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October 31, 2003
Investing in the CoolTown 'resort'
Resort: A place frequented by people for relaxation or recreation
Recreation: Refreshment of one's mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates; play
So, what if a visionary financial group invested in places that people specifically visited to play in, to refresh their minds? Now what if that same group invested in places that people lived in to play, and continually refresh their minds? That's the notion of a cool town. Thus, a "CoolTown resort" is a pleonasm.
One resort-like innovation of the CoolTown will be time-shares for people who want to get a short-term taste of the creative energy and vibrant social network, a 24-hour mecca of business inspiration, people-meeting and fun. It helps creative renewal if 20% of your population is constantly changing.
Here's a Gen Y point of view of such an unorthodox vacation destination, Budapest.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
October 30, 2003
The CoolTown 'workplace resort village'
The image above is a hint at what a CoolTown workplace resort village could look like. This Fast Company magazine article of an Italian internet village for mobile professionals explains what such a place could be like, if it were isolated.
Now, take those two visions, mix thoroughly and blend into an urban fabric just waiting to be transformed into a 24-hour arts, entertainment and entrepreneur district. Suddenly, you'd have the brightest business minds taking 'creativity vacations' in these culturally, entrepreneurially intensive urban villages where inspiration, motivation and interaction would be the minute-minute norm.
Look at it this way - if people are spending thousands to take one to two week vacations to escape the monotony of their jobs, why wouldn't they take one to two weeks to immerse themselves in creative inspiration to escape the monotony of their jobs, make money at the same time, and still have the same amount of time (and more money) for that trip to Hawaii?
Image of Big Bay Point, Ontario rendering courtesy of DPZ & Company
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
October 29, 2003
Learning from resort main streets
Look ma, no cars! See yesterday's blog to better understand why.
Look ma, no chains! Well, mostly no chains. Real estate journals publish that main streets should have at least 70% Mom & Pops. Why? Simply because Mom & Pops do better financially. Why? See yesterday's blog.
...then there's not learning from resort main streets.
OK, so there's little diversity in these residential resort towns - everyone kind of looks the same and the cars you do see are either SUVs or built in Germany. That's mainly because the people who 'live' in resort towns don't need jobs and aren't dictated by such. Meanwhile, many of today's middle-class jobs are supplied in auto-oriented office parks and the 'burbs, and housing has stayed auto-oriented as well.
However, there's a new trend afoot - workplace resort villages - where people 'escape' to build their own businesses, except instead of the mountains, these entrepreneurs prefer the 24-hour adventures of the city.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
October 28, 2003
Why are resort towns so pedestrian- oriented, so cool?
To answer that, it may be best to ask one of the pioneers of progressive town planning, Andres Duany of DPZ & Company. Here's his response just today:
Resort towns have the responsibility of being better than daily towns. People will not go on holiday unless the experience is better, more like their ideal than their regular places. Resorts are the most interesting experimental sites. We can always push the envelope further as people will risk new behavior modes for short periods of times in ways they would not commit to permanently. They are test beds for urbanism. They are also important because many people can cycle through them and experience what they are offering. Some of the things that prove to be popular can then be safely downloaded into regular towns. Resorts can grow into real cities and are therefore a valid model, even conventionally. Miami and Miami beacg were conceived as resorts, as was Berkeley.
You can view some of the resort towns his firm designed here.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
October 27, 2003
Learning from an Italian resort
CoolTowns have two unlikely sources of inspiration. One is Italy, home of the Renaissance and whose language is based on poetry. The other is the resort, where people escape to live in a place as close to utopia as they can find. Think of road rage, full schedules and late-night worries, then wake up from your nightmare and think of...
Portofino, regarded as Italy's most beautiful, picturesque and romantic town. No cars, outdoor dining with artistic views, friendly residents and a leisurely pace of life.
Now why can't we have more places like this for permanent residents? The only thing missing is a resident population that can do two things:
1. Live without a car. Cars require a significant amount of land and prevent the creation of a truly pedestrian-oriented (i.e. human-oriented) atmosphere.
2. Work in an office with less than 50 employees (including satellite offices). None of the buildings in Portofino are large enough for anything beyond this, nor do they want to be.
Realistic? That includes a lot of existing residents in Manhattan... and Portofino.
View a 360 degree panoramic from VR Way.
Posted by Neil | Link to Article
