Monday, November 9, 2020

A Covid-19 journal. Part 1

March Urban Design for Planners : Software Tools. Six-course series exploring urban design concepts using free open source software Qgis, Earth pro, Sketchup, Inkscape and GIMP to create analytical maps, 3D models, and 2D graphic designs. Instructor is New Urbanist Emily Talen, Professor of Urbanism, University of Chicago. Twitter thread. March most viewed Tweet.
After a steep learning curve, accessing City of Nanaimo open source data sets and StatsCan Census data thru Jens von Bergmann’s execellent #censusmapper I was able to map the urban demographics of Nanaimo’s city centre neighbourhoods by Census Tract.
April Planetizen course : Form-Based Codes 101: Introduction. Distinguishes form-based codes from conventional "use-based" zoning ordinances—all with an emphasis on placemaking and walkability. An overview of the development of form-based codes, their mandatory and optional component parts, and the importance of making form-based codes context or place-specific. April most viewed Tweet.


May Nicol Street : A boundary separating neighbourhoods or a seam stitching them back together?

May most viewed Tweet
The summer months The by-design, vertically integrated, local and regional food economy. 3 part series, scroll down for the first post.
City streets are urban design problems, not engineering problems. Selby St re-imagined as a welcoming new public space


#ShelveSandstone!
From random notes
There is a playbook, an operating manual if you like, for the growth and development of Nanaimo. It contains dozens and dozens of practical ideas that can be applied and tested. Ideas for safe compact neighbourhoods with parks and squares and corner stores. Ideas with the potential to add up to the safe, equitable, inclusive, diverse and prosperous city we know Nanaimo can be.
Some of these ideas have worked elsewhere but might not work here, some have failed elsewhere but might work here. We can keep what shows promise, withdraw ones that don’t, then test some more. Caveat: some assembly required, some DIY.
Jane Jacobs is the starting point, the bedrock. If you read only one thing (and that would be a terrible shame) read the last chapter of her 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, chapter 22, The Kind of Problem a City Is.
Quarantine Reading Strong Towns : A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild [North] American Prosperity / Charles Marohn
Palaces for the People / Eric Klinenberg. To restore civil society, start with the library
Maximum Canada − Toward a Country of 100 Million / Doug Saunders
The City is Not a Tree, The 50th Anniversary Edition / Christopher Alexander, ed Michael Mehaffy
People, Power, and Profits. Progressive Capitalism for an Age of Discontent / Joseph E. Stiglitz
The Price of Peace − Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes / Zachary D. Carter

Neighborhood How neighbourhoods are defined, designed, ascribed purpose, and attributed effect. / Emily Talen 

Part two....


1 comment:

  1. Part 2 : webinars and videos from the Canadian Urban Institute, the Council for Canadian Urbanism, Urban Logiq, Urban3, and Planetizen.

    ReplyDelete