Each week we will be focusing on blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
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• Time's Michael Grunwald took the train ride from Miami to Orlando to consider the Obama administration's $8 billion investment in high speed rail. The US President aims to create 13 national high speed rail corridors to relieve road and air congestion, reduce carbon emissions and highway deaths, create jobs and jump-start the domestic manufacturing industry. The stimulus funding is a great first step but at 1/8 of last year's spending on highways, there is much more work to be done.
• The New York Times reports on the growing trend of cargo-hauling tricycles in New York City. The bespoke "industrial trikes" transform bikes from personal transportation devices to child-carrying, grocery-hauling complete car alternatives. Users even reported a positive change in their interactions with cars and trucks when using the device.
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July 27th, 2010
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
DARTMOUTH - All HRM newcomers and residents are invited to gather at this Saturday's 5th Annual Community Potluck and Barbecue at Sullivan's Pond, Dartmouth. B.Y.O. plate, utensils, blanket, and dish to share, and enjoy the afternoon's festivities, free barbecue (while supplies last) and friendly company.
Sponsors include Halifax Regional Municipality, Greater Halifax Partnership, YMCA, Carpenter Millright Trades College, Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services, AWEDA, Tutor Doctor, Halifax Regional Library, Halifax Regional Police and HRM Fire Services.
WHAT: 5th Annual Community Potluck & Barbeque for Newcomers and Residents
WHERE: Sullivan's Pond, Dartmouth [map]
WHEN: 11am-2pm, Saturday July 31st
photo by Dean Bouchard, member of the Spacing Atlantic flickr pool
July 24th, 2010
Spacing Saturday highlights posts from across Spacing’s blog network in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and the Atlantic region.
Spacing Ottawa editor Evan Thornton was on the road in Winnipeg this week and reports from that city on the dialogue surrounding the beautifully restored and vibrant Exchange District. During the decades when money was being funnelled into large scale modernist improvement projects the Exchange District was naturally and slowly rejuvenating itself.
On behalf of Montreal artist "Hyperalligina" Spacing is appealing to readers to help find the perfect empty lot in the city for part of an art project to be installed this summer using a grant from the Awesome Ottawa Project. The post includes some more details about what the artist is looking for.
What does your choice of favourite buildings say about your personality? Continuing to digest the results from the reader survey of the best of Montreal, Spacing contributor Justin Boulanger speculates about the personal traits of the readers of who selected the top three favourite buildings and laments that the Sci-Fi nerds were not organized enough to get Olympic Stadium onto the podium.
In a landmark public space ruling the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled this week that the City of Montreal's anti-postering bylaw is unconstitutional. Christopher DeWolf reports on the story of how the law was challenged and speculates what the city will do to accommodate postering in the future. The post also includes a fantastic gallery of posters from around the city.
As part of the Ideas for Toronto series Adrian Lightstone brings up the issue of using referendums to gauge public support for new revenue tools for transit funding. Citing that referendums having fallen out of style in Canada, Lighstone points out they are frequently used in American cities and other places around the world and have even been used in Toronto.
Mayoral Candidate George Smitherman walked Eglinton Ave all the way across Toronto this week suggesting his interest in urban walkability. Spacing's Todd Harrison caught with him during part of his walk for a discussion about how he would promote walkability as Mayor and put the discussion on Spacing Radio.
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July 22nd, 2010
Open invitation! Spacing Atlantic wants to read your city, neighbourhood, block, street, breakfast corner - niche - in photographic form. Old photos, new photos, ones you didn't even take. Dang, you could even send us a drawing. We want to see the first place, the first intersection, first hole in the sidewalk you think of that captures the who, what and why of where you live.
Think of it like this: if you could tell us about the space that you call home in one word, and that word was one photo (and I needlessly tacked on the old adage about how a picture is actually a thousand words), how would you do it?
Send your graphic magic to emmafeltes @ spacing . ca, or post a link to your flick in the comments section, and we'll assemble en masse at the end of the month.
