Authors
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problogic
- Amazing and beautiful river bends from around the globe
- Cities and towns named for a river bend
- Favorites of 2020 thru the midyear
- Chris*craft flotilla
- Roadside Americana: Atomic age stops, sights, and oddities
- Tuesday Tunes: Favorite rock album titles
- “Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers packs a powerful punch!
- Cities with three (3) or more matching letters in their name
- Up to 690,000 American’s died from our own nuke tests!
- American “Atomgrads” of the Cold War era…and beyond
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Category Archives: Housing
The rise of slender toothpick skyscrapers
A recent trend in skyscraper development, especially in New York City, has been pencil-thin, almost toothpick-like skyscrapers built on very small/narrow parcels. These slender towers look almost anorexic in appearance compared to many of their predecessors (see comparison graphic below). … Continue reading
Posted in architecture, branding, cities, downtown, economic development, geography, historic preservation, history, Housing, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, skylines, skyscrapers, spatial design, Statistics, technology, traffic, urban design, urban planning, walking, zoning
Tagged Brooklyn, Hong Kong, Melbourne, New York City, pencil-thin towers, skyscrapers, slender skyscrapers, slenderness ratio, Toronto, towers
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American “Hydrograds” – Cities built for hydroelectric projects
Two recent posts I’ve written on the Atomgrads (nuclear cities) of the former Soviet Union that were developed to both construct and support both nuclear weapons and energy plants led me to explore similar government built community for hydroelectric … Continue reading
Posted in archaeology, architecture, cities, downtown, economic development, environment, geography, Geology, Health care, Housing, infrastructure, land use, Maps, nature, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, rivers/watersheds, spatial design, theaters, third places, topography, toponymy, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban design, urban planning, zoning
Tagged Atomgrads, dams, hydroelectric power, hydroelectric projects, Hydrograds, town planning, urban design
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Soviet-era “Atomgrads,” part 2 – Nuclear Energy Cities
http:// Part 2 of this series on Soviet-era “Atomgrads” focuses on those that were developed to build, service, and support nuclear power plants in the Soviet Union. Of the 12 cities listed and mapped, all but one remain active communities … Continue reading
Posted in archaeology, architecture, Asia, atomic age, business, cities, culture, economic development, energy, environment, Europe, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, Housing, infrastructure, land use, Maps, military, place names, placemaking, planning, pollution, Russia, Science, spatial design, Statistics, technology, toponymy, Travel, urban planning
Tagged Atomgrads, atomic power, energy, Kazakstan, Lithuania, nuclear power, Soviet Union, Ukraine, USSR
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Soviet-era “Atomgrads,” part 1 – Nuclear Weapon Cities
http:// During the Cold War, the Soviet Union developed a series of “Atomgrads“ or nuclear cities. Nearly all of these cities were newly planned and designed to provide housing and community services for the future scientists and their families … Continue reading
Posted in Asia, atomic age, cities, culture, economic development, energy, environment, Europe, