Week 12

different types of bike lanes

http://therecord.blogs.com/take_the_lane/ontario-bike-summit/

 http://www.cyclingresourcecentre.org.au/page/bicycle_network_planning

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segregated_cycle_facilities]

 http://www.swarpa.net/~danforth/photos/colorado03/

http://www.swarpa.net/~danforth/photos/colorado03/

http://www.doobybrain.com/2009/10/20/a-guide-to-bike-lanes-in-new-york-city/

http://blog.tstc.org/2008/05/28/dot-announces-new-bike-infrastructure/

http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/category/cycle-planning/

 http://www.sitephocus.com/blog/?p=488

 http://www.sitephocus.com/blog/?p=488

 It is simply for holding onto while waiting for the light to change.   It is located in a Copenhagen traffic circle. The foot rest reads: “Hi, cyclist! Rest your foot here… and thank you for cycling in the city.”

http://www.studiogblog.com/shop-for-garden-products/furniture-garden/futuristic-friday-interesting-new-concepts-for-landscape-architects-urban-designers/ 

http://blog.ounodesign.com/

madrid rio by west 8 and MRIO

Tranquilo might as well be the motto of Madrid. It’s commonly used to tell someone to “take it easy” or “relax," perfect for these trying economic times. For those Madrileños who might find themselves a little stressed (and overheated) these days, the Madrid Rio project by West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture has created a recreational zone along the Manzanares River that will allow people to enjoy an area previously referred to by many as “what river?” It’s an understatement to say that the area around the river had been all but abandoned until early 2005, when the government announced an international search for urban architects to renovate the area. West 8, along with MRIO Arquitectos, won the contest and work began on the ambitious project in 2006. The process consisted of completely transforming the deserted area into a family-friendly public park, now known as the Madrid RIO.Once the tunnels were operational underground, the progression above ground started to emerge, with landscape architecture never before seen on this scale. The new areas along the river were designed by using the “3+30” method of dividing 80 hectares into a “trilogy of strategic projects” that separate the elongated area into 47 various sub-projects including a large pine tree park, multiple sports areas, 30 km (approximately 18.6 miles) of bicycle paths, 11 new playgrounds, six installations for the elderly, and even a sandy beach with humidifiers, parasols, and a kayak-paddling area.
The Madrid RIO project has also managed to embrace the area's history by renovating its most historical bridges. The Puente de Segovia, the oldest bridge in Madrid (1582), the Puente de Toledo (1684), and the Puente del Rey (1816) have all been reformed by improving railings, widening walkways, and adding lanes for the new bike path, the Green Ring (Anillo Verde), that loops around the city. In addition to restoring these historic monuments along the river, two new bridges were added to the existing bridges and walkways. The ultra-modern Arganzuela Footbridge was designed by Dominique Perrault and cost a steep 18.5 million USD (approximately 13 million Euros). Covered by interlocking curved metallic strips, the spiraling silver bridge is a large walkway that provides an expansive view over the river and park areas below. It divides into two “arms” that allow visitors to stroll along the entire 278 meter  (approximately 912') bridge to the other side of the river or head downward to the water park.

http://buildipedia.com/in-studio/urban-planning/madrid-rio-by-west-8-and-mrio?print=1&tmpl=component

avenue2 consortium wins a2 maastricht project with groene loper plan

The Groene Loper plan gets its name from a stretch of greenery that will weave its way through the city from north to south along the current A2 zone. Over a distance of 2.3 kilometers, a two-carriageway tunnel with four lanes each will provide extensive underground traffic capacity. Above the tunnel, a peaceful and safe park boulevard with 2,000 linden trees will be developed, restricted to local traffic only. Two unique city entrances are created at the mouths of the tunnel. They will be recognizable as two sloping areas in the landscape. They will transform the current A2 zone into a connective space for the city. The quiet and safe park lane is created with an emphasis on pedestrians and cyclists. This means more room and better quality of life for inhabitants, flora and fauna. Such a streetscape profile is possible because of the strategically chosen stacked tunnel format, providing a great deal of freedom for the design of the public realm. This stacked format, with two tunnel tubes on top of each other, creates a narrow profile that can still handle large traffic volumes with optimum traffic flow through. Local traffic and through traffic are separated from each other to help reduce lane changes within the tunnel.

edem: ZAC bords de seine housing project

 http://stephenbrammer.wordpress.com/tag/waste/ 

water street

 

At a larger scale, FXFOWLE is partnering with landscape architecture firm Starr Whitehouse to reconfigure Water Street in downtown Manhattan so it better integrates nature and offers a more people-friendly environment. “The current street level is an absymal place.” There are 8 acres of privately owned public space separated into 20 underused plazas along Water Street running from Battery Park to Fulton Street, but “they are diffuse, not well-designed.” Redistributing the public space, creating a new boulevard, strengthening the connection to the water, and redesiging the public ground floor spaces to enhance street life will help turn Water Street into a sustainable, regenerative urban space.
quadrangle architects: 'green ribbon' gardiner expressway toronto.
Right now, Water Street has “too much street.” It’s 60 feet wide. Much of that space will be taken up by new street trees, bike lanes, and wider sidewalks with benches and amenities. The entire project, which is being financed by NYC Planning Department streetscape improvement funds and the private storefront owners, is expected to cost just $7-9 million. Also, Wall Street, which now ends up at the river as a sort of “service exit” will become a “hybrid street” and public space with water features and a farmer’s market. To deal with all the blank, negative facades, Kaplan said FXFOWLE and Starr Whitehouse will encourage storefront owners to create ”art, display, or green walls” where they can’t convince owners to create new stores, coffee shops, or other storefront space. In addition, lighting will be a focus, with the “canopy of trees lit at night.”
 http://dirt.asla.org/2011/05/25/using-nature-to-reinvent-cities/

architect les klien principal of quadrangle architects has unveiled a green solution for toronto's gardiner expressway.
known as the 'green ribbon' project the concept proposes a seven-kilometre green space over an elevated section. columns would be put in place to anchor the roof structure. the linear park would accommodate pedestrian and cycling pathways protected from
vehicular traffic. access would be provided at major intersections via ramps and stairways. it is envisaged that the green ribbon could generate its own power through wind turbines and photovoltaic panels.  since its opening in 1965 the expressway, which connects downtown toronto with its western suburbs it has been considered a necessity for some and an eyesore for others. in recent years there has been discussions of demolishing it entirely and replacing it with a network of tunnels and surface roads or rehabilitating.

 http://stephenbrammer.wordpress.com/tag/waste/

field operations' race star pier now open

Last month, the City of Philadelphia celebrated the opening of Race Street Pier, a new waterfront public space designed by landscape architecture and urban design firm James Corner Field Operations, who are also the designers of Freshkills Park and the High Line. The 50,000 sq ft pier was first constructed in 1896 as a bi-level facility accommodating both shipping and recreation.  The new design echoes the past. [T]he physical design of the new pier is split into two levels – an upper level with a grand sky promenade and a lower level for passive recreation and social gathering.  A dramatic ramp rises twelve feet into the air along the north face of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, dramatizing the sense of arriving in the space of the river through a forced one-point perspective and allowing for rare views back to the City.  A sun-filled lower terrace supports a multi-purpose lawn, planting beds and seating.  The two levels are linked by a generous seating terrace that wraps around the end of the pier and amplifies the sense of magic associated with being on the edge. The Pier is the first project within the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation’s Civic Vision for the Central Delaware Riverfront, which aims to create and maintain public spaces every half mile along a seven-mile stretch of the river.
http://freshkillspark.wordpress.com/tag/design/



light lane

 Light Lane, a product by Altitude created somewhat of an answer to the problem of lacking bike lanes. The system projects a crisply defined virtual bike lane onto pavement, using a laser, providing drivers with a familiar boundary to avoid. This seems like an excellent design for cyclist safety issues, though I’d like to know more about how the system will be powered and how costly it’ll be.
http://ligress.wordpress.com/tag/london/page/2/

long island and conneticut bike share program

http://inhabitat.com/long-island-and-connecticut-launch-bike-share-programs/

chris boardman intelligent bike concept

cyclist chris boardman unveiled his latest cycle concept to the world’s media yesterday. the new ‘intelligent’ bike counts calories as you pedal, plays music and uses a solar-powered motor when you get tired.

http://stephenbrammer.wordpress.com/tag/waste/ 

valentin vodev: vienna bike

austrian design firm valentin vodev studio presented 'vienna bike' at vienna design week 2011, an electrically assisted tricycle that rides like a bicycle. after a single three hour charge, the battery lasts for 60 km (37 miles) at speeds reaching 22 km/hr (13.5 miles/hr) with peddling. 

with the extendable bar and custom cargo box, 40 kg (88 lbs) of goods can be carried thanks to the load being distributed on the two back wheels. given the fact that the wheels are only 35 cm (14 inches) apart, it can be parked in the same locations as any bicycle. as it folds into a compact form, the bike itself is easily transportable.

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/17029/valentin-vodev-vienna-bike.html
 

the schweeb: personal power pod 

a new, novel idea involving pedals and a monorail system has the potential not only to eliminate traffic, but emissions and accidents as well. Called simply The Schweeb, this self-enclosed, pedal-powered personal pod is already in use at an amusement park in New Zealand. Geoffrey Barnett and his team of designers see the Schweeb not only as a vehicle of amusement, but as a replacement for personal motor vehicles in traffic congested cities.

 http://stephenbrammer.wordpress.com/tag/waste/

axis mundi unveils conceptual design for MOMA tower

manhattan based firm axis mundi has unveiled a conceptual alternative design for MoMA tower. founder of the firm john beckmann sees this as the time to rethink the tall buildings that have become synonymous with new york city’s identity.  ‘instead of disguising the rich potential of towers that have a mix of uses, we looked for a way to express that diversity,’ beckmann noted. the firm used parametric computer modeling software to test a wide range of possibilities. out of this iterative process they proposes a new way to organize and express tall buildings: the vertical neighborhood.

http://stephenbrammer.wordpress.com/tag/waste/

ARHIS architects: observation tower in jurmala

latvian practice ARHIS architects has completed the 'observation tower in jurmala' positioned within the dzintaru park in
jurmala, latvia. the 38-meter tall structure is enclosed with an open-air cage allowing screened views of the encompassing
nature reserve. lifted on steel pilotis, visitors enter the construct through a discreet stair and continue climbing towards the
pinnacle deck positioned at a height of 33.5 meters, exposed and visible from the ground. twelve balconies capable of
accommodating one or two individuals cantilever outside the rectangular faces, allowing a sweeping vista of the landscape. the metal framework is clad with narrow wooden strips secured with vertical bands of lumber. the transparency of the elongated
quadrilateral form maintains a delicate presence, minimally imposing on its natural surroundings. the floors are comprised
of an industrial steel grate to maintain an outdoor experience during ascent.

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/16686/arhis-architects-observation-tower-in-jurmala.html 

mizuishi architect atelier: house in horinouchi

Japanese practice mizuishi architect atelier have designed 'house in horinouchi',a two-storey private dwelling for a family of three in suginami, tokyo, japan. situated on atriangular
site between a river and a road, the design is a direct response to the characters and qualities offered bythe plot while remaining within the local permits and regulations of the area. sculpted by the acute angle cut out by the constructible site, the house features an irregular plan shape that slips into the narrow corner of the plot. the tapered end of the second level juts over the base in a cantilever, highlighting the peaked roof form in a graphic manner. clad in metallic brown panels, the volume stands as a solid structure with rectangular windows extruding out of its elevation. accommodating a private room at the ground level, the communal programs are placed onthe second floor and are flanked on both sides by stretches of windows. the kitchen on the west end of the layout benefits from a double height ceiling and establishes sight lines
to a small loft level above. accessed by a ladder, the elevated area serves as a multifunctional space with natural illumination from a large skylight. though small in size, the dwelling provides a living space that visually extends the sense of space through both horizontal andvertical openness.
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/16901/mizuishi-architect-atelier-house-in-horinouchi.html