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tirsdag 26. oktober 2010

LOCALS DISCUSSING THE FUTURE, SUSTAINABILITY & CITY DEVELOPMENT IN BERGEN

Tekst: Erik Madsen , BYAVISEN

see this article: http://byavisen.net/2010/10/aktuelt/%E2%80%93-bergen-b%C3%B8r-bli-en-moderne-storby
BERGEN BØR BLI EN MODERNE STORBY

BYBANEN: Bybanen vil stå sentralt i byplanleggingen fremover. Fremtidige bebyggelser vil trolig komme i områdene rundt bybanestoppene,.  Foto: Silje Stavrum Norevik

Nye byggeprosjekter bør settes i gang langs Bybanen for å gjøre Bergen til en mer moderne storby i fremtiden. Det mener både bystyrepolitiker Tor Woldseth (Frp) og rektor Marianne Skjulhaug ved Arkitekthøgskolen i Bergen.

Både Woldseth og Skjulhaug er opptatt av hvordan Bergen skal se ut i fremtiden.
– Det er altfor mange tomme, store arealer som vi kunne benyttet mye bedre. Vi trenger større bydeler slik at ikke de som bor i Åsane og Laksevåg skal måtte reise inn til byen like ofte, sier Woldseth, som sitter i komité for miljø, klima og byutvikling.
Han mener Bergen må kjenne sin plass som den nest største byen i landet.
– Vi må bestemme oss for hvilken by Bergen skal være. Skal vi utgi oss for å være en jord- og landbrukskommune eller en by? spør han retorisk, før han legger til:
– Bergen er Norges nest største by og vi må starte med å bygge flere boliger. Vi skal være en i større grad moderne storby. Byen er i tillegg lite egnet for jordbruk. Områdene hvor Bybanen passerer, vil være naturlige steder for nye boliger.
Politikeren er heller ikke fornøyd med landskapet som møter de reisende bybane-passasjerene på vei mot Flesland.
– Det er bare tull at mye av begivenhetene er bondeland og kuer. Oppover mot flyplassen med Nordåsvannet er det store areal som kunne vært brukt til nye boliger. Det finnes mengder med landområder som ligger godt til rette for flere boliger og fine eiendommer, sier han.
Nye stemmer
Også rektor Marianne Skjulhaug ved Arkitekthøgskolen mener områdene på veien mot Flesland ligger til rette for byforhold.
– Hele området mellom Nordåsvannet og Flyplassveien bør utvikles til en ny bymessig struktur. Området sør for denne veien bør settes av til ulike former for matproduksjon i kombinasjon med turområder, sier hun. Skjulhaug er opptatt av byens stolte bygningshistorie, men også hun ønsker forandringer innenfor den bergenske arkitekturen.
– Det er fantastisk å oppleve historiske og virksomme områder i byen. Bergens historiske bykjerne er dagens funksjonelle sentrum, noe som skiller seg fra hovedstaden vår, sier hun og fortsetter:
– Bergen har mange kvaliteter og har nok Norges mest karakteristiske bysentrum. Likevel ville det vært flott om noen nye stemmer kunne slippe til, som et eksempel har arkitekten Rambø tegnet et fantastisk forslag til avslutningen av Skuten som ville løftet den arkitektoniske ambisjonen i byen.
Viktig balanse
Rektoren trekker frem viktigheten av kontrastene mellom det historiske og det nyskapende for en by.
– Byen er et felles minne, en stor historiebok som gir oss tilhørighet og forståelse for hva og hvor vi kommer fra, samtidig som byens endringer vil åpne for en fremtid, forklarer hun.
Bybanen vil stå sentralt i byplanleggingen fremover. Fremtidige bebyggelser vil komme i områdene rundt bybanestoppene, ifølge Skjulhaug.
– Bybanen vil helt sikkert bli stammen i bystrukturen fremover. Men en fortetting av byen er ikke uproblematisk og krever mye av innbyggere, utbyggere og politikere. Byutvikling gjør at det må forskes på nye bymodeller som kan oppfylle de drømmene om å bo og leve et godt byliv, hevder hun.
Rektoren har også noen oppfatninger om Oslo og Bergen i forhold til moderne og nyere bygg.
– Nybygging fører med seg både gode og dårlige eksempler. Operaen er helt unik, ikke bare i nasjonal sammenheng, men internasjonalt også. For Bergen er det kanskje Grieghallen som var siste tilskudd av banebrytende karakter. Bergens styrke ligger i sentrumsnære områder med mulighet for å bo med barn og naturen tett på, forteller hun.




