All places, even countries – as brilliantly satirized in this image – are distinctive clusters of people, communities, organizations, institutions, beliefs, tastes, personal and public mania.
Go out on to the street, slip on a pair of psychological x-ray spex, forget the physical ways in which we organize ourselves and start to see the city as a zoo that encloses a multitude of social, economic and personal struggles.
Popularity: 25% [?]
The District of Tofino near Vancouver Canada wants to keep its unique charm by keeping out franchises like the golden arches, Starbucks and Tim Hortons. Council made a motion Tuesday directing staff to draft a bylaw that would ban franchises in Tofino utilizing a section of the official community plan which discourages future development and location of large-format retail chains and fast-food chains that do not reflect the character of Tofino, according to Coun. Stephen Ashton who proposed the motion.
Popularity: 39% [?]
One of Hong Kong’s smartest residential areas is called Mid-levels, and is served by an unusual form of transport: the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The Central-Mid-levels system consists of twenty escalators and three moving walkways – and it runs in one direction in the morning, and another in the afternoon.
Popularity: 29% [?]
The landscape is littered with the giant carcasses of failed retail emporia. Ideas for what’s next are no less visionary. But are they any more practical?
Popularity: 26% [?]
Paul Buck has spectacular views of downtown Vancouver from the two glass walls of his condo, which wow everyone who walks in. But what really impressed one of Mr. Buck’s friends, in from a town near the Yukon border, is that he lives over a giant Home Depot.
Popularity: 46% [?]
All-in-one projects with retail, residential and office components are attracting attention. But not everyone is onboard.
Popularity: 48% [?]
“This is where Woolies had their clothes,” says Stacy, standing by row after row of brightly-coloured washing detergents.
The red Woolworths branding on the shelves has long been replaced by the logo of 99p Stores, which moved into this site in Shirley, Southampton, last December.
Within a few days it was open for business, taking £76,000 in the first five days, 50% more than its bosses expected.
Popularity: 14% [?]
We all know the kiosks on the busy streets of our world cities — those small, neat pop-up booths that sell about everything, from newspapers and magazines to cigarettes and cold drinks. Kiosks mean a lot to me, and to the city itself. At these colourful places, where tourists buy their public transport tickets and commuters grab a fresh newspaper in the morning, is the metropolitan vibe at its best.
Popularity: 42% [?]
With all the recent, remarkable livable streets improvements to the streets of New York City, it’s no surprise the 10th annual, Walk21 Conference chose us for its host digs. Visitors and attendees were treated to a cornucopia of pedestrian street infrastructure to salivate over and debate; including tours of the recently opened High Line to a special visit to the soon-to-be-restored High Bridge. Featuring a plethora of speakers, design charrettes and walking workshops, the three-day event drew experts from the UK, Austria, Canada, Japan, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Italy, and Australia, just to name a few.
Popularity: 26% [?]
After a visit to the bustling Pike Place Market in Seattle, a financial adviser for philanthropist Betty Noyce (the late, ex-wife of the Intel microchip founder) suggested that she fund a new public market in Portland, Maine, in order to revitalize the downtown. Noyce went on to finance the $9.4 million Portland Public Market, which opened in 1999 with 23 food vendors. Over the next seven years, farmers lodged complaints about poor access, the market struggled with a high vendor turnover rate, and two high-end restaurants there failed. In 2006, the market closed, after Noyce’s foundation reported annual losses of about $1 million.
Popularity: 15% [?]