Chicago is looking to decrease its carbon consumption by 30% (by 2030) and Smith Gill is leading the charge... They've developed 8 key strategies; Buildings, Urban Matrix, Smart Infrastructure, Mobility, Water, Energy, Waste, and Community Engagement. At the crux of their plan is the retrofitting of existing buildings, rather than the construction of new ones.
This bridge (the Slauerhoffbrug) is located in Leeuwarden, Netherlands and is seriously cool... Unlike most drawbridges which open at the center, pivoting at the street level (or even others that have only one operable piece pivoting at the street level), this bridge is lifted up and over the street using a cantilever system. I'm not sure who did the bridge, but its asymmetrical design is not something I've seen before, but I like it!
This is an interesting concept... create your own nighttime bike lane, when none is available. The idea is that you could still ride on the street, but that cars would see and respect your bike lane. Who knows, they might even think its real?! At the very least, the lasers would help to illuminate the riders so that they are more easily visible.
I haven't lived in Chicago for 6 years now (wow, I can't believe its been that long already), so I'm not up on all the latest news... But, I was reading Lynn Becker's blog today and noticed that Michael Reese Hospital is on the verge of being razed. The hospital has been sold over and over again, and now is sitting nearly desolate on one of the projected sites for the Olympic Village. Obviously, its not a done deal that Chicago will get the Olympics, but either way, it looks like Michael Reese will be gone. Going to school at Illinois Tech just down the block (and being slightly accident prone), I spent more time at this hospital than I'd like to admit. And I used to go running past the hospital all the time... If you looked closely, you could see the past glory of the structures, just like so many other buildings in the area. Its sad to see another piece of Bronzeville's history being torn down.
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Sistema Abierto (Open System)
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