NYTT OG GAMMELT: I Bergen sentrum kombineres det gamle og det nye. Rektor Marianne Skjulhaug ved Arkitekthøgskolen i Bergen synes det hadde vært fint om nye stemmer kunne slippe til når det gjelder utviklingen av byen.
Nytenkning
Kyrre Holmeseth er masterstudent ved Arkitekthøgskolen i Oslo. Han er selv oppvokst i Bergen, og driver for tiden prosjekter i byen, uten at han vil røpe hva han jobber med.
Studenten mener Bergen bør være moden for en nytenking innenfor arkitekturen.
– Personlig mener jeg at vi må tørre å gjøre noen nye ting som kan sette oss litt på arkitektur-agendaen, slik at vi ikke bare lever på det gamle. Vi må ikke være redde for å ha bygg som ser annerledes ut, sier han og legger til:
– Bergen skiller jo seg ut ved måten byen forholder seg til den gamle bebyggelsen og hvordan vi bygger arkitektur i terrenget i fjellsidene. Balansen mellom gammelt og noe nytt kan skape interessante kontraster, forklarer han.
Bergensk patriotisme
Den særegne og stolte tilhørigheten hos byens innfødte vil gjøre det vanskeligere for nytenking når det kommer til arkitektur i Bergen, i følge Holmeseth.
– Bergensere sin personlighet er vel et lite resultat av at vi kommer fra en by med gammel og sterk historie. Det hadde nok blitt store protester om det skulle blitt gjort noe med Bryggen.
Holmeseth synes likevel balansen mellom fortiden og nåtiden kommer dårlig ut når det nye bygget til Gulating lagmannsrett skal stå klart neste år.
– I stedet for å gi et nytt byrom som åpner seg mot plassen og lille Lungegården, blir det nå et kraftig volum som stenger inne den gamle brannstasjonen, sier han.
Også Holmeseth tror holdeplassene langs Bybanen vil være med på og skape nytt liv og flere boligområder i fremtiden.
– De fremtidige stoppene langs banen bør kunne legge grunnlag for en større by, med steder hvor man ønsker å reise til, som man ikke finner i sentrum, forklarer han til Byavisen.

SIGNALBYGG: Grieghallen er det nyeste bygget av banebrytende karakter i Bergen, mener rektor Marianne Skjulhaug ved Arkitekthøgskolen i Bergen.
Foto: Silje Stavrum Norevik

Tekst: Erik Madsen , BYAVISEN

see this article: http://byavisen.net/2010/10/aktuelt/%E2%80%93-bergen-b%C3%B8r-bli-en-moderne-storby

tirsdag 17. august 2010

THE FOOTPRINT PROJECT

I think they discuss all the important aspects of food and cities through projects and workshops / "talkshops", (wish I discovered it earlyer!) .

Check it out :
www.foodprintproject.com
and for video casts : http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/8637192





tirsdag 27. juli 2010

BERGEN - LANDSCAPE, PRODUCTIVE LAND & NEEDS

The  city of Bergen is situated on the west coast of Norway and has been one of the most important national (and international) harbours in its history, with connection to the rest of the world mainly by sea in its first hundred years. 

The city is situated in a landscape with strong
caracter surrounded by 7 more or less steep
mountains, shaped in arcs called Bergens buene.
This hilly topography causes the caracteristic
humid climate the city is known for; mild humid
air from the North Sea and Atlantic comes in and
is pushed up along the mountain sides, causing the
temperature to drop and rain. The topography of
Bergen also makes city-planning challenging,
regarding settlement pattern and infrastrucutral
mobility strategies connected to settlement and
densification.



After centuries of beeing a city connected by sea
and horse (and by foot naturally), from 1900
Bergen developed connection-lines by rail.












Bergens banen crossing the mountain to the
eastern part of Norway (Oslo) was built in the
beginning of the 20th century. But also within its
city-limits and to neighboring municipalities (now
some included into Bergen Municipality) light rail
lines were developed, one of them turning in
todays light rail stop, access-point : Wergeland.







From the middle of the 20th century the private
car was more and more prioritated, and by massive
development of the road system a new settlement
pattern spread out caused by the accessibility of
the car.






Later plane traffic for people and goods has also
escalated. Connecting Bergen to the rest og the
world with oil.











This development of Bergen (prioritating private car infrastructure) has continued up until today,
and still seems to be the political mentality in the Region of Bergen.
Bergen Municipality masters an area of 465,68km2. 50% of this landscape is above 160m. 4,4% is
freshwater surface.



















The urban areas are spread out over 108,5 km2, 23,3% of the total area of the Municipality,
divided into eight boroughs. With 267 860 inhabitants it is not a big city.






3,5% of Bergens area is farmland supporting only 11 780 people with food, on a vegetarian diet.
On a meat diet it is only sufficient to support 1980 peole through the year.


















If all the 267 860 inhabitants was living on a vegetarian diet and it was all to be produced
within the Municipality it would require 333,58 km2, 71,6% of the landscape floor.


















