« April 1, 2007 - April 7, 2007 | Main | April 15, 2007 - April 21, 2007 »

April 13, 2007

Downtown Burlington, Vermont

'Best Green Cities in America'

Ever wondered what cities really were the most green? Country Home magazine ranked 379 metropolitan areas in their Best Green Cities in America report.

Here are their top 10 green cities, based on air and watershed quality, mass transit use, power use and number of organic producers and farmers' markets:

1. Burlington, VT (pictured) - It definitely deserves the top nod. Among it's winning attributes:
- A program collects food scraps from restaurants, supermarkets and food manufacturers and sells them as compost to farmers, gardeners and landscapers.
- The city hosts 16 farmers' markets, five organic producers and three food co-ops.
- 12.3% of Burlington-area commuters use car pools, 5.6% of the work force walks to work and 4.6% work at home.
- It's also one of the most progressive cities overall. There are no less than a dozen mentions of Burlington on this site, including a profile and study of its retail in the members area.

2. Ithaca, NY
3. Corvallis, OR
4. Springfield, MA
5. Wenatchee, WA
6. Charlottesville, VA
7. Boulder, CO
8. Madison, WI
9. Binghamton, NY
10. Champaign-Urbana, IL

Tell us about your city!

Image source: redjar

Posted by Neil | Link to Article | Comments (4) | TrackBack

April 12, 2007

Szoda, Budapest

Budapest's fave 'third place'

There's a lot of talk that Budapest is the 'next Prague', so while I have yet to frequent this up and coming Hungarian city on the Danube, I thought I'd try and identify the favorite third place for locals...

It could very well be a hang-out called Szoda (Soda).

Some of the words associated with this cafe/bar: funky, bohemian, artsy, retro, shabby chic, young, good beer/coffee, good prices, danceable music, very friendly, down to earth, relaxed, free soda... note the Japanese Manga cartoons on the walls - it definitely infuses the place with some edge. One of its best features? A courtyard that serves as an entrepreneurial workplace by day, a drinking/dining experience under the stars by evening. That's the hallmark of a great third place - you don't have to leave.

Better yet, some of the reviews by people who've been there...

"The decorations are really cool with all the bottles lined up on the shelves..." (hence the name).

"A relaxed, very down to earth bar where actual locals gather."

"Reminded me of something you would find in the lower east side in Manhattan, NY. Definitely gonna be my regular place of habitation. No frills, all good."

"Szoda is a good example of a present day Hungarian Bar a place where Hungarians go, which in Budapest is not always that easy to find, not without a bit of help. By day it is a busy mix of students and laptop types almost like a place of learning rather than a bar."

Posted by Neil | Link to Article | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 11, 2007

Red Bull HQ, London

Does your workplace have a slide?

Yours would if you worked at Red Bull.

Last week, in How 'play' is going to shape our communities, we touched on the growing interest in using the motivational methodology behind 'play' as the motivational infrastructure behind both education and work. Hey, if it works I'm all for it - anything other than sitting in a room with 100 other people being lectured to death.

I'm not sure the Red Bull headquarters is what they had in mind, but I can guarantee you this - there are a lot more people out there who have the same opinion as the person who posted a blog called I want to work for Red Bull, stating "I’m convinced that I’d perform 100% better in an office space like this. If anything I’d never leave the office and that would be what doubles my productivity."

As you can see in the images, there's not only a slide (talk about a pick-me-up when things are mundane), but a cafe and a meeting table that hosts a spontaneous game of ping pong - which by the way, is insanely popular nowadays at hangouts.

There's no coincidence that the theme of the workplace, like the drink itself, is designed to stimulate the body and mind. Who wouldn't want to work where that's the underlying philosophy of the company?

Posted by Neil | Link to Article | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 10, 2007

Depot Circle, Redwood City, CA

Redwood City looks to lose 'Deadwood City' nickname

Once one of the largest cities in Silicon Valley between San Francisco and San Jose, most people today have never heard of Redwood City, much less visited there for any particular reason. If current plans stay on track, that'll soon change.

Public and private leaders recognized that their city was being left in the dust as the neighboring towns of Mountain View and Palo Alto initiated dramatic investment in their downtowns. Shrewdly, they brought in the same urban design group that planned Mountain View's downtown renaissance. Along with a more knowledge-economy-evolved constituency (this couldn't have happened ten years ago), the government, business and community populations collaborated long hours to craft a truly visionary downtown blueprint, the Redwood City Downtown Revitalization Strategy & Specific Plan.

The plan's two key components are:
- A form-based code (like the SmartCode) - the revitalization strategy. That is, the code defines the buildings' forms, not the uses. This is the basis that explains why historic Rome to downtown Alexandria, VA have flourished for centuries.
- A re-design of the Downtown Transit Center with a prominent public space linked to the main street - the specific plan (pictured). Both aforementioned cities are known for their grand public squares/piazzas.

new higher density residential and office development.

Posted by Neil | Link to Article | Comments (4) | TrackBack

April 9, 2007

www.thekitchendesigner.org

Kitchen trends of the future? Look in the mirror

What are the kitchen trends of the near future? Who better to ask than Susan Serra, renowned CKD (Certified Kitchen Designer) and editor of one of the best/only kitchen design blogs around... and yes, she has a Manhattan apartment, so she knows a thing or two about creative urban.

From her blog, her answer starts out with, "It used to be that a trend would be so blindly followed, really blindly. I see the internet as being responsible for this sea change.

See sees images of people's own kitchens on blogs, mini websites, Flickr, and message boards as trend seeds, "I also see the distinct possibility of consumers making their own trends, as they communicate with others [via images] online. The viral power of a good idea going from one to another, until it becomes something significant, perhaps a movement. Trends coming from all of us rather than from corporate powers. Hmmmmmmm....

I think trends will be less powerful overall, the individual expression more important, and the human spirit will become more exposed in kitchen design and planning. Me, I think it's about time..."

So, for those who still insist on knowing what urban design trends will come as a result of this self-expressive movement, Susan continues...

"I also see people becoming more comfortable with simple, soft, and not so soft, contemporary styling. This style, or any, would feature an increased interest in textures. I think we can finally begin to see a "less is more" understanding and appreciation.

As a result, I see less trend following and more confidence in following one's own sense of style. I see more of a confidence in exploring and using new materials and new ideas, based in part, on the power of social networking.

As a secondary result, I think people will be comfortable to be more eclectic in their styling of the kitchen, to move toward fun, different, and WOW, to even make up their own style, and to put more of themselves into their kitchen. More soulful touches in terms of bringing in meaningful objects, "living room" objects, to "soulify" the kitchen."

Soul. Now there's a word you don't see associated with kitchens too often... yet.

Posted by Neil | Link to Article | Comments (3) | TrackBack