An iPhone App about Biomimetic Architecture: BioDesign #3 by Dennis Dollens
This seems to be the year for green iPhone apps, with already over 100 to choose from, including TreeHugger’s own which was launched last month and the Green Map app launched recently. Now here is one for the biomimicry and architecture fans amongst you. <a href="http://www.treehugger….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Sidewalks = Social Justice in Amman, Jordan
Istanbul sidewalks aren’t the sole province of pedestrians. Photo by Jennifer Hattam.
Sidewalks in Istanbul, when they do exist, are often narrow, uneven, rutted, and frequently torn up entirely, forcing pedestrians into the street to dodge fast, erratically moving cars. So it doesn’t seem all that hyperbolic to me when New York Times writer Michael Slackman describes Amman’s “new, flat sidewalks that do not end suddenly, for no apparent reaso…Read the full story on TreeHugger
First Ever Rooftop Farm on Affordable Housing Project
Image credit: BrightFarm Systems
Solar is not the only green feature appearing on affordable housing projects these days. In fact, a project in the South Bronx is hoping to combat food miles and food deserts at the same time, growing fresh, nutritious vegetables in a 10,000 sq ft rooftop greenhouse on top of a six story affordable housing project. But does the project make sense? …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Stop Blaming the Victim for the Increase in Pedestrian Deaths
Mom died, baby survived.
In Toronto, they are calling it the “War on Pedestrians”; 14 have been killed since the start of the year, compared to 32 in all of 2009. In New York City, the mayor is proud that overall traffic fatalities are the lowest in a century, but the number of pedestrians killed was up, to 155. In Portland, Oregon, Jonathan Maus writes that “A spike in traffic collisions over the weekend highlights the urgent need for …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Re-Envisioning New York to Combat Sea-Level Rise
One team’s vision of a “New Aqueous City.” Image credit: nArchitects
The New York art institutions MoMA and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center are looking on the bright side of the down economy: “As in past economic recessions, construction has slowed dramatically in New York, and much of the city’s remarkable pool of architectural talent is available to focus on innovation.” So …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Eco-Villages: Sustainable Oases or Insular Islands?
Green developments spark debate at the EcoCity 2009 summit. Image via NewVista.
A NewVista village sounds like an environmentalist’s dream: a series of walkable, interconnected communities that produce their own local energy and food, offering a “low-impact lifestyle without daily automobile use.” But to Austrian architect and urban consultant Johannes Fiedl…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Slow Down London’s 8 Week Course to Slow Down Your Life
Developing Cities from India to Colombia Leapfrog Ahead With Clean, Green Bus Rapid Transit Systems
Traditional modes of transportation meet high-tech ones in Ahmedabad, India, which just won an award for its bus rapid transit system. Photo by Emmanuel Dyan via Flickr.
Ahmedabad, India, leads the pack as cities in developing nations race ahead of their richer counterparts in adopting eco-friendly transit solutions, according to the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), which last week gave the western Indi…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Creating a Better Market Street in San Francisco (Video)
Image credit: StreetFilms
Andrew reported last year that San Francisco was considering a car ban on Market Street. While that hasn’t happened yet, there is plenty of work going into creating an inviting, culturally vibrant thoroughfare that San Franciscans can be proud of. And who better to explore the improvements than the good folks at StreetFilms—the same people who brought us video of <a href=”http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/streetfilms-brt-la.ph…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Urban Communities and Peak Oil: Transition Brixton (Video)
Image credit: Wikipedia
Yesterday we looked at Al Jazeera’s report on Transition Town Totnes—offering a vision of how small towns are tackling climate change and peak oil through community involvement. But how does the Transition model relate to the city? On the one hand, urban density and great mass transit make city living green. On the other hand, almost everything is trucked in, so whe…Read the full story on TreeHugger
