Category: Citybuilding
cities, planning, best practices, transportation, waterfront, green building, local economy, recycling, clean air, clean water, complete streets
New York City’s Old Penn Station
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Pennsylvania Station in New York City was the Northeast regional hub for the Pennsylvania Railroad, an iconic Beaux Arts style train terminal constructed in 1910. After World War II, in the wake of the modern, suburban, car-centric era, which emphasized road over rails, ridership fell. Meanwhile Manhattan real estate prices skyrocketed and the Pennsylvania Railroad,…
San Francisco On Its Way to Zero Waste
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San Francisco has long taken seriously its goal to become the greenest city in the US. It started when then-Director for the San Francisco Department of Environment Jared Blumenfeld crafted a slate of environmental ordinances in 2009 designed to get the city to zero waste by 2020. It appears now that San Francisco is on-track.
Complete Streets for Philadelphia
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The Complete Streets bill passed December 6th by Philadelphia’s City Council requires streets that accommodate all forms of transportation: transit, cars, bikes, and pedestrian. It squares municipal regulations with the state’s rules of the road, and is a huge victory for cyclists in the city. As people have become more conscious about cutting their contribution…
Recycling Made Fun with VW’s Bottle Bank Arcade
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Volkswagen’s Bottle Bank Arcade, part of it’s Fun Theory campaign, makes recycling glass fun! This is from a couple of years ago, but it’s a great illustration of Volkswagen’s point that people will change their behavior when it’s fun to do so, or when there are even the simplest of rewards. The Bottle Bank Arcade turns recycling glass into a fun game. Lots of smiles, and less trash. Win-win!
The Bottle Bank Recycling Arcade kiosk is part of The Fun Theory campaign by Volkswagen to raise awareness about health, safety and environmental issues painlessly. In another Fun Theory project, they wired a trash bin, “the world’s deepest bin,” so that it sounds as if your trash is falling a great distance whenever you throw something away. Check out the campaigns for yourself!
Philadelphia City Council Upholds 50-foot Stream Buffers
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Finally, and for the third time, City Council upholds 50-foot stream buffers in Philadelphia. Part of the zoning code recommended by the Zoning Commission and passed by Philadelphia’s City Council in 2011 included a 50-foot setback from rivers and streams for future building. This is a commonsense precaution against disaster, discouraging development in the floodplain,…
Pittsburgh’s Center for Sustainable Landscapes
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The Phipps Conservatory unveils a self-sustaining “living building.” The Center for Sustainable Landscapes in Pittsburgh will produce its own renewable electricity and recycle its own water. Find out more at PhippsCSL.org.
Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestrates Flash Mob Event in Metro
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The Copenhagen Philharmonic orchestra orchestrates an uplifting flash mob event in the public space of the Copenhagen Metro.
The Copenhagen Metro is an extensive (over 12 miles) rapid transit system connecting the Copenhagen Airport to the central city and suburbs. Tickets work for trains, busses and the light rail Metro system, which is driverless. Copenhagen plans to add a circular line in 2018, which will bring the total number of station stops to 31.
Going Green in Detroit
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Matt Naimi kicked off Detroit’s Recycle Here program, and, with partner Steve Harworth have started Michigan Green Safe, which works with Detroit businesses to provide recycled products.
Green Eugene Eco Home Tour
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This eco-conscious resident of Eugene, OR takes viewers on a tour of her renewable home, featuring gardens based on permaculture principles, complete insulation, solar energy, water catchment systems, and recycled materials. Very impressive!
