CITY as LAB: BEIRUT + NYC

futurecitylab: BOOK REVIEW (by DOMUS): Urban Future...

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:28:20 -0500

BOOK REVIEW (by DOMUS):

Urban Future Manifestos
Kimberli Meyer, Zvi Hecker; Peter Noever, Ai Weiwei (eds). Hatje Cantz, 2011 (168 pp., US $40).

“Predictions and propositions for the future are always hindered by the blind spots of the present. Nevertheless, the consciousness of everyday life holds vast potential intelligence. To focus, observe, analyze, postulate, and act critically upon the surrounding world is to wield significant agency.”
–Kimberli Meyer

http://www.domusweb.it/en/book-review/urban-future-manifestos/

curiositycounts: Douglas Rushkoff explores life on the virtual...

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:07:26 -0500

curiositycounts:

Douglas Rushkoff explores life on the virtual frontier for PBS Frontline – a sweeping look at the deeper groundswells of digital culture, from gaming addiction to the myth of multitasking and beyond

Food Pieces: Food Assistance

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:45:59 -0500

Food Pieces: Food Assistance:

foodpieces:

http://www.good.is/post/transparency-the-growth-of-food-stamps/

“While some economists are declaring the recession over, and although the stock market continues to rise, those on the bottom of the economic ladder are seeing fewer improvements to their day-to-day lives. The number of…

Flicking through Buildings - Design Bureau

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:58:26 -0500

Flicking through Buildings - Design Bureau:

mas-studio:

(Photo by Sue Barr)

"Designing a dream city is easy; rebuilding a living one takes imagination."

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:20:56 -0500

““Designing a dream city is easy; rebuilding a living one takes imagination.””

- Jane Jacobs (via rtoakland)

theatlantic: Drones in the Force Lighter and cheaper than a...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:19:52 -0500

theatlantic:

Drones in the Force

Lighter and cheaper than a helicopter and equipped with high tech features, these vehicles are increasingly on the want list of law enforcement officials. Though none of these drones are yet in active duty, police and sheriff’s departments – more than 300 according to the Federal Aviation Administration – are adding them to their cache of public safety tools.

Using grant money from the Department of Homeland Security, officials in Montgomery County, Texas, recently purchased a $300,000 remotely piloted helicopter known as aShadowHawk. With built-in video and still cameras and infrared and nightvision sensors, the unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, is anticipated to greatly improve the sheriff’s department’s ability to fight crime and ensure public safety. “It’s so simple in its design and the objectives, you just wonder why anyone would choose not to have it,” Montgomery County Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel recently told KPRC.

Residents in the cities that have been testing these UAVs have voiced concerns about invasion of privacy and the worry that a robot could be flying over their heads at any moment, watching them. Montgomery County officials counter that UAV’s would only be used in specific instances. Read more.

humanscalecities: Cities Under Siege: The New Military...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:18:36 -0500

humanscalecities:

Cities Under Siege: The New Military Urbanism

peas in the middle east: Using permaculture and compost to regenerate arid Jordanian land

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:37:49 -0500

peas in the middle east: Using permaculture and compost to regenerate arid Jordanian land:

meredithdf:

The Permaculture Research Institute began a project in 2008 to train locals to use compost, efficient shading from the sun, and ground cover that traps moisture in order to begin rebuilding an agricultural way of life in their impoverished village. So far, it’s working.

Video from AlJazeera …

The Many Languages Of Twitter

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:30:52 -0500

The Many Languages Of Twitter:

mas-studio:

Love the work by Eric Fischer. This time he depicts the languages in use around the world on Twitter. Make sure to check his Flickr account. (via Fast Company)

Jordi Colomer

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:25:02 -0500

Jordi Colomer:

mas-studio:

Images from “Anarchitekton”, a video project by Jordi Colomer. Seen at BOOOOOOOM via La Periferia Domestica

Curating the Academic World of Collaborative Media: Aca-article: Understanding collective design communication in open innovation communities

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:22:09 -0500

Curating the Academic World of Collaborative Media: Aca-article: Understanding collective design communication in open innovation communities:

medeamalmo:

We characterise collective design as an emerging area of research in the field of online collective intelligence and introduce mechanisms by which communities can be integrated into the innovation process. The community’s role in open innovation is reflected in their style of communication,…

humanscalecities: Creativity and the Capitalist City :: TRAILER...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:15:36 -0500

humanscalecities:

Creativity and the Capitalist City :: TRAILER :: Amsterdam 2011

theatlantic: One Year of Prison Costs More Than One Year at...

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:25:58 -0400

theatlantic:

One Year of Prison Costs More Than One Year at Princeton

One year at Princeton University: $37,000. One year at a New Jersey state prison: $44,000. Read more.

humanscalecities: Social sustainability in urban areas Another...

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:14:23 -0400

humanscalecities:

Social sustainability in urban areas

Another book review in my blog.

adamphillips19: This is a terrible idea! The MTA is trying to...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:29:17 -0400

adamphillips19:

This is a terrible idea! The MTA is trying to get rid of trash cans in an attempt to clean up the system? This photo was taken on 10/28/11 leaving the 34th St. Station from the Q train. This major transfer station still has garbage cans - imagine what it will be like when the MTA removes them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/nyregion/mta-tries-to-reduce-total-trash-hauled-away-by-train.html

Bernard Khoury in NYC | November 3 at the Cooper Union

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:39:43 -0400

Bernard Khoury in NYC | November 3 at the Cooper Union

tacticalurbanismsalon: Tactical Urbanism, Vol. 2 will be...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:48:13 -0400

tacticalurbanismsalon:

Tactical Urbanism, Vol. 2 will be released digitally in advance of the Tactical Urbanism Salon!

Human Scale Cities: 6 books about cities and not enough time to read them

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:59:00 -0400

Human Scale Cities: 6 books about cities and not enough time to read them:

humanscalecities:

From my blog.

Algunos libros que quedan apuntados en el catálogo de libros-que-no-sé-si-podré-leer-alguna-vez-pero-que-tienen-buena-pinta y para los que es muy posible que no encuentre tiempo ni dinero para leer.

Repowering Communities. Small-scale Solutions for Large-scale Energy…

slouchingtowardsbeirut: “even some open spaces can use open...

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:50:27 -0400

slouchingtowardsbeirut:

“even some open spaces can use open spaces …” #deepthought

“how to live in a city” by george c. stoney

Follow Tech and urban life for updates on smart cities

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:30:17 -0400

humanscalecities:

I am curating Tech and urban life via Scoop.it, focusing on news and resources on smart cities. I am quite critic about the current buzz on smart cities but following news is relevant to be up to date.