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Subway Maps
We have found some of the most interesting subway maps from several different cities across the globe for your viewing pleasure. The term maps is a misnomer because these are diagrams rather than maps devoid of any topographical features or scale. In the beginning of the 20th Century, map makers realized that trying to remain true to the…
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EVENT: 4/3/2013 Freedom of Information in the Drone Age
WRITTEN BY ALINE FADER What: Freedom of Information Day 2013: “Freedom of Information in the Drone Age” When: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. Where: Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) of The New York Public Library, 188 Madison Avenue For Whom: This should be of interest to fans of open government, history buffs, and…
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Lebbeus Woods (1940-2012)
Lebbeus Woods, a contemporary of Steven Holl and Daniel Libeskind, died last year in New York City. Shortly after Woods’ death, Austrian architect Wolf D. Pix said of him: “Lebbeus Woods was an architect’s architect: artistically uncompromising, unapologetically theoretical, and, in his own way, marvelously optimistic. Lebbeus’ death last month deeply saddened the architectural community.” Lebbeus Woods was a Professor of Architecture for…
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EVENT: 5/11/13 Bike the Branches
WRITTEN BY ALINE FADER What: Bike the Branches (Registration is now open!) When: Saturday, May 11 (Rain Date: Sat., May 18), 2013 10am – 5pm : Bike Ride 5pm – 7pm : Finish Line Celebration Where: All 60 Branches (choose your own route), ending at Central Library For Whom: Bikers, Brooklynites & Library Lovers of all…
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Amsterdam: The Bicycling Capital of Europe
Amsterdam is the most bicycle friendly city in Europe with 881,000 bikes in a city of 780,559 people. Amsterdam has approximately 280 miles of cycling lanes, and close to 58% of its residents use bicycles on a daily basis, 43% of them are commuting to work by bicycle. There are two reasons why Amsterdam is such a conducive place for bicycle use: Firstly, the topography…
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Do Cities Bring High Speed Rail Within Reach?
A couple of weeks ago, we cited a fantastic (and sadly, entirely fictional) map made by Alfred Twu as a potential catalyst for High Speed Rail in the U.S. The map oozes ambitions for a hyper-connected continent, and builds on many of the more realistic proposals for High-Speed Rail that were put forth over the…
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Thoughts on home and women…
WRITTEN BY ALINE FADER This past weekend I visited my grandmother, who is in her mid-90’s. She is a pretty amazing lady, but seeing someone you love age is never easy. The trip got me thinking about grandmas and home and women… and the news was generous in providing related reading material (and I couldn’t…
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Madrid Shows a Grand Vision by Reclaiming Its River Front
Oftentimes, massive transportation projects like bridges and highways can do more harm to a city than good. While they may bring efficiencies in the movement of people and resources, they can also end up marring a city permanently, dividing neighborhoods and bringing few quality of life improvements for residents. In contrast, some projects, like New York…
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10 Best Cities for Urban Forests
Urban Forests seem like a contradiction in term. In our minds urban settlements and forests stand far apart at the opposite end of a spectrum. So how can they be brought together in support of each other? Apparently, as cities grow hotter and spew more carbon into the atmosphere the more trees a city needs, a forest…
Disclaimer: All content, including blog posts and tours, reflects my personal views and experiences. Nothing here should be interpreted as representing the views of any current or former employer.