The Goverments amitions for the future is that we must be able to support ourselves
with 50% of consumed food within national borders to not put ourselves in a voulnerable position.
Based on these goals and ambitions to lower our eco-footprints
a change in local political mentality is required.

torsdag 15. juli 2010

VALUATION OF LAND AND FUTURE ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVE SOIL


In the local paper BT yesterday we could read an article by Gerd Lithun, cand. agric., at the University in Bergen (UiB).

Here is a short summary in english, whole article can be read here, (norwegian only I´m afraid).

By Norwegian law polititians are committed to see to that productive soil is used to no other purpose (than production of food, fibers etc).
Still 13 000 acres (52,61 km2, 11,3% of the total area of Bergen municipality) of productive soil were re-disposed for other purposes, only last year, an area  equivalent to 1100 football fields.
In the period from 2000-2009 162 504 acres (657,63 km2, 141,22% of the total area of Bergen municipality), has been re-disposed for roads, housing, industrial zones, schools, sports facilities, etc. Only in Hordaland region 7950 acres (32,17km2) were re-disposed.
This area of productive soil can not be replaced after its buildt upon as it takes 100 years to produce 1cm of productive soil. In the same period only 104 187 acres was cultivated, but it cannot replace the soil taken out of production, as it does not hold the same qualities. Every year we reduce our most productive areas.

Compared to other nations we have a lot of area relative to number of citizens, but only small zones capable to produce food or fodder. Only 3% of Norwegian land area is productive, and only one third of this area is of such good quality it is able to produce corn. In 2008 this was equivalent to 2,2 acres pr inhabitant, or 8900 m2 (2,7 acres pr inhab. is the average on world basis). 2,2 acres of good quality can produce 880kg of corn or 1320kg grass. This is enough to feed up 3,5 pigs for slaughter, or about 1/4 of a milk producing cow. But most of the productive fields we hold is best suited to produce fodder or grass due to climatic conditions.

1 million acres of irreplaceable land is lost the last 50 years in Norway. As long as it is happening little by little it does not attract much attention.

With the productive land we have we are able to feed 50% of the population through the year, or all of the inhabitants half the year. The rate of self-supply for Norway in 2008 was calculated 52% on an energy basis (kcal). We are able to produce almost enough milk and meat but we need to import corn. But large numbers of the milk and meat production is based on imported fodder.
Last year the spring was dry and the harvesting season wet so only 15% of the produces corn was of quality for human consumption.

Calculations show that the Norwegian population will increase with 1 mill by 2030. To maintain a self-sufficiency level of 50% we need to increase the production by 20%. Are we able to achieve this?
What happens if we will no longer have access to rent productive fields and cheap labor in other countries? Only 10% of world production is sold on the world market, the rest is regionally or locally consumed.

8th of June this year we heard on the news that Sandnes municipality plan to build on 2000 acres of the best productive land we have in this country. Land should not be managed by the municipalities alone if they can make this decision without national discussion.

onsdag 7. juli 2010

IMAGES FROM la CHAPELLE : COMMUNITY PARK PROJECT IN PARIS

See also my paris experience blog-post from city as biotope
 "....the everyday park between the rail-lines of Gare de l´Est and Rue d´Aubervilliers, Jardins d´Eole that almost lost the 12 year long fight for its right to exist to the plans for extention of a storage hall. Now it is a beautiful addition in peoples life in this aera; people working out, playing, talking, growing vegetables and fruits in the parcel-garden, having coffe and crèpe and talking, and the children experience to see how a sunflower grow, or how a turnip they planted taste when it is finished (school project)."

rue d´Aubervilliers - Jardins d´Éole











Permeable surfaces, natural seeding straws and surface water management











Parcel gardens
















Garden produce

MORE IMAGES FROM aaa PROJECT IN PARIS / Le 56 : Eco-interstice

Photos from aaa´s Urban gardening project in Paris : Le 56 / Eco-interstice

"This project explores the possibilities of an urban interstice to be transformed into a collectively self-managed space. Initiated in 2006 in St. Blaise area, in the East of Paris, the project engaged a partnership between local government structures, local organisations, inhabitants of the area and a professional association which run training programmes in eco-construction. The management of the project gives space and time to construction, the construction site becoming itself a social and cultural act.
Parallely with the construction of the physical space, different social and cultural networks and relationships between the users and the actors involved are emerging. The project has an important take on the notion of proximity and active borders. Neighborhood walls transform the boundaries of the site into interactive devices, which rather than separating, multiply exchange and connections. Another strong take is on the ecological aspect: energetic autonomy, recycling, minimal ecological footprint, a compost laboratory."
http://56stblaise.wordpress.com/



























