incrisismode:

Adam Greenfield claims that urban centers are increasingly becoming networked cities in which all things will eventually become addressable, queryable and identifiable. As our use and reliance on technology becomes more ubiquitous, we are compiling a vast amount of information and data about…

9:50 pm  •  15 December 2011  •  4 notes

nadiarasul:

“In the last two weeks Mazen Kerbaj’s drawings have been one of the strongest most vivid expressions of the whole mess that is unfolding in lebanon that i came across”, wrote Amsterdam based blogger Paul Keller on his blog referring to Lebanese artist Mazen Kerbaj’s artwork that he posted to…

9:50 pm  •  15 December 2011  •  10 notes

nadiarasul:

“For many New Yorkers, Grand Central Station is where you go to escape the island — not to leisurely browse aisles of iPhone accessories, or pop in for a Genius Bar appointment. But apparently Apple has a slightly different vision for the city’s transportation hub, opening its fifth NYC store along the main hall’s 23,000 square foot east balcony. We dropped by for the grand opening this morning, which came complete with the standard Apple Store t-shirt giveaway and what seemed like hundreds of red shirt-clad retail employees…”

5:12 am  •  11 December 2011  •  3 notes

FINAL EXAM
Choose one question to respond to and write a 750-1,000 word essay.
You must refer to at least one of the case study sites in NYC that we have examined this semester, a case study or issue presented by one of the guest speakers and refer to at least two of the core texts from the assigned readings. 

QUESTION 1

IMAGE 1: Screenshot of a Quividi billboard using face recognition
to measure an individual’s engagement with advertising content.
Link to full video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pogmG9i49bs

Question 1: In Adam Greenfield’s talk on design in the context of networked cities,
he cited Marshall McLuhan’s adage, ‘every extension is also an amputation.’ Based on your reading of post-conflict design interventions in ‘Cities Unbuilt’ and case studies presented in Adam’s lecture, discuss 1-2 examples of how networked urban design acts to facilitate feedback loops of people impacting the form of the city and visa versa. 

QUESTION 2

Image 2: Armed police and military units stationed throughout the NYC subway system in March 2010 as part of an anti-terror drill.

Question 2: What is the relationship between crisis and urban networks?
Choose one of the sites we have studied in New York City, and analyze its crisis response mechanisms in terms of different time scales (glacial, slow burn, hot flash) and layers of flows (physical and virtual, social and political).  How are crisis responses embedded into urban networks in reaction to and/or anticipation of the crisis?

6:08 pm  •  6 December 2011

Something for you to check out for your TED-like set up:
TEDx in a box. 

catherinenyc:

Our design proposal is a space for open-air public speaking, inspired by the popular landmark, the Speakers’ Corner in London, a box on the North-East Corner of Hyde Park. Our goal is to increase understanding and interest of people’s ideas, issues, inventions and concerns. We want to…

5:47 pm  •  17 November 2011  •  3 notes

catherinenyc:

Our design proposal is a space for open-air public speaking, inspired by the popular landmark, the Speakers’ Corner in London, a box on the North-East Corner of Hyde Park. Our goal is to increase understanding and interest of people’s ideas, issues, inventions and concerns. We want to…

5:29 pm  •  17 November 2011  •  3 notes

Take up the IDEO Challenge - 

How can technology help people working to uphold human rights in the face of unlawful detention?

Hi Students - Apply your design for crisis thinking and chime in on this crowd-sourced IDEO challenge.  You help designers refine their concepts and evaluate their prototypes.

4:25 am  •  16 November 2011  •  8 notes

nadiarasul:

Saw this article on bike lanes in New York today, thought it might be of interest to you guys for your project.

5:50 pm  •  15 November 2011  •  2 notes

nadiarasul:

(Not sure why but the poster is looking somewhat green when uploaded to tumblr, it looks fine in the PDF that we are submitting. Also, before meeting with Annie, we had a somewhat different idea about the projects, following is a revised idea based on the discussion this morning, it all…

5:49 pm  •  15 November 2011  •  3 notes

Lower Manhattan Bike-Share Project
Tyler Hall and Kwok Kwan

BRANDING
Inner-city living can be demanding. In a recent study from the University of Heidelberg, it has been shown that those living in urban spaces have higher rates of anxiety and mood disorders than those living in rural areas. This is most likely due to the stress of living in a smaller, more confined space than those living in rural places. Having a personal bicycle is difficult enough, our bike-sharing service aims to alleviate some of the conditions of confined, pedestrian movement in an already crowded district.

