Bicycle city mentions that their idea of building a city without cars is not only good for the environment, but also good for people. They explain that vehical emissions are harmful for health. They also talk about how in big cities bicyclists and injured by cars and without this threat, biking to and from places will be much safer. People will also increase their endurance and burn calaires getting around the city and live an all around more healthy lifestyle. Children will be much safer in Bicycle City without the threat of speeding cars racing through the neighborhoods.

The cities of today have been designed for cars and malls rather than for the people. By retrofitting the buildings that exist it is possible to create a more sustainable community that is no longer dependent upon cars for transportation. Many other sustainable systems will be incorporated into Bicycle City such as green roofs, rainwater collection, and solar energy.

Read more about this project at: http://www.bicyclecity.com/

Stuck in Studio has a resource page that provides articles pertinent to students (job search, competitions, and tools) as well as directs students to other sites that can help them find what they need.

The blog gives students a way to find inspiration. Unlike most architecture blogs, the Stuck in Studio Blog tries to provide articles that are specific to architecture students. Posts that tell what architecture programs are up to keep students connected, and posts about historical architecture add relevance to all that stuff that you cram into your brain for those architecture history courses.

In the future we plan to grow as more and more students start using the site. Eventually there will be a forum so that you can share discussions with studio related topics and there will be a store where you can purchase architecture student apparel.

http://stuckinstudio.com

The redesign will be in line with many new urbanism projects. There will be shops, cafes and offices connected by walkways. Storefronts will be on the first floor and residential units will occupy the top floors. There will also be a mix of cottages, multi family homes, and condos in the neighborhood as to add variety. Parking will still be present but will be hidden behind the retrofitted mall, away from the storefronts.

It doesn’t look like all the stores will be unique privately owned stores or “mom and pop” shops. There will probably be a lot of chain stores located in the neighborhood like you would have found in the mall before. However, the idea remains the same and even with chain stores in the mix it is a much better design and is a big step forward for transforming our suburbs.

Hopefully the Cottonwood Mall redevelopment will be the first of many malls to get redone. Hopefully it is successful and will serve as an example of how our suburbs should be retrofitted for the future.

Pictures thanks to University of Utah and Cool Town Studios

“In the past 50 years we have been building the suburbs with a lot of unintended consequences” She says. She goes on to continue that she believed the next 50 years we will be putting a lot of effort into converting these suburbs into growing sustainable communities. She believes this is going to happen because people will see that it is essential to redirect growth into existing communities rather than destroying our environment like we have been doing and building new neighborhoods.

At one point the suburbs were known to be a very family oriented place. It was always known as “a safe place to raise a family.” However, this has changed over the years. In 2000, over 2/3 of households in the suburbs did not have any kids. Also, studies show that the current generation (GenY) wants to live in a more urban setting. Because suburbia is becoming less centered on this family setting, it is time to change the way we design the suburbs.

She talks about building on existing parking lots and reinhabiting dead malls as nursing homes, office spaces, and art spaces. We need to take these large commercial buildings and make them into community gathering areas.

Retrofitting the buildings is one thing that transforms the way we interact with our surroundings, but another essential thing that we need to do is retrofit the means of transportation. Multi-lane roads can be converted into boulevards and we can widen the sidewalks.

Not only should we be thinking about redeveloping the existing buildings, we should think about sometimes bringing the suburbs back to what they were before we took over. This regreening can bring back some habitat that has disappeared.

By retrofitting our suburbs we can create more sustainable places for the future.

New Heden has everything needed to create a walkable community. The new development will have five thousand new apartments that will house up to ten thousand people. There will also be sports facilities, newly designed parks, and small businesses. The hopes are that by providing all of these amenities and connecting them by bike paths and walkways will create a walkable community. This plan should act as an example for the city of Gothenburg, Sweden and will hopefully revitalize the area and bring a greater appreciation to living green.

The gently curving hills of New Heden are cut in section exposing the apartments and businesses located within. These hills are covered in grass and have walkways leading up them. From the top you can see views of the development while sitting in a park. The roof is also useful because it can collect and purify rain water to be used in the apartments.

+ Kjellgren Kaminsky Architects

Via Inhabitat

Skyline in 1990

Skyline in 2010

Pictures thanks to Digital World Tokyo and ICM Creative