Entrance with small office on top.
The neighborhood garden


























And sales of harvested products every Wednesday and Saturday

EcoBox by aaa

From the same TIMELINE from design act

EcoBox
by Atelier d’architecture autogérée
(FR) 2001

Self-managed eeo-urban network

The EcoBox is the initial project within a series of self-managed projects in the La Chapelle area of northern Paris which encourages residents to gain access to and critically transform misused or underused spaces. These projects actively involved municipal stakeholders to emphasize a flexible use of space and aim to preserve urban 'biodiversity' by encouraging the co-existence of a wide range of life-styles and living practices. Atelier d'architecture autogeree (aaa) began this process by establishing a temporary garden constructed out of recycled materials. The garden, EcoBox, has progressively extended into a platform for urban criticism and creativity, which is curated by the aaa members, residents and external collaborators and which catalyses activities at a local and trans-Iocallevel. EcoBox's principles of self-management have been furthered developed in the project Le 56/ Eco-Interstice by aaa. –NL




ImageEcoBox_1.jpg




Video: Interview 1/10 PreviousNext Context and Beginning

LINKS
http://www.urbantactics.org/

Atelier d'architecture autogérée (aaa) was founded in 2001 as an inter- and extra- disciplinary network with a multiplicity of viewpoints : architects, artists, students, researchers, politicians, unemployed, activists, retired, inhabitants, and all concerned users. Members of aaa involved in EcoBox were: Constantin Petcou, Doina Petrescu, Denis Favret, Giovanni Piovene, and Giada Mangiameli, in collaboration with Borderphonics, Bordercartographe, artists, activists, students, and inhabitants of the La Chapelle area. aaa projects are embedded in their local contexts, reactivate everyday practices and initiate translocal platforms for cultural production. Other projects include: Le 56 / Eco-interstice (2005-2008), Mobile Geographies of Skills (2004-2005), and Cuisine Urbaine (2003-2004).

URBAN PASTORAL

I found this project in design acts TIMELINE

Urban Pastoral
by eskyiu
(CN) 2008

Architectural proposal for urban farming and garden structure

Urban Pastoral appropriates interstitial urban space to create landscapes and greenery in the city of Hong Kong. These designs lower ambient air temperature while also reducing air and noise pollution. All structure are made with 1OOPERCENTTM, a material made entirely from discarded milk and detergent packaging, and Ecoglass TM, a 40% post-industrial recycled material by 3form materials company. The existing density of Hong Kong relates back to the 1895 British Law that declared control over all local lands except for villages native to the territory. As a result, areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon grew dense and vertical whilst other areas such as Sai Kung and Tai Po remained rural. Urban Pastoral is an attempt to redress the over-development of colonial legacy, and also reclaim the city through agriculture. The project has been developed with support from companies (3form, Hunter Douglas Asia, 3form US, 3form International, 3form Asia), the government (part of the Venice Biennale representing Hong Kong), and academia (Hong Kong University Cultural Humanities Fund). –NL




ImageUrban-Pastoral_1.jpg Photo credit: eskyiu

LINKS
http://www.eskyiu.com/urbanpastoral/

Eric Schuldenfrei and Marisa Yiu founded eskyiu, a design collaborative integrating culture, community and technology. Their interest lies in examining the ways in which the built environment and constructs of labor shape social relationships by forming connections between civic engagement and sustainable design. Art and technology are utilized to engage the viewer and the larger public. Previous selected projects include: Chinatown WORK 2006 an interactive public arts installation sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC and 3form material solutions; SINO a video installation shown at the Brooklyn Museum; Nutritious: An Aeroponic Farçade exhibited at the Architectural Association in London funded by 3form and Greenfingers. Based in both Hong Kong and New York, they do research and teach in addition to their design practice. Currently, they are teaching a studio at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation titled On Greater China.

søndag 25. april 2010

BACK AND FORTH WITH HISTORY

A COMMON TRANSECT

A common transect has a simple expansion of the typical section cut technique. In a natural condition this slices through a number of ecosystems. The definition from the CATS site gives a quick idea of the concept of transect which borrows from the ecological concept: "A transect is a cut or path through part of the environment showing a range of different habitats. Biologists and ecologists use transects to study the many symbiotic elements that contribute to habitats where certain plants and animals thrive. Human beings also thrive in different habitats. Some people prefer urban centers and would suffer in a rural place, while others thrive in the rural or sub-urban zones. Before the automobile, American development patterns were walkable, and transects within towns and city neighborhoods revealed areas that were less urban and more urban in character. This urbanism could be analyzed as natural transects are analyzed." (from LANDSCAPE+URBANISM)

This article is very interesting so I can recomend reading it on Representing Transects

but the comments to the post is starting a good discussion to;

michelle said...

Great Post. I have always been attracted to the simplicity of the transect and its ability to convey a lot of information, albeit general, in a graphically pleasing way. Applying the transect to the urban growth boundary is a tricky, but I think doable task.