Like many cities in Europe and other parts of the U.S., biking has become a staple in everyday life. New York has been on this trail for a while now by laying across many new bike lanes on local streets in and around the five boroughs. A bike-sharing program is great for residents and visitors alike because it shows more of the area by allowing them to see attractions on their own time as opposed to getting in and out on a tour bus. It is great for short distance travel and a good form of exercise for many. Biking is also a transportation option that is non-polluting and helps reduce congestion on the main roads. As part of C40, a collective of cities around the world with the aim of finding solutions for reducing greenhouse gases, this will certainly help New York fulfill one of those requirements.

There are reasons for wanting to fulfill the C40 requirements. A recent study from the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology has found that of the 181,982 users of Barcelona’s Bicing service, 12 peoples lives were saved on a yearly basis when compared to the same amount of people using automobiles. Also, the city reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 9,062,344 kg. One can also imagine the improved personal health benefits as well.

The crises that drive this intervention draw from lack of mobility, poor personal health options and air quality. Creation of a bike-sharing system in lower Manhattan would help propel green initiatives into the urban fabric.

PROGRAM
Biking Share NYC — Come discover Lower Manhattan in a whole new way!

Visit local mom and pop merchants and big name retailers as you bike along beautiful marked routes specially designated for bikers.  Discover breathtaking views of South Street Seaport and the Statue of Liberty!

The main idea behind the program portion of our biking proposal lies in showcasing lower Manhattan as an oasis and clam in the concrete jungle.  This is in addition to the economic aspect of the bike sharing with engaging local businesses.  One event the visitor center can promote is biking along the river during both sunrise and sunset times.  It shows appreciation for what many busy New Yorkers often miss in their daily rush from point A to B.  Nothing can relieve stress more than slowing down and taking in the sights.

This project wishes to incorporate ideas of environmentalism and health into the design process. In the fast-paced international city of New York, visitors to lower Manhattan need a healthy, environmentally friendly alternative to truly appreciate all that the area has to offer. With the completion of several enhancements to lower Manhattan such as One World Trade Center, the Fulton Street Subway Station, South Street Seaport, and Battery Park, the best mode of transport is the bicycle. With this in mind, our project is about bike-sharing in lower Manhattan. As as corollary, we posit that our bike-sharing program will have a positive impact on alleviating mental health problems related to anxiety that recent studies have shown exist for urban residents. For physical, mental, and environmental health, and better mobility.

SITE
Our ideas surrounding the project were centered around the new installations and excellent attractions in lower Manhattan. Currently, it is difficult and lengthy to move through the busy downtown area by foot or by cab. Our project concerned itself with the prospect of ‘opening’ and ‘freeing’ up some of the busy downtown areas in lower Manhattan. We realized that a major issue for visitors to lower Manhattan is that the scale of flows are not adequately addressed in the urban infrastructure of the area.

As such, the first area we wished to address was the One World Trade Center (expected completion: 2012) and the surrounding area including: NJ Transit-PATH on Vesey Street and W Broadway; in front of and/or to the side of City Hall Park; Battery Park City on Murray Street; Pier A and/or South Ferry Terminal in Battery Park; and near Titanic Memorial Park in the Fulton Street pedestrian area.

To see the interactive map: please click here.

DESIGN
In order to visualize the placement of stations in lower Manhattan, we must also conceive of the layout and logistics of the bike-sharing program. The stations will be solar-powered and modular to allow for easy installation. Each station consists of a variable number of docking ports for the bikes based on demand, plus a kiosk that is used for purchasing Casual Memberships, adding Time Credits or checking the status of nearby stations.

The Lower Manhattan Bike-Share system will be run by a private company and will be designed as a self-service program to allow users to make relatively quick, short distance rides around lower Manhattan. The bikes can be returned to any bicycle kiosk.

Bikes must be returned to a Lower Manhattan Bike-Share station within 24 hours of the start of the rental. If the bike has not been returned and correctly docked at a station after 24 hours, the bike is considered stolen and a lost bike fee will be charged to your credit card.

Upon launch of the Lower Manhattan Bike-Share Program, smartphone apps will make use of the system’s wireless technology, allowing users to find information about bike and station availability in real time. Online information of bicycle and space availability will be readily accessible on an open web platform. Examples of this can be seen at Oliver O’Brien’s website: bikes.oobrien.com. The O’Brien Bike-Share app is extremely useful in helping cut travel times and will help riders be more prepared for their upcoming trip. Having the networked element in the project will also further enhance our connectivity with our urban spaces.

 

 

(Source: youregoingtocatchacode, via kstudy)

5:48 pm  •  15 November 2011  •  3 notes