Friday, November 20, 2009

Climate Change Adaptation

Excuse the lack of posts as of late. The semester is winding down and I have been nose-deep in climate change reports for my Environmental Management course.

Although this is school-related stuff, the material is progressive and noteworthy in a planning sense.

Adaptive capacity Indicators include:
  • economic resources
  • availablitiy of and access to technology
  • information
  • skills
  • degree of prepardness of infrastructure and institutions

Simply put, the more developed an area, the better they stand against the effects of climate change. These indicators differ in adaptive capacity based on subregions and sectors and the speed of reaction to these changes, as climate change can happen faster than our adaptation.

The multidisciplinary collection of experts behind the IPCC AR4 report point out that the role of institutions (ie. universities, government, etc.) is important in enhancing long-term adaptive capacity with the goal of making adaptation mainstream by including it in all forms of policy for planning processes. This must be informed by taking into consideration current vulnerabilities and future changes.

With that said, climate change is currently incorporated into long-term planning and decision making processes within conservation authorities (such as stormwater management) and public health departments (in the form of smog alerts). North America has historically been "reactive," to cope with these changes instead of being focused on preventative measures.

Using Global Circulation Models, coupled with several different emission scenarios, the IPCC researchers predict a future that will boast temperatures exceeding 30°C, with most of the warming happening in the winter season.


With ageing urban infrastructure found in all cities around the world, modifications required for adaptation involve retrofits to update and enhance how we live in urban centres.


The implications carried through the various related reports recommend climate change be factored into all long-term plans as it is hailed as a reality by this Nobel Prize-winning intergovernmental panel of experts.

More literature on adapatation and Ontario municipalities can be found here.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Vancouverism

Living Shangri-La is Vancouver's tallest building. Designed by James KM Cheng Architects Inc. (Photo by Uncle Buddha via Flickr)

I've seen this term being thrown around in various architecture readings, but never really knew what the term encompassed. Here is what I've learned:

"Vancouverism is characterized by tall, but widely separated, slender towers interspersed with low-rise buildings, public spaces, small parks and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and facades to minimize the impact of a high density population."

Wedged between the sea, mountains and the US border, Vancouverism is truly a product of its environment.

Here is an interesting comparison between New York's modern architecture and Vancouver's neomodern styles and the policies that allow them to exist.

And if you didn't know before, you do now.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Hosang Park's 'A Square'


From Seoul, South Korea, Hosang Park's photographic series A Square articulates how public spaces blend in with urban living environments.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Blueprint America: Road to the Future


Featuring Denver, Portland and New York

This episode of PBS' documentary series
Blueprint America examines the United States' investment in its aging infrastructure and changes that are happening now by looking at several American cities and the systems they have created.

Watch here.

Toronto wins 2015 Pan Am Games


What are the Pan Am Games you ask? Well, it's known as somewhat of a prequalifier for the Olympics held every four years, the year before the big Games. Participants from the Americas and Caribbean compete in multi-sport events. With a history of losing two Olympic Games and two Commonwealth Games, this victory seems bittersweet.

(Courtesy of the CBC)

The Games will bring a $1 billion athletes' village in the West Donlands which includes a component of affordable housing after the games and develop sports infrastructure to the region in the form of a new aquatics centre with two 50-metre pools and a separate diving tank plus a high-performance sports training facility at the U of T's Scarborough campus. This will contribute to the health of our residents and to Toronto's identity as a city with world class facilities.

The Games will surely be good for tourism and potential public transit advances but will it cost us money or make us money?

Whatever happens post-2015, Toronto's vision of the future is grand.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

PublicART: Eagles in the City

(Photo by LK Cavers)

When visiting Vancouver a few months back, it was hard not to notice the 7½ foot bald eagles taking over public spaces every several intersections (and in places you would least expect).

Modelled after other similar city art projects, 'Eagles In The City' intends:
  • To create an event that provides maximum exposure to sponsoring organizations, artists and the recipient charity
  • To invite tourists from around the world to visit our province and share in our culture
  • To produce an event that encourages the 'Arts', local businesses and individuals to come together in a spirit of community fundraising, benefiting the important work of the BC Lions Society's Easter Seal Services.
  • To generate artistic creativity and showcase BC artists
  • To celebrate the cultural diversity of our province and promote civic pride
  • To capture the imagination of children, adults, and tourists alike
  • To raise much needed funds to provide Easter Seal Services to children with disabilities
There seems to be a lot more done about showcasing homegrown artists and their projects in B.C. than there is here in Toronto. Correct me if I'm wrong... Perhaps I should ask the Buttercup girls.

More about this public art project can be found here. For more about Vancouver's Public Art Program proceed this way.

Dubai from the sky

Via Jeff Staple's blog. More photos here.

The tallest building in the world: Burj Dubai Tower

Ontario's Top 20 Worst Roads


Driving down Steeles Avenue east from my girlfriend's place reminded me to post this link from CAA's website released last week. The list of the Province's worst roads include eight in found in Toronto alone, topped by my route home today.

Toronto is planning a $10 million resurfacing of Steeles Avenue pending the approval of Federal infrastructure stimulus funding. A hefty $139 million of Toronto's annual budget goes towards road repairs, but they have been suffering from a $300 million roadwork backlog.

This is what it costs to make Toronto's roads drivable (courtesy of The Star):

  • $25 Average cost to repair one pothole
  • 275,000 Potholes fixed by the city in 2008
  • $6 million Cost of pothole repairs annually in Toronto
  • $7,000-$10,000 Annual cost of preventative patching, routing and sealing 1 km of new four-lane road
  • $110,000 Cost of applying new overlay to the same stretch (year 15, or earlier if the preventative work has been neglected)
  • $650,000 Cost of full reconstruction of road (year 20 if neglected; year 40 otherwise)
The cold, unforgiving Canadian winter is coming and these conditions will surely get worse. This doesn't look good, Toronto.

Broadband Infrastructure: A Primer

This decade's development of broadband infrastructure is changing the our cities and how one can operate within it. I found myself checking my e-mails and Facebook all while eating noodles at a restaurant for breakfast this morning all under their cozy wi-fi umbrella. I was reminded of how well connected we are when the topic of who was starring as The Mighty Thor in the upcoming Marvel Studios film came up and within 10 seconds, the answer was found.

Instant gratification! This isn't even mentioning the 3G networks available - I've already started taking this information resource for granted!

bzzt bleep bloop: Diagram of the City of Milwaukee's WiFi Network

"The internet has become part of our nation’s mass transit system: It is a vehicle many people can use, all at once, to get to work, medical appointments, schools, libraries and elsewhere."

With telecommuting an option, benefits include less impact to the environment and the enhancement of live/work situations, among several found outlined in Ottawa's 20/20 Broadband Plan. With constant innovative advancements and mobile web capabilities, this resource has changed the way we live and is destined to become more accessible with municipalities developing this infrastructure further.

Urbanspoon App


It's amazing how often this App comes in handy - and can lead to fun and exciting new discoveries in food!

Even more fun, they've got restaurants from all of the surrounding municipalities in their database.

Bon appetit anywhere!