There is a bit of a disconnect between the UGB line on the map and the resulting landscape. The development takes time to catch up with planning. I was driving through Damascus the other day the the farms gave way quickly to the dense neighborhoods. Between those were the remnants of the 3-5 acre rural lots. It was all in all a spotty, hard to comprehend landscape. It would make for an interesting looking transect. What I see happening more and more is the urban growth boundary is not a circle but more of a blob with arms. It would be interesting to see what a transect looks like that starts in the UGB travels through the rural area and reenters the UGB in another arm.

Thanks for the collection of info.

Michelle, December 30, 2009 1:24 PM

ABDaigle said...

Michelle, I have been thinking about your post, because the application of the Transect to walkable urbanism intends just that - the wave-like action of urban separated by rural (although each "urban" area has its own characteristics and level of urbanism, from hamlet to village to city to regional center).
The primary point is that each "increment" of urbanism must be, at minimum, an approximate 1/4 mile" pedestrian shed" to make it truly sustainable (i.e., meaning most daily needs are within walking distance and rich with a diversity of living, working and shopping opportunities).
This assumes the largest lots are primarily on the neighborhood edge as a transition from urban to rural, adjacent preferably to rural agriculture, and that a mix of ag and preserved "wilderness" likewise separate communities.
This concept can be valid in a number of urban settings, from small town neighborhoods to highly urban areas.
While with PlaceMakers, we designed a community of eight hamlets and saved the majority of land between each one as natural landscape. (The original plan had been to fully develop in sprawl mode the entire land area.) The Waters is outside Montgomery, AL, and hamlet one is well underway. Here is a link to the Master Plan:
http://www.thewatersal.com/WatersMasterPlan.pdf
It is a good example of how one can plan complete neighborhoods, maintain a small town feel while building compactly to ensure walkability, and conserve land. There are many design tools to accomplish similar effects in more urban areas, from conservation easements to urban agriculture to regional parks and greenways.
I love Germany, where the urban edge ends abruptly and agriculture or forests take over. (Large suburban size lots are almost nonexistent there, where efficiency seems to trump other considerations and public shared space is well-designed and abundant.)

Ann Daigle, Community Design & Plan Strategy, March 3, 2010 1:08 PM

THE ROLE OF...

ROADS GONE WILD

No street signs. No crosswalks. No accidents. Surprise: Making driving seem more dangerous could make it safer.
(from a WIRED article
Issue 12.12 - December 2004)

Hans Monderman (Engineer of Livable Streets,) is a traffic engineer who hates traffic signs. Oh, he can put up with the well-placed speed limit placard or a dangerous curve warning on a major highway, but Monderman considers most signs to be not only annoying but downright dangerous. To him, they are an admission of failure, a sign - literally - that a road designer somewhere hasn't done his job. "The trouble with traffic engineers is that when there's a problem with a road, they always try to add something," Monderman says. "To my mind, it's much better to remove things." .......

Riding in his green Saab, we glide into Drachten, a 17th-century village that has grown into a bustling town of more than 40,000. We pass by the performing arts center, and suddenly, there it is: the Intersection. It's the confluence of two busy two-lane roads that handle 20,000 cars a day, plus thousands of bicyclists and pedestrians. Several years ago, Monderman ripped out all the traditional instruments used by traffic engineers to influence driver behavior - traffic lights, road markings, and some pedestrian crossings - and in their place created a roundabout, or traffic circle. The circle is remarkable for what it doesn't contain: signs or signals telling drivers how fast to go, who has the right-of-way, or how to behave. There are no lane markers or curbs separating street and sidewalk, so it's unclear exactly where the car zone ends and the pedestrian zone begins. To an approaching driver, the intersection is utterly ambiguous - and that's the point.

Monderman and I stand in silence by the side of the road a few minutes, watching the stream of motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians make their way through the circle, a giant concrete mixing bowl of transport. Somehow it all works. The drivers slow to gauge the intentions of crossing bicyclists and walkers. Negotiations over right-of-way are made through fleeting eye contact. Remarkably, traffic moves smoothly around the circle with hardly a brake screeching, horn honking, or obscene gesture. "I love it!" Monderman says at last. "Pedestrians and cyclists used to avoid this place, but now, as you see, the cars look out for the cyclists, the cyclists look out for the pedestrians, and everyone looks out for each other. You can't expect traffic signs and street markings to encourage that sort of behavior. You have to build it into the design of the road.".....

In Denmark, the town of Christianfield stripped the traffic signs and signals from its major intersection and cut the number of serious or fatal accidents a year from three to zero. In England, towns in Suffolk and Wiltshire have removed lane lines from secondary roads in an effort to slow traffic - experts call it "psychological traffic calming." A dozen other towns in the UK are looking to do the same. A study of center-line removal in Wiltshire, conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory, a UK transportation consultancy, found that drivers with no center line to guide them drove more safely and had a 35 percent decrease in the number of accidents.

