York — in terms of public space. And to give them credit, the High Line was probably better before the re-design than it is now …
…whereas it is clear that this Chinese re-design is a complete success, and one that started from an utter failure.
(found here.)
In terms of biodiversity, this project clearly beats out the High Line, but there is no real reason to compare the two on this measure since the circumstances are so different. Regardless, very impressive.
Kudos. This says it all:
(found here.)
Jan
25
La triste disparition d'une institution
Avez-vous vu l’entrée de notre maire (du Plateau) Luc Ferrandez ?
Il parle de la vente d’une institution sur Laurier Est (ci-dessous)…
…et le probable remplacement qui est énormément décevant (le voilà)…
L’article de Luc est très bien, et explique à quel point c’est un dossier difficile. Le proprietaire a le droit de vendre son business (pour sa retraite) et apparemment les achèteurs ont payé un montant très important pour ce terrain.
Mais, pour construire un bâtiment sans mérite, sans design, sans pertinence ? Est-ce qu’il faut accepter une telle tragédie ?
Lisez son article pour en savoir plus et décidez-vous … (il y a aussi un article dans Le Plateau).
Jan
23
There are some things I really like about this project, and others I like less.
The strong points: Re-using underutilized space to create the public transportation corridor necessary for making central Atlanta easier to navigate without vehicles. This is obviously huge in a city like Atlanta.
I also appreciate the need for recreation areas (which they refer to as green spaces) and I love how they connect these two things together.
What a great addition to a city: having some of your most important green spaces completely accessible by public transit (and a light-rail train, to boot!).
Weak points: It doesn’t look to me like the question of biodiversity and/or urban agriculture is getting much attention in this project.
For a city like Atlanta, it is of course important to get more parks for kids, and open spaces for playing soccer, etc. There is certainly a need to add this to their system.
But, given the scope of the project, and the lack of natural areas and areas for growing food in Atlanta, I think it would be a serious oversight to not give some space over to biodiversity and agriculture.
The transit is great. The connections are great. But if all that comes with it is aphalt paths for cycling, lawn and maybe some jungle gyms … then I think they’ve set their sights too low.
They do get credit for combining a bunch of elements any great city needs. But this video making me think they are simply catching up with other advanced cities. And the great cities of the next generation are currently focused on how biodiversity and agriculture can fit into their new normal.
Jan
21
A "tool library" for the Mile-End?
(photo found here.)
I have been thinking this would be a great addition to our community. I imagine there are more informal, or closed, versions here already (are there?) but I love the idea of sharing a tool library with my neighbours.
I mean, there are a bunch of projects I would like to do, but I hate the idea of putting out so much money at Home Depot just to get started.
Here’s a teaser:
If you need a table saw, a 10-foot pipe clamp or a 20-foot pruner, you’ve normally got three choices: Buy it, rent it or borrow it from a neighbor. Portland is fast becoming a leader in a fourth way: checking it out for free at a tool lending library. The city’s first nonprofit tool library, founded in 2004 in North Portland, is up to 2,300 members. Its second, in Northeast, has already drawn 800 members in 16 months and just expanded to a far bigger space. A third, in southeast Portland, is scheduled to open this spring, which would make Portland the only U.S. city with a trio.
More info here.
So, all these progressives cities have a tool library … shouldn’t Mile-End have one too?
Who’s gonna get it going?!
via: Good
Jan
17
Again, another video showing how streets can be turned into public space. There are some great before and after shots, as well as some diagrams showing how drastically the traffic routing was changed.
We need this sort of thinking in Montréal, and I would love to know if anyone is working on this sort of thing. Do you know?
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