New York: This could be the most significant Rails to Trails project ever, and one of the nicest potential developments in New York history. Basically, the High Line is an abandoned railway elevated over part of Manhattan. The plan is... [read on...]

Posted at 12:36 PM | Please feel free to comment (3)
Category: Urban Planning

Brussels: This is the Grand Place in Brussels, one of the nicest public squares I've ever seen. It seems most European cities have something equivalent, if not quite as grand. Squares such as this are more than just tourist... [read on...]

Posted at 01:00 PM
Category: Urban Planning

San Francsico: Enhancing billboards to get a message across is a time honored statement and lots of fun. (Provided you don't cause any actual property damage of course!). Anyways, the SFBC went around San Francsico the other day making improvements... [read on...]

Posted at 02:41 PM
Category: Cycling

Los Angeles: Everytime I'm in LA, I try to visit Watts Towers, a brilliantly inspiring piece of eclectic art in one the worst parts of what is often derided as a souless city. A man named Simon Rodia decided on... [read on...]

Posted at 04:21 PM | Please feel free to comment (4)
Category: Wildcard

Virgin Atlantic: This is probably the best airborne entertainment since free booze. Virgin Atlantic has added trivia contests to their PTV interface (the little TV stuck in the seat in front of you). The best thing about it is you... [read on...]

Posted at 06:21 PM | Please feel free to comment (1)
Category: Aviation

Brussels: Two brilliant innovations here. First, this thing replaces the dozens of parking meters normally installed on a block (at least in the US). You park your car, then you walk up to it and pay for a certain amount... [read on...]

Posted at 07:41 PM | Please feel free to comment (6)
Category: Urban Planning

San Francisco: This thing is going to be fantastic! It's the biggest and most ambitious multimodal transit facility I'm aware of, and will probably be one of the most useful and best looking. This facility, when completed in 2007 (hopefully)... [read on...]

Posted at 07:00 PM
Category: Transit

Milwaukee: During the 50s and 60s, it was in vogue to cut enormous swaths through cities to build freeways, which, though intended as boons, invariably wound up doing irreparable harm to the neighborhoods they passed through and over. Fortunately,... [read on...]

Posted at 07:19 PM
Category: Urban Planning

LONDON: The London Docklands are the site of what is probably by far the worlds biggest industrial reuse project. It's been going on for about 20 years and is still in full swing. Among other things, an airport has... [read on...]

Posted at 03:49 PM
Category: Aviation , Urban Planning

San Francisco:Well, the idea is really common sense, but the fact that this long-awaited plan is finally nearing completion is pure brilliance. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is a commuter rail system that fans out from downtown San Francisco and... [read on...]

Posted at 04:54 PM
Category: Transit

Marin County: Rails to Trails is a concept wherein abandoned railroad tracks are dug up and turned into recreational trails, most often used by cyclists. They are incredibly popular not only for recreation but, in many areas as a way... [read on...]

Posted at 05:57 PM
Category: Cycling , Trails , Urban Planning

Le Manche: Eurostar was fabulous. A near-perfect success! There is not much more to say than 'brilliance!' when regarding a 180mph train than takes you effortlessly from London to Brussels in 2 1/2 hours right to the center of the... [read on...]

Posted at 04:50 PM | Please feel free to comment (1)
Category: Transit

EARTH: I just discovered a really remarkable set of maps produced by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Columbia University. They are entitled "The Human Footprint" and basically map out the direct physical impact that Humans have had on the planet.... [read on...]

Posted at 12:39 PM | Please feel free to comment (1)
Category: Environment