The economy has a rhythm. There are several overlapping cycles that play out over time. The pattern is erratic and irregular, but it persists over the centuries. Ray Dalio narrates a cartoon video that describes these cycles. There’s a short term debt cycle that includes booms and busts from decade to decade. And there’s a … Continue reading Riding the Wave
I’ve been asked to give another presentation for the Incremental Development Alliance and I’m working out the kinks of my talk here. IncDev is attempting to revive the traditional pre World War II development pattern of small scale, fine grained, walkable, mixed use, mom and pop neighborhoods that grow and change gradually over time from … Continue reading Eating Jell-O With Chopsticks
Many readers are familiar with the 8/80 urban planning meme. It’s a simple concept. Can an eight year old and an eighty year old each meet their daily needs on foot, possibly with the extension of a bicycle or a little public transport from time to time? Most North American communities fail this test. To … Continue reading 24 / 58
I was in Atlanta last month and was encouraged to poke around by the people who invited me. For my entire life the greater Atlanta metroplex has grown in population, geographic size, economic importance, and cultural relevance. As the locals like to remind everyone, Hartsfield-Jackson is the busiest airport in North America. Half the people I … Continue reading Obstacle Course
This is VIA 57 West in New York. It’s the brain child of Danish architect Bjarke Ingles who is the reigning global wunderkind du jour. He calls the hybrid structure a courtscraper – part traditional courtyard building, part skyscraper. Ingles sometimes describes this as a “bigamist” form where you don’t have to choose between an … Continue reading Courtscrapers and Bigamist Hill Towns
Last year I was contacted by the curators of the Canadian Centre for Architecture. They wanted to feature some of my work in an upcoming exhibition. Nos Jours Heureux. Our Happy Life. So here I am in Montreal. It’s nice to be asked. I was immediately tickled when I arrived at the museum and found … Continue reading Nos Jours Heureux
These rock outcroppings in Central Park are quiet reminders that at one time – 18,000 years ago – there was over 2,000 feet of solid ice sitting on top of New York. That’s higher than any skyscraper. The stone was etched and polished by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Since so much of the … Continue reading The Dry Line
Granola Shotgun 