The Orange Line

May 18

Data Release: Everpower Social and Economic Impacts -

Data Release: Everpower Buckeye Wind Social and Economic Impact Report

The following data release was generated on 3/22/2012 using the submitted Everpower development application data, U.S. Census Bureau Data, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data and other sources.

The data contained in this post is generous in nature as local share data for the study area (Logan, Union and Champaign county) is highly limited, thus maximum estimates were established and employed based upon the study area’s economic structure. Local share data and other assumptions required to generate this data are constantly being refined to better represent the social and economic impacts of the Everpower / Buckeye Wind development. Financing parameters reflect the current corporate funding structure: ITC funding (30%) and Private Equity (70%).

Please note that job creation refers to jobs CREATED or RETAINED within the study area’s economy as a result of the wind developments construction and or ongoing operations and maintenance.

Please click the URL to view the complete Data Release.

May 10

[video]

Apr 16

Sustainable Melbourne : The City is Re-inventing Itself.

Mar 01

Healthy Spaces and Places supports and complements planning and  design initiatives throughout Australia. It is a single source of  easy-to-find, practical information from experts in health, planning,  urban design, community safety and transport planning.
This website includes:

design principles that are the foundation stones of healthier more active communities
different development types where these principles can be applied
information about how to make planning for healthier communities happen
Australian case studies that show what is achievable and which have potentially wider application, andlinks to the health and planning research and resources that support planning for active living.
Planning for healthier outcomes can be applied to all parts of  Australia. It is just as applicable in metropolitan areas as it is in  regional cities, towns, villages and remote communities.
For an overview, you may wish to download Healthy Spaces and Places: a national guide to designing places for healthy living.
SOURCE: http://www.healthyplaces.org.au/site/

Healthy Spaces and Places supports and complements planning and design initiatives throughout Australia. It is a single source of easy-to-find, practical information from experts in health, planning, urban design, community safety and transport planning.

This website includes:

Planning for healthier outcomes can be applied to all parts of Australia. It is just as applicable in metropolitan areas as it is in regional cities, towns, villages and remote communities.

For an overview, you may wish to download Healthy Spaces and Places: a national guide to designing places for healthy living.

SOURCE: http://www.healthyplaces.org.au/site/

Feb 25

This a resource for anyone conducting research or field work related to slum redevelopment, urban poverty, housing the urban poor among many other poverty and urban form related subjects. This came through via urgent short deadline email from Planning Institute Australia.
This set of seven Quick Guides  has been  jointly prepared by UNESCAP  and UN-HABITAT  to aid the daily  work of national and local government  officials and policy makers as well as other low-income housing  stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific in their quest  to improve housing  for the urban poor. It is not aimed at specialists,  but by using easily  understandable language and a user-friendly consise structure, is aimed  as a quick tool to provide a basic understanding of low-income housing  issues. Each Quick Guide is further accompanied by a poster, which  highlights some of the main messages.
LINK: http://www.housing-the-urban-poor.net/QuickGuides.asp

This a resource for anyone conducting research or field work related to slum redevelopment, urban poverty, housing the urban poor among many other poverty and urban form related subjects. This came through via urgent short deadline email from Planning Institute Australia.

This set of seven Quick Guides has been jointly prepared by UNESCAP and UN-HABITAT to aid the daily work of national and local government officials and policy makers as well as other low-income housing stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific in their quest to improve housing for the urban poor. It is not aimed at specialists, but by using easily understandable language and a user-friendly consise structure, is aimed as a quick tool to provide a basic understanding of low-income housing issues. Each Quick Guide is further accompanied by a poster, which highlights some of the main messages.

LINK: http://www.housing-the-urban-poor.net/QuickGuides.asp

Jan 07

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/the-lost-space/#more-2907

Images: Courtesy of NASA’s Space Colony Art from the 1970’s page. Interior views of, respectively, and cylindrical and toroidal colony, followed by a cutaway of a Bernal Sphere.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/the-lost-space/#more-2907

Images: Courtesy of NASA’s Space Colony Art from the 1970’s page.
Interior views of, respectively, and cylindrical and toroidal colony, followed by a cutaway of a Bernal Sphere.

Jan 01

[video]

Dec 25

alphaville: house folded

Dec 13

smartercities:

Are Green Buildings Truly Sustainable? | This Big City
With the built environment accounting for over 40% of global  carbon emissions, sustainable buildings seem like an obvious place to  start as COP17 continues to address climate change. But is the trend for  ‘green’ buildings resulting in truly sustainable alternatives? Mayra Hartmann of Future Cape Town investigates.
A few weeks ago the GBCSA hosted its annual conference.  The topics were plentiful and there was a certain buzz in the air.  Unfortunately, I was only able to attend the afternoon sessions, but  nonetheless I was able enjoy the whiff of green air. There was an  eclectic mix of developers, designers, planners and even psychologists  discussing an array of topics, however a few major developments and  ideas were presented. As someone that follows the industry, the ideas  were not brand new, but the fact that they were discussed in such close  proximity was cause for lively discussions.
The discussions and presentations concentrated on three aspects of building;
the building itself
the effect of green design on office inhabitants and;
its integration with its surroundings.
The design feature that seemed to be particularly popular was the use  of large central atriums to promote natural light and airflow within  the building, something South Africa’s two highest rated green star  buildings both make use of. Atriums are also effective at reviving old  spaces. Chris Jofeh from Arup described the companies “cut and carve”  approach when retrofitting old offices and that atriums were an ideal of  way opening up and lighting an otherwise dull space. And dull spaces  don’t make for a good working environment.

smartercities:

Are Green Buildings Truly Sustainable? | This Big City

With the built environment accounting for over 40% of global carbon emissions, sustainable buildings seem like an obvious place to start as COP17 continues to address climate change. But is the trend for ‘green’ buildings resulting in truly sustainable alternatives? Mayra Hartmann of Future Cape Town investigates.

A few weeks ago the GBCSA hosted its annual conference. The topics were plentiful and there was a certain buzz in the air. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend the afternoon sessions, but nonetheless I was able enjoy the whiff of green air. There was an eclectic mix of developers, designers, planners and even psychologists discussing an array of topics, however a few major developments and ideas were presented. As someone that follows the industry, the ideas were not brand new, but the fact that they were discussed in such close proximity was cause for lively discussions.

The discussions and presentations concentrated on three aspects of building;

  1. the building itself
  2. the effect of green design on office inhabitants and;
  3. its integration with its surroundings.

The design feature that seemed to be particularly popular was the use of large central atriums to promote natural light and airflow within the building, something South Africa’s two highest rated green star buildings both make use of. Atriums are also effective at reviving old spaces. Chris Jofeh from Arup described the companies “cut and carve” approach when retrofitting old offices and that atriums were an ideal of way opening up and lighting an otherwise dull space. And dull spaces don’t make for a good working environment.

Sep 27

Wallpaper* Visionaries - AMO

Wallpaper* Visionaries - AMO from OfficeforNonfictionStorytelling on Vimeo.

AMO is the research arm of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture.