Archive for June, 2009
Miami Heritage Directory
The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau is providing a wonderful architecture guide of historic architecture in Miami-Dade. The “Miami Heritage Directory” maps and briefly describes much of the wonderful and historic architecture in the areas around Miami.
Building Envelope Class
AIA Miami is offering a class covering the importance of the building envelope, its four major performance objectives, with a focus on designing for moisture control using paperless gypsum board technology.
One Step Closer – Florida Hometown Democracy
After a stinging defeat that saw the Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment not included in the 2008 elections, it looks like the state Supreme Court appeared to clear the way this past Wednesday for the controversial Florida Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment to go on the 2010 election ballot.
The Corporate City – Atlanta’s Atlantic Station
I drove through Atlanta, Georgia the other day on my way up to the northeast and decided to stop by and check out Atlantic Station. Atlantic Station is a new development to the north of Downtown Atlanta, close to Midtown, built on an abandoned train depot. The development is a New Urbanist type mega redevelopment encompassing 138 acres that promises a new walkable lifestyle with conveniences nearby.
AIA Florida 2009 Honor & Design Award Winners
The 2009 Florida/Caribbean Honor & Design Award winners have been selected. This year, 25 design awards and 10 honor awards were selected from more than 300 entries. Click here for a complete list of winners.
World’s Busiest Intersection – The Pedestrian Scramble
Tokyo is an intense, fast paced, dense, and populated city; and few places exhibit this intensity as well as the intersection of Hachiko Square right outside of the Shibuya Train Station. Considered by many to be the world’s busiest intersection, this crossing sees approximately 1 million people a day.
The Human Component – Harajuku and Yoyogi Park
It is often forgotten that one of the most important elements of a successful urban environment are the actual people who inhabit the streets. While wide sidewalks, retail storefronts, mass transit, and engagement of the street are all important elements to creating a diverse, walkable, and spontaneous environment — without the diversity of people a street becomes [...]
Publix Update
Getting off the Metrorail the other day on my way home, I was pleasantly surprised by the cafe at the new Publix. Having just opened steps from the north exit of the Brickell Metrorail Station, the new outdoor cafe was serving a long line of people.
Miami Trolley Revisited
The new downtown trolley funded by stimulus dollars is coming soon to downtown. The DDA has announced the possible route for the proposed trolley. According to the DDA:
Images of St. Peter Basilica and Square
The following are images of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square — one of the most spiritually important buildings in Rome and perhaps the world. The Baroque Masterpiece is the largest church in the world and the heart of the Vatican.
Rome Skyline From St. Peter
The following are images of the Roman skyline taken from the top of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican (Rome). One can see how the city is shaped around the famous church and plaza below.
St. Peter’s Basilica and Square – An Influential Urban Space
The site of the current St. Peter’s Basilica and Square in Rome has a long, rich history spanning over two millennia. During this long history, the site and the urban fabric surrounding it have undergone various urban transformations influenced by the changing economical, political, and social conditions of Rome, the Vatican, and the Catholic Church.
New Development Emerges (Tomorrow’s Miami : Part 18)
Although many of Miami’s new buildings have combined different primary uses, they have not effectively created a mixed and diverse environment critical to succesful urban environments. Many suffer from the same isolated and fractured mentality typical of Miami’s speculative forces and developers.
A Fractured City (Tomorrow’s Miami : Part 17)
Developers and the speculative forces have been present during almost every portion of Miami’s growth, and therefore it is impossible to understand Miami without taking a brief look into the history of Miami and the developers who have shaped it. Miami, I will argue, is a wild west of capitalistic entrepreneurship, speculation, and wide-eyed development that has led to a severe physical disconnect in the urban fabric. From its very beginnings, these forces have played a critical role in building individual isolated dreams and a fractured landscape.
