Rooftop gardens are gaining in popularity in dense urban areas. Check out this cool video about urban rooftop farmers in New York City – the 40,000-square-foot rooftop garden in Queenseven has chickens and beehives (and is the largest rooftop farm in the world). Ben Flanner, one of the farmers profiled, said, “It started with the desire to farm, and also a reluctance to leave the city.”
Check out the full post on 30 Days at a Time
Posted in environmental, gardens, green building, livability, sustainability, urban
Tagged brooklyn grange, rooftop garden, urban farming
How do we create the best human living conditions in cities?
Dr. Howard Frumkin, dean, School of Public Health, University of Washington, asked the audience at the National Building Museum’s Intelligent Cities forum to imagine they were zookeepers and just received a shipment of hundreds of frogs. Immediately, the zookeepers would need to create a habitat with the correct temperature, humidity, water and plants to ensure the frogs are healthy and live long lives. Cities are really just habitats for humans and our zookeepers are our elected officials, urban planners, and designers. However, Frumkin wondered if the ideal habitat is now being created for people - one that offers a healthy environment for all?
A City Dashboard
If a city were to have a “dashboard” tracking all the important indicators of a healthy human environment, “what would it feature?”, asked Frumkin. For Lucy, the dashboard would track traffic fatalities and the percentage of people driving alone to work. Lucy said traffic fatalities are actually higher in the sparser outer areas of cities. Kinney said air pollution and water quality are key data to track. Green made the case for “new intersections, miles of sidewalks and bike lanes, and percentages of people walking to work each day.”
Demographic Shifts
Lucy sees a coming population shift that will also have major health implications. Currently, “poorer people have captured the better locations in the center of cities. They live in the convenient locations.” However, this trend is changing. With the revival of cities, “white flight has turned into white return.” As a result, the poor are moving to the suburbs. Just as in Paris, where the suburbs are the site of poorer immigrant communities, U.S. cities may soon face the same issues.
We just learned of this terrific organization – the People for Urban Progress (or PUP), based out of Indianapolis. PUP is a non-profit organization that promotes and advances public transit, environmental awareness, and urban design.
They deal with projects regarding urban livability, public transportation and recycling; and they have a lot of cool products that are made from recycled materials. The website states:
We stand for project-based urban progress.
We’re an idea incubator, design center, and do-tank.
We began with the idea that the SOLUTION to any urban problem must consider transit, environment, and design in unison. As such, we work with communities and designers to develop innovative and affordable strategies to enhance Indianapolis’ urban quality of life.
In order to do this, we MAKE things. And these small things help fund the big things – the big IDEAS. Our DOME BAG PROJECT is a quintessential example of this way of thinking and working. After we salvaged the roof of the RCA/Hoosier Dome in 2008, we started working with local designers to make products from the fabric. The sale of these products helped us fund the installation of larger public shade structures and pavilions throughout our community… many of which will be installed the summer of 2011.
At the end of every year it is interesting to see what home interior trends have persevered and what trends look like they will continue into the New Year. This year has been exciting uses of bold prints and colors, repurposing interior decor, and maximizing outdoor spaces.
The International Business Times reports that in 2011, these trends will continue but also a need for eco-friendly interiors will escalate and interiors will continue to be shared and broadened worldwide. For the top interior home trends for 2011, here are their picks of what the New Year has to offer.
1.) The urban oasis: It was once thought that those who lived in urban environments had to live in lush penthouses to get a comfortable and sophisticated home in the city. With the onset popularity of urban lofts, the desire to live in industrial and chic decor will continue next year. Softer textiles may be brought in to soften hard finishes, while those that enjoy the exposed materials will still enjoy urban living at its finest.
2.) Home getaways: The New Year will bring on new ways to make your current home a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the world. From outdoor oasis areas with lush greenery, to recreating vacation memories in your décor. The trend will be to continue making our homes feel relaxing and serene.
