Urban Densification

Here's an interesting article featured on CNN.com about sustainability where they interview Jonathan D. Solomon, an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Hong Kong University about a concept known as "Urban Densification."

The term seeks to find wasy to develop plans that are more environmentally sustainable and to build homes that are more compact and closer together but that can also seek to preserve open and public spaces.

I found this quote interesting when it comes to people's perceptions about density:

"Tokyo is one of the densest cities on earth but not very high rise. New Jersey is the densest state in the U.S. and it is entirely suburban. Dense doesn't mean higher, it means being better organized.

When you fill in vacant lots around the city with low rise buildings, you increase density and also link broken communities together. In doing so you increase both environmental and social sustainability. We have the ability to build all these different structures. "

To read more about the article, click here.

Flashing Lights...A look at City Billboard Signs

For many local and large businesses, signage is crucial in identifying a store's location as well as for advertising to attract potential customers. In any city across the globe, businesses compete with each other to grab customers' attention with billboard signs that can be seen for several blocks away. Over time these billboards signs have become larger, brighter, more colorful, more creative, controversial, celebrity endorsed and lately, digital signs with moving graphics.

Today numerous cities are beginning to question whether billboards have become too distracting to drivers and whether these signs posing a public safety hazard. Before cities begin to think about restricting billboard signs, here is a look at Billboard signs from across the globe:

New York Billboards


Times Square Billboards


Hong Kong

Tokyo

Hollywood

Unknown city