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Visual Thoughts #32
Last VT image: Landscape in Bolivar Province near Guaranda, Ecuador. *** Erick Villagomez is one of the founding editors at Spacing Vancouver. He is also an educator, independent researcher and...
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EVENT: Designing Downtown
Designing Downtown, one of the largest and richest citizen-driven conversations about urban cores in Canada, returns to Edmonton October 5, 2013. For a full list of upcoming events, visit...
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Edmonton’s urbanism headlines: September 9 – September 15
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS EVENT: Green Drinks Edmonton: The Election #yegvote [The Local Good] Kerry Diotte slogan creates backlash on Twitter [Global News] Mandel fights efforts to ‘misrepresent’ Edmonton...
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Edmonton’s Suburban Identity
Last week, the Ottawa Citizen published an article highlighting some findings of the research conducted by Professor David Gordon, Director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s...
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Book Review, From the Stacks: Subnature: Architecture’s Other Environments
Author: David Gissen (Princeton Architectural Press, 2009) Nature is ever present in our daily lives, Yet when we think and speak of “nature” it is often in reference to its most attractive aspects –...
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Urban Planet: Metropass? Check. Passport? Check??
While you will not actually need to use your passport when boarding, Istanbul’s new underwater rail line, the first of its kind, now connects Europe with Asia via a submerged tunnel under the Bosphorus...
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Edmonton urbanism headlines: October 28 – November 2
EVERYBODY’S EXCITED ABOUT OUR PROGRESSIVE MAYOR(S) Simons: Capital Hex: Don Iveson says it’s time to be Edmonton proud [Edmonton Journal] Meet the new generation of politicians [Ottawa Citizen] CBC’s...
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Cultural Landscapes: Aspen Parkland
When crossing this vast country, there is often the perception that the Canadian prairie landscape is rather homogenous and flat. Such gross generalizations of this region are quite unfair, as unfair...
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Urban Planet: No key? No problem with the BitLock bike lock
A new bike lock lets cyclists use their smartphones as keys. BitLock, a prototype from Mesh Motion Inc., uses a proximity sensor to detect its owner’s presence, automatically unlocking when their...
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Book Review – Sustainable Facades: Design Methods for High-Performance...
Sustainable Facades: Design Methods for High Performance Building Envelopes – Ajla Aksamija/Perkins+Will (Wiley) There is so much in the world today revolving around sustainable design and it seems...
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Skyscraper Envy?
Do skyscrapers ever grow tired Of holding themselves up high? Do they ever shiver on frosty nights With their tops against the sky? Do they feel lonely sometimes, Because they have grown so tall? Do...
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Urban Planet: This is what happens when architects play with LEGO
Architects from three world-class firms recently returned to their childhoods to take part in a LEGO experiment. The experiment, which Wired organized, sought to answer a simple question: What would...
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Higher Aspirations: of Skylines and Sight Lines
Sky. When I talk with Edmontonians-away-from-home about what we miss most about the city, the answer is almost always the same: the sky. The Northern Lights. Thunderstorms. Fiery sunsets. It is one of...
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Edmonton urbanism headlines: November 3 – 10
INFRASTRUCTURE: Infographic: The Cost of Sprawl: A Comparison [Sustainable Prosperity] The true costs of suburban sprawl [Globe and Mail] Edmonton councillors will have to debate unfunded budget items...
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Urban Planet: With the switch of a wheel, FlyKly converts bicycles into e-bikes
Most any bicycle can be converted into an e-bike with the FlyKly Smart Wheel, a prototype currently the basis of a Kickstarter campaign. To get rolling, you just need to set your desired speed on the...
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This is Edmonton: Sun on Whyte (Part 1)
Whyte Avenue, Edmonton’s south-of-the-river main street, has long been a gathering place. As an eclectic shopping destination, a Provincial Heritage District with an impressive collection of...
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Two of the greatest Canadian railway resources you’ll explore for many hours
Two weeks ago I wrote my Toronto Star column on how Toronto was shaped by the railways (as is the case with many Canadian cities and towns). They’re as powerful a force on our urban form as any...
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Affordable housing or a recipe for claustrophobia? Canadian company...
Home ownership financially out of reach? A Vancouver-based company is planning a 100-square-foot solution: the Nomad Micro Home. Presently seeking funding to construct and test prototypes through an...
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This Is Edmonton: Whyte At Night (Part 2)
Whyte Avenue, Edmonton’s south-of-the-river main street, has long been a gathering place. As an eclectic shopping destination, a Provincial Heritage District with an impressive collection of...
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Urban Planet: Asphalt that heals itself (with a little help)
Porous asphalt can reduce noise pollution and flooding because its low density makes it very absorbent. But there’s a downside: over time, the size of the pores increase, leading to crumbling and...
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