3.) Repurposing will outweigh brand new: With the onset of finding better ways to re-use and re-purpose, being green in 2011 will outweigh buying brand new. While a shiny new glass table may be beautiful, the shift for décor to use glass from a previous purpose will prevail. We will not stop buying new décor, but the satisfaction of repurposing is always a better feeling, and will look great too!
4.) Natural environments: As our world gets busier and busier, the return of home environments giving us a place to escape has been well sought after for years. In the New Year, home owners will find more ways to bring tranquility to their interior and exterior environments. The use of natural materials and finishes will always be a trend that doesn’t go out of style.
5.) Family conversation areas: As families grow and the years move on, there is a steady incline of increasing family conversation areas and spaces. Kitchens now incorporate an eating island area so kids can do homework and watch mom cook. Living spaces are becoming more open to engage members of the family in different rooms. In the New Year, look for more ways for engaging in our interiors.
For the remaining five trends, read the full article here.
Posted in decor, design, downtown, trends, urban, urban living
Tagged home, home design, interior design, living, real estate, trends, urban
by Christine Burn/Creators Syndicate
The new truth is that housing trends will be leading millions of Americans toward more compact living situations, which in turn will drive new emphasis on dual-use furnishings.
Petite housing is not a new idea, but the rise in popularity is definitely tied to current economic realities. There have been tiny models at other times in history. Have you ever seen a collection of small cottages built in a square surrounding a common patio?
Because these were popular in the 1930s and ’40s in Los Angeles, they have been a part of Hollywood films for what seems like forever. In the 1984 film “Swing Shift,” the character played by Goldie Hawn lived in just such a court.
Most charming is that these hut-like homes often share flowerbeds, trees and lawns. They often have names and appear to exist in a protected universe all their own.
Members of Generation Y, sometimes called millennials, are gobbling up unusually petite rental spaces that are only 500 to 600 square feet. As long as the place is wired for every possible electronic gadget and the building shares the more social functions, such as laundry, game rooms, exercise and juice bar, no one seems to care that they are living in closet-like places. It is fairly obvious that traditional furnishings will not work well in such pared-down living models.
In the photo is a coffee table/storage chest made from exotic wood that slides open for access and closed to hide items not currently in use. Designed by Jeffrey Braun, a film art director turned interior designer and furniture maker, it is called “The Hidden Agenda.” Braun is based in Seattle and has an affinity for urban living. He designed “The Hidden Agenda” with a nod toward the special effects seen in the film world.
There are much older examples of dual-use furniture. The traditional blanket chest or cedar chest is a classic. At once storage for linens and clothing, it also serves as a bench at the foot of the bed. There was a time when every respectable bride left home with a chest.
You can find fairly old examples of a wooden ladder that converts into a rather uncomfortable chair. Sofas have roots going to 2,000 B.C., but the true sofa came into existence at the end of the 16th century and early 17th century. It isn’t clear when the classic sleeper sofa was developed, but it must be the all-time winner of a piece of furniture serving two masters.
Posted in decor, design, downtown, furniture, modern, urban, urban living
Tagged city, design, downtown, furniture, small spaces, urban living
From the Miami Herald:
Artist Fritz Haeg said he had a purpose in moving a family’s entire eclectic living room into the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami — complete with a coffee table, television set and a sofa made of multicolored circles.
“Reconsidering our ideas of what home is and how we use the homes we have in other ways,” Haeg said at a Saturday workshop to discuss his installation, Salon Colada: Miami, part of the museum’s current exhibit, Conventions.
Haeg sent out an open call in March, requesting a volunteer family for the project. He chose Coral Gables couple Keith Waddington and Mindy Nelson, who have hosted discussions in their now relatively empty living room on subjects such as art, tourism and literature.
They even invited their entire neighborhood over for a “Neighborhood Know How” session, where people shared stories and food as part of Haeg’s project.
Posted in art, decor, design, downtown, modern, urban, urban living
Tagged art, miami, urban living
Move Urban!
