Jacques of all Trades

The Committee of 100’s worst DC nightmare

(via James Clyne - Concept Art, h/t OvertheRiver)

intrusionesarch:

Houston: Doughnut City

The term Doughnut City is used to describe a phenomenon that affects the physical shape of some cities of the North American Sun Belt. It consists of the concentration of urban activity on the ring road (where the newest and most advanced generation of housing estates and office parks are located) and the parallel physical disappearance of all that remains inside (the interior is affected by an accelerated process of obsolescence that leads to the demolition of a multitude of buildings). Viewed from a European perspective, the Doughnut City is a phenomenon that goes against nature. If in the cities of the Old Continent proximity to the center means an added value, in the Doughnut City quite the reverse is true: the most eligible urban areas are on the final periphery.

(via npr)

inothernews:

The World of 1950, as Envisioned in 1925.

(via The Guardian)

(via caro)

Jauntrification, the next urban planning threat.

(via LOLDWELL.com - )

Subterranean public space? It (sort of) works in Montreal…

anthropologie:

A rendering of the “Low Line,” a potential subterranean equivalent to New York City’s stunning High Line park. Fingers crossed that this comes to fruition.

Image Via: The New York Times

(Source: anthropologie, via caro)

“Baby Steps for Baltimore’s Vacant Housing Plan

Nate Berg Oct 31, 2011

Baltimore has 16,000 problems. They sit quietly, largely concentrated in two main clumps just outside the center of the city, starbursting into the periphery. Vacant homes—left or abandoned or ignored or forgotten—have become the scourge of the city. And they’re not going anywhere, not quickly anyway.

But gradually, the city is beginning to check a handful of problem homes off its 16,000-point to-do list. Baltimore is now a year into a program it calls “Vacants to Value,” which targets vacant homes in neighborhoods around the city for renovation, redevelopment or demolition. They’ve tackled 748 of them so far.

“We’re beginning to see movement,” says Cheron Porter, director of communications at Baltimore Housing.

The program is intended to streamline the process of buying vacant homes by lifting certain regulations and enabling people to obtain titles to homes much faster. Another main part of the program streamlines enforcement. Porter says the city’s been issuing citations to the owners of vacant properties in order to get them to address problems. Each citation that’s not acted upon draws a $900 fine to the property owner. “That begins the process,” Porter says.

But that process is a daunting one. Of the 16,000 vacant homes in the city, about 11,000 are in areas that have very low market demand or which are “severely distressed,” according to Porter. Convincing a property owner to bring their house up to code is a lot easier when they have the money to do it, and even more so if there’s a likely buyer not far behind. But sometimes the city can’t even find an owner to cite.”

Via: The Atlantic

Photo: Reuters

massurban:

But where’s Marlo going to stash his bodies now?

(via anonypoop-deactivated20130216)

Los Angeles, in a nutshell (or actually, in a map).

(via caseypugh)

Maybe it’s a practice bike lane? (Either practice for the cyclists or the builders).

hikergirl:

Is this Britain’s most pointless cycle lane? A section of cycle lane on Dipping Brook Avenue is pictured in Warrington. The blunder was spotted by driving instructor Dave Horgan.

Picture: Terry Kane / Barcroft Media (via Pictures of the day: 24 August 2011 - Telegraph)

It’s not the prettiest, but I love the idea of this combination bike rack/bench.

utnereader:

(via Designboom)

Designed by American graduate student Matt Gray, “Bench Rack” is a combination bike rack and bench seating hybrid. The product is the result of a challenge to integrate Corian surfacing into an unconventional design solution, a collaborative project between the Furniture Design Department of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and C.H. Briggs, distributor of specialty building products.

In addition to providing urban furniture that facilitates walking and bicycling, “Bench rack” upholds in its production process the US green building council’s standards for sustainable operations and maintenance.

Sitting in the DC Zoning Commission hearing on GU’s Ten-Year Campus Plan.

Midway through the third hour of the hearing, I have a whole new respect for Alex Baca, Lydia dePillis, Mike DeBonis and DC’s myriad city beat reporters and columnists.