I’m at a #vc22 conference on a topic close to my heart: reallocation of public space. It’s an all-star panel, with representatives from Copenhagen and Groningen and other cool cities.
Ok these graphics are a bit over-stylized but it’s surprising that most trips in Copenhagen are still by car and cars still dominate public space.
Groningen has a bike mode share of 66%, which is truly remarkable. Spurred by their traffic circulation plan.
Even Groningen is not sitting on its laurels, developing their Sustainable Mobility Plan. They have 14 street typologies.
Guy from Helsinki referring to the climate in Copenhagen as “tropical.”
Guy from Ljubljana says that, since pedestrianizing their city center, they have gone from a car-driving city to a coffee drinking city.
Now hearing from Pontevedra, Spain. This panel is just a parade of Europe’s smartest cities.
You thought Seattle Design Review was dead but it's limping along, adding grit to the gears of housing production. So, join me right here, starting at 5:00p for a pointless meeting that could have been an email.
Today's meeting is to approve minor changes to the design of 1661 E. Olive Way, a lovely 8-story building in Capitol Hill. Follow along here: web.seattle.gov/dpd/aboutus/ne…
When I say minor, I mean really minor. The architect added a garage elevator and so they are requesting approval to replace a 5x9' piece of vision glass with spandrel.
If you thought Superblocks were the big thing in Barcelona, you were right last year but now you're wrong. Here's my WTF IS HAPPENING IN BARCELONA thread. 🧵
Superblocks still exist and are still being built but the ones that have been breaking the brains of an endless stream of visiting journalists and urban planners are really just pilot projects.
Tonight, we're reviewing the new Greystar Safeway project at 15th & John. It is a building. We should build it. But the East Design Review Board may have different ideas.
COUNTDOWN OF THE TOP 30 PEDESTRIAN ZONES (that I have visited recently). A THREAD 🧵
#30 KARL JOHANS GATE OSLO. This is a pretty standard central commercial pedestrian zone like you see across Europe. It would be great if this was standard across America too.
#29 BARRIO DE SANTA CRUZ SEVILLE. The old Jewish Quarter of Seville, a beautiful maze of alleyways.
Countdown of the TOP 20 NEW URBAN DISTRICTS (that I have visited recently). A THREAD 🧵
#20 EUROVEA (BRATISLAVA). This district is Bratislava’s announcement that it is open to inward investment and seeking to be a leading European capital. Unfortunately, it has wide roads, a lot of unremarkable highrise buildings, and some hit-or-miss urban design.
The best part of Eurovea is the linkage to Bratislava’s world class pedestrian district along the Danube. I could hang out here all day drinking Aperol Spritzes and watching the boats go by.