Elevated Bike Lanes

Toronto’s transit is dominated by the axis of its subway system, which largely follows two of the longest streets in the city: Yonge and Bloor-Danforth.  This infrastructure has resulted in development that has progressed in a similarly linear fashion, creating a dense population of commuters who live along the subway lines.  The elevated bike lane proposal is designed to address the vulnerability of the current system by offering a supplementary means of transportation that is accessible at any time.  These lightweight covered lanes would allow cyclists to travel across the city unimpeded by traffic lights or precipitation.  The design also makes use of solar paneling to power the street lighting, which is integrated into the supporting columns.  In a still experimental phase, a titanium-coated fine mesh canopy would stretch over the entire street and extend over most of the sidewalks as well.  This canopy would use a thermally-activated wicking system to prevent snow from accumulating on the street, eliminating the need for fossil fuel intensive snow removal machinery and eventually allow these thoroughfares to become restricted to emission-free vehicle usage.  With improved transportation options and a better pedestrian experience, the Yonge Street and Bloor Street corridors could accommodate further growth and perhaps enhance linear dynamism as a defining characteristic of the city.

Vertical Park at Yonge and Bloor

When news broke out that a high profile condo tower at the intersection of Yonge and Bloor in Toronto would not be constructed, suggestions began popping up for public space alternatives.  Being one of the most valuable pieces of property in the city has made the idea of it becoming solely a public square somewhat unlikely.  Architecture critic Christopher Hume suggested the possibility of a public private venture, which led me to envision a vertical park for the site that would be attached to a mixed use residential tower.  The main feature of the design is a one mile, gently curving gradient that winds its way up to a height of 66 metres, affording panoramic vistas of the downtown.  The structure would make use of its southern exposure for passive solar heating, allowing the green space to be enjoyed year round with minimal energy expenditure.  I created the model using Google’s free SketchUp software, it can be downloaded from the 3D warehouse and viewed in Google Earth (to hide the former buildings at the site simply right click on them).

Maple Leaf Community Gardens

A brief proposal for the transformation of Maple Leaf Gardens:

This presently dormant Toronto landmark could be brought to life by adapting a couple of its key structural features, namely the concrete stands and vaulted roof.  By refitting the existing metal framed roof with transparent insulated panelling, the interior would fill with light, opening up the possibilities for indoor plant life and public space.  The removal of most of the seating from the stands leaves a terrace structure suitable for compact vegetable gardening, with water supplied via a gravity dispensed rainwater collection system.  The produce grown within the building would provide a steady supply to a flagship restaurant located in the upper box seating areas.  Being in the food business, the current owners could still consider a linear variation on the supermarket in the lobby areas of the building.

The flat central surface could serve as a public park with modular landscaping that could be moved to make way for an ice rink during the winter.  To conserve energy the building would make use of natural ventilation and passive solar heating in tandem with a geothermal system.

Urban Agriculture

Urban Agriculture is a social network for city folks interested in food security, we made it using Ning.

More Lessig

In The Battle Over the Institutional Ecology of the Digital Environment, Yochai Benkler examines the frenzy of activity in digital rights that has been underway over the past decade.  In outlining the history of corporate lawsuits against new technologies of reproduction, Benkler points out that with digital technology we are seeing for the first time, policy makers siding with the corporations.  The result is a criminalization of the acts of millions of people who are merely doing what we have done for hundreds of years, sharing culture.

In Lawrence Lessig’s video lecture dealing with issues of copyright, he warns against the destructive consequences of these laws.  In particular, the destruction of possibilities for new modes of production that would emerge from a more relaxed legal framework.  Lessig shows the example of the popular George Bush and Tony Blair duet video as an example of an art form that doesn’t clearly adhere to Fair Use policy and as such, is the type of work that is under threat.  In the lecture, Lessig calls on artists to remix culture and create works that challenge copyright laws, to show the world the vitality of these new forms of cultural expression.

The battle against excessive enforcement of copyright is not only about the right to produce remixed material but also the right to disseminate it, which can prove to be equally challenging.  Many hardware devices are designed to only play certain media files streamed or downloaded from specific sites.  While YouTube has numerous mash-ups on its site, artists who want to license their work under creative commons technically cannot post their videos to the site.  A site such as Blip.tv provides users with the ability to easily license their work under creative commons, and contribute to a growing body of material that is free for others to use.  As more open source photos, music and videos are uploaded to sites such as Archive.org, the more potential there will be for the average person to create engaging stories.  For artists who are interested in digital rights, both the practice of remixing copyrighted material and the practice of using and contributing to the creative commons are critical engagements for a more balanced culture.

Arcosanti & The Last Man

I just started a blip.tv channel and posted my first Creative Commons licensed video called Arcosanti & The Last Man.  The ability to cc license the work at the time of uploading is a nice feature, although I’m running into a little bit of difficulty embedding it into my blog.  Stay tuned for a full resolution version to download from Archive.org.

This experimental documentary takes a paradoxical look at sustainability in the American Southwest. Amongst other things, the video explores Biosphere 2, contemporary Las Vegas and the intentional community of Arcosanti.  The title is a play on Francis Fukuyama’s book about the fall of socialism, The End of History and The Last Man.

The New Folk Culture

In chapter 8 of The Wealth of Networks, author Yochai Benkler illustrates how culture shapes our view of the world and argues that a critical understanding of culture is an integral aspect of what it means to live in a liberal society.  As we shift away from an industrial information economy to a networked economy, we become more cognizant of our ability to participate in culture and therefore influence the direction it will take.  Benkler discusses how as a result of this shift, “we become more sophisticated users of this framework, more self-conscious about it, and have a greater capacity to recognize, challenge, and change that which we find oppressive, and to articulate, exchange, and adopt that which we find enabling.”

One of the key enabling aspects of a networked economy is transparency, which is exemplified in web 2.0 technologies such as Google and Wikipedia.  Benkler gives the example of a search engine query for Barbie on three different platforms to illustrate transparency.  While on Yahoo! and Overture the queries yield primarily commercial results, on Google we are immediately presented with a variety of links that provide a more complex understanding of the iconic toy.  This is because the Google search engine is designed to find relevant web pages based on how many other web pages link to them.  Similarly, the transparent history feature of Wikipedia allows users to see how an article has been edited over time, giving us a multifaceted understanding of a subject than a static encyclopedia entry authored by a single expert could provide.

This transparency coupled with the participatory nature of networks provides a framework for the emergence of a new cultural model.  Because this model involves active involvement on the part of individuals rather than passive consumption, it is often referred to as a new folk-culture.  The increasing amount of media content produced under Creative Commons licenses, gives individuals access to a variety of means to configure our own forms of education and entertainment and share them with the world.

Elevated Wetlands

www.elevatedwetlands.com

Technology and the Election

I was just listening to the Guardian’s Tech Weekly podcast, which discusses the role that technology has played in the US presidential election.  It touches on Obama’s early campaign speeches going viral on YouTube, the content generated by his tech savvy supporters, as well as how text messaging was used to organize and mobilize thousands of volunteers.  This follow-up article in the Guardian suggests that social networking was the deciding factor in the outcome of the election.

Intergenerational Care

We were just wondering, could a child care program be integrated with a nursing home?  We came across this place in Illinois, which has an intergenerational program.  But what about a situation where the retirees could be involved in assisting to look after the kids, and make a modest income at the same time?