We muse about cities quite a lot at New Commons, and this project seems like it’s part of a cluster of new thinking in the planning/development community that stresses what they’re calling “resilience“.

In terms of NanoCity, their two principles of ecological sustainability and developmental flexibility join to form a resilience perspective that includes things like water use and natural disasters, as well as slowly shifting socio-economic factors. Resilience thinking expands the frame of reference for planning and development in the same way that A Pattern Language expanded ‘architecture’ to include everything from the relationship between a window and its trim boards to where to site a city’s red light district or what makes for a good playground. Resilience says ecology impact economy impacts built environment impacts ‘social cohesion’, etc.

The New Commons-aligned resilience thinkers are preoccupied with water in Western AU, but they’ll love to hear about this.

Lastly, anybody interested in expanding the possibilities of infrastructure should check out Michael Singer, a US-based sculptor who now makes things like airport terminals, electricity plants, water treatment plants and waste management facilities. Amazing, smart, practical, cheap, sustainable.

Brilliant quote from him when he spoke in Providence: Create infrastructure that celebrates the dignity of the people who work inside it.

Since when did Manhattan join Nelson’s Column and the London bus as a standard unit of journalese?

For many years now, I’ve wondered what it would feel like to build a great city from scratch. How to make sure it is alive, organic, adaptable, real.

Sounds like you should ask for a copy of SimCity this Christmas :-)

He could have easily been a firewalled drone (albeit, a successful one) with no access to personal mail, but he went out and made a difference.

I am firmly of the belief that:

“Thinking big is the realm of many, but making it big is the vestige of the few & fortunate.”

Cheers,

Zubin.
http://zwadia.com