In the US, traffic engineers are beginning to rethink the dictum that the car is king and pedestrians are well advised to get the hell off the road. In West Palm Beach, Florida, planners have redesigned several major streets, removing traffic signals and turn lanes, narrowing the roadbed, and bringing people and cars into much closer contact. The result: slower traffic, fewer accidents, shorter trip times. "I think the future of transportation in our cities is slowing down the roads," says Ian Lockwood, the transportation manager for West Palm Beach during the project and now a transportation and design consultant. "When you try to speed things up, the system tends to fail, and then you're stuck with a design that moves traffic inefficiently and is hostile to pedestrians and human exchange.".....

CHAOS = COOPERATION

1. Remove signs: The architecture of the road - not signs and signals - dictates traffic flow.

2. Install art: The height of the fountain indicates how congested the intersection is.

3. Share the spotlight: Lights illuminate not only the roadbed, but also the pedestrian areas.

4. Do it in the road: Caf�s extend to the edge of the street, further emphasizing the idea of shared space.

5. See eye to eye: Right-of-way is negotiated by human interaction, rather than commonly ignored signs.

6. Eliminate curbs: Instead of a raised curb, sidewalks are denoted by texture and color.

read the full article here

Hans Monderman, Engineer of Livable Streets, died in 2008.

This is what Kathy Madden says about his work;

"2007 we met with Hans in the Netherlands and he told us that although his work started by analyzing why accidents occurred in some areas and why they didn't happen in others, he said that there was one essential goal of calming any intersection. This goal was simply to slow the traffic down to where there could be eye contact between the various people who are meeting each other at the intersection - on foot or in a vehicle. While we were visiting him we had the honor to go with him to several of the intersections that he had worked on and experience them first hand. It was the most remarkable experience to walk through the intersection and, as a pedestrian, have the right of way just prior to bicycles, buses, private vehicles and trucks. One bus pulled up beside us and the driver opened the window and said "Mr. Monderman - I just wanted to thank you for what you did to this street - it works so much better now". Older people were casually riding on bicycles doing their errands and everyone was doing something we had not seen in a long time - using hand signals to indicate when they were turning. The experience we had walking in these "shared" intersections was like walking in slow motion - almost like being in some sort of ballet or slow dance! We have much to thank Hans Monderman for and much to do to utilize if his ideas and experience in US citites today."

Kathy Madden
Project for Public Spaces

lørdag 24. april 2010

JANE JACOBS WALKS

Jane Jacobs was an urban thinker ahead of her time. When the great thinkers of the day were promoting freeways and auto-centric suburban development, she spotted what was being lost. To her, the best cities and neighborhoods were organic, constantly evolving communities, or networks of relationships. People knew each other and looked out for each other. Walkability was a key component in her vision of what made a city livable. One of her famous lines was that to know a city, or to know a neighbourhood, you needed to walk it.

She died just a few years ago, in her adopted home of Toronto. To honor her, friends in Toronto began the tradition of prompting people to host walks through their neighborhoods, pointed out what they like, or what Jane might have liked. In a recent interview that discussed neighbourhoods and Jane Jacobs, Richard Florida offers some reasons why we might love our home area:

So in essence a neighborhood is not just a set of individuals, but a set of relationships. I think that’s right. And the relationships are fluid. Some are longstanding and some you can plug into and play. And the places that enable those relationships to form are the places that do better.

Every time we come back to these neighborhoods that are exciting, that are great, there’s a long history behind them.

A Jane’s Walk is a chance to learn more of the local history and relationships that made local history. The experience of learning dozens of new things about your own city, and how cities work at the ground level is amazing. This year I’ll also try the experience of hosting, and sharing some recent history of my own neighborhood.

Find one in your city, or offer to host one… Click here for Canada or global cities. In the US try this direct link. They will happen simultaneously across North America and around the world on May 1 and 2, 2010.

Written by Wendy Waters at All About Cities

mandag 19. april 2010

TROUBLE IN THE SKY

It is fascinating how first the financial crisis, and now a volcano (crisis) shows us how much trouble we are in, caused by the way we have chosen to organize the world.

The clouds of ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano creeping in over Europe is showing us just how dependent we have made our selves of oil, represented by the aerial traffic. The flexibility and shorted time in travel the planes gives us, including transporting goods and important stuff like organs, makes them almost impossible to replace. The papers tell us about all the things we are running out of due to this incident of nature; organs like a hart needs to be inside its recipient within 4 hours after its last beat if it is to be a successful transplant. Almost impossible unless one live within 4 hours of the hospital doing the procedure, and the organ donor live within 4 hours to that same hospital too. But not only organ transplants have become threatened, if you live out on the islands or far into the fjords of Norway getting to the (right) hospital in time can be a challenge when the ambulance helicopters are stuck on the ground. Lives are suddenly at risk as the aerial traffic is paralyzed and on the ground. But in the future how will we adapt to this change that most likely will come? Oil fuel will become a scarce source of energy and this week shows us how vulnerable we are without it.
In Africa (Ethiopia) they are burning their roses now because without aerial traffic working in Europe they can´t get their product out to the consumers. How weird is that, flying flowers around the world? Things will change if we will make a serious attempt to lower our carbon footprint as dramatically as the goals have been set, to avoid further increased temperatures. What are people willing too give up, and how will they who loose their business adapt?

It will be interesting to see what our local politicians (with Torill Selvold Nyborg, as County Mayor, in charge) decide when they will attempt to agree on a KLIMAPLAN (plan for reducing green gas emissions,GGE) for our county that Bergen is a part of; Hordaland.
The KLIMAPLAN on a world basis is aiming to reduce their emissions based on numbers of 1991. This is argued by many to be quite an unfair share of responsibility. A global fair target will be emission rates pr. person (a footprint based on the individual), would reveal the enormous ecological space some parts of the world takes. GGE for a North American inhabitant is over 25 mill. tons pr year, while for an African it is under 5 mill. tons. A Norwegian based in Hordaland county is responsible for 13,6 mill. tons. If we in Hordaland cut our GGE with 5% every year we will in 2020 be responsible for 7,2 mill. tons individually. (source: Hordaland Naturvernforbund)
Key words to achieve this is short traveled food, bio-energy and a lower energy consumption. And political courage to dispose land and resources smarter in an ecological point of view.

torsdag 8. april 2010

ANTICIPATION TO FUTURE GREEN LIFE

I found this article on the site of the Norwegian Government "FUTURE CITIES". It is a survey done for the government concerning muncipalities "green actions" and the public responses to them;

En undersøkelse gjennomført av TNS Gallup for Framtidens byer viser at befolkningen i de 13 største byene i Norge ønsker seg kommuner som jobber aktivt for at de skal kunne leve mer klimavennlig.
- Undersøkelsen viser at når kommunene først tar grep og gjennomfører miljø- og klimatiltak, får de støtte av innbyggerne, sier miljø- og utviklingsminister Erik Solheim.
TNS Gallup har på oppdrag fra Framtidens byer spurt innbyggerne i de 13 største byene hvor fornøyd de er med kommunens klimapolitikk i dag, og hvordan de ser på andre mulige klimatiltak.
- Drammen får høyest oppslutning for sitt arbeid om å gjøre sentrum attraktivt og levende, mens Trondheim er den byen der flest er fornøyd med kommunens prioritering av kollektivfelt. Dette er tiltak som disse byene har arbeidet aktivt med, og det setter befolkningen tydelig pris på, sier Solheim.

Fornøyd med resirkulering

Innbyggerne i Framtidens byer er mest fornøyde med kommunens arbeid med tilrettelegging for kildesortering, gjenbruk og retur av spesialavfall. Folk er også positive til arbeidet med å bygge ut fjernvarme.
Minst fornøyd er innbyggerne med kommunenes satsing på sykkelveier, og med lokaliseringen av barnehager og andre kommunale tjenester slik at disse kan nås uten bil.

Vil ha kollektivtransport og grønne lunger

Beboerne i Framtidens byer er også spurt om hvilke tiltak de mener kommunen bør prioritere. Aller viktigst synes innbyggerne det er å bygge ut kollektivtransporten, og gi plass til grønne lunger for lek og rekreasjon. Når det gjelder disse to tiltakene er også innbyggerne relativt misfornøyd med kommunenes innsats i dag.

Over nitti prosent mener kildesortering og retur av spesialavfall må prioriteres. Like mange er for bygging av flere turveier og fortau, og ønsker at kommunen skal prioritere et levende og attraktivt sentrum.

Drammen på topp

Et lite flertall er misfornøyde med sin kommune når de blir spurt hva de alt i alt synes om kommunenes arbeid med å tilrettelegge for at de skal kunne leve mer klimavennlig. De i alderen 30-44 år er minst fornøyde, mens de som er 60 + er mest fornøyde.

Tilfredsheten varierer mye fra kommune til kommune. Innbyggere i Drammen kommune er mest fornøyde, og har en score for helhetlig tilfredshet med kommunens miljøtiltak på hele 4,1 på en skala fra 1 til 6. Stavanger komme på en god annenplass, med en score på 3,6.

Stolte av byen sin

64% av de spurte er stolte av sin egen by. Undersøkelsen viser også at de innbyggerne som i størst grad opplever å kunne påvirke kommunens klimagassutslipp, er mest fornøyd med kommunens klimapolitikk og mest stolt av byen sin.

- Norske kommuner har virkemidler til å redusere norske klimagassutslipp med hele 20 prosent. Denne undersøkelsen viser at befolkningen vil at kommunene faktisk bruker disse virkemidlene, sier Solheim.

mandag 5. april 2010

IT´S ABOUT CONNECTING THE DOTS

OK, so easter is finally over and kindergarten will again serve me and give me some space to think starting tomorrow. Finally!
March has been a slow month for the diploma work so april will have to work better and charge this head with some good and new energy.
In my achitecture history task I mention Paul Downton and the Eco-City Builders organisation. On this page www.ecocitybuilders.org/amendment you can read the amendment of the citizens of Berkley, their (political?) approach to a more sustainable life in the city (whole version little lower in this text).
I think this was a good kick start after to much holidays, and inspirational to read it as the voices of "the citizens".


Looking at the proposals for the "The Heart of the City and Strawberry Creek at Center Street Project", it might not be quite what I expect to be the solution for f.ex access-point:Wergeland, but some of the intentions for the development are worth mentioning;
#Create opportunities for people to gather and engage in civic life and activities
#Encourage and support buildings that utilize sustainable design principles, including solar energy, rain and stormwater catchment and treatment, and other “green” design practices
#Increase current City stormwater capacity through the employment of permeable paving, natural plantings, and an underground cistern that will also serve to reduce flashing and runoff impacts farther downstream

The project adresses:
#Automobile dependence and transportation alternatives
#Pedestrian streets, public space, and street design
#The need to demonstrate effective ecological design, materials, and methods
#Education and outreach to the community
#Advanced and innovative watershed and stormwater management models
#Sustainable public infrastructure improvements
#Linkages between environmental restoration and sustainable development

[Full text of the proposed Ecocity Amendment to the Berkeley General Plan]

" The Ecocity Amendment to the General Plan

We, the citizens of Berkeley, are prepared to take part in what we believe will be the most consequential ecological endeavor of the 21st century: the rebuilding of our cities and towns in balance with nature. We understand the extreme importance of this task and accept responsibility for contributing to this healthy co-evolution of future generations and the bioregion. We also acknowledge that we are part of larger systems, both natural and social. Guided by the principles of ecology as we make decisions regarding our built environment and social structures, we will place this city upon a shared path of health and well-being. By implementing the Ecocity Amendment to the General Plan, the City of Berkeley will take the following measures to proactively reverse wasteful and ecologically damaging practices and facilitate balanced co-existence with nature, now and into the future.

Policies

The Berkeley Planning Commission and the Berkeley City Council should include the following four (4) policies in the Land Use Element of the Berkeley General Plan:

Ecocity Policy #1: Ecological Design (To facilitate the ecologically healthy city, we must design and build structures that are in balance with people and nature.)

Require the highest quality architectural and ecological design for new development projects. Require environmentally sensitive and sustainable design in new buildings, such as solar accessibility and orientation, and energy efficiency. Encourage development of public spaces in higher density city centers with ecological features such as public plazas, creek and forest restored urban environments and other amenities that enhance the pedestrian environment.

Ecocity Policy #2: Centers (Distance requires time and energy to traverse. The greater the distance people have to travel, the higher the use of resources and the greater the ecological damage. Therefore, we should be rebuilding and reorganizing into relatively compact centers, connected to efficient public transit.)

Encourage pedestrian orientation and community building by establishing centers throughout the City, ranging from small neighborhoods such as the Elmwood, to larger centers, such as 4th Street, and the largest center: the Downtown. These centers should increase appropriately in density and connect to efficient mass transit options.

Ecocity Policy #3: Heart of the City (Berkeley's central downtown core offers a powerful opportunity for successful innovation and economic development, and restoration of nature at the same time.)

On the blocks between the Downtown BART Station, Oxford Street, University Avenue and Center Street, establish the Heart of the City District in which taller buildings may be allowed, but only if the development provides transit oriented housing for a variety of income groups, exhibits environmentally sustainable ecologically sensitive design features, and incorporates natural elements, such as Strawberry Creek.

Establish provisions in the zoning ordinance for a Heart of the City Planned Unit Development (PUD) or Ecological Demonstration Project (EDP) permit process to review and approve innovative and ecological design in the Downtown that may not conform to the setback, height, parking, or other requirements of the zoning ordinance.

Ecocity Policy #4: Funding Environmental Restoration (To ensure balance between the built environment and the natural environment requires mechanisms and linkages between land development and land restoration.)

To ensure that new development funds environmental restoration:

Establish an Environmental Improvement Density Bonus for downtown projects that will generate funds for environmental improvements, such as creek restoration, reforestation, and wetlands restoration. Establish provisions that would allow additional floor area in downtown development in return for financial contributions to a local environmental fund for environmental restoration through direct purchase, purchase of easements or purchase of Transfer of Development Rights.

Establish a Transfer of Development Rights Ordinance to facilitate and fund ecological design, open space enhancements, creek restoration, natural habitat restoration and expansion of community gardens and public parks. Consider provisions that would allow development rights from ecologically sensitive or environmentally important property throughout the City to be transferred to Downtown development. Encourage a multi-disciplinary group of experts to prepare draft provisions for community, Planning Commission, and City Council consideration in drafting a TDR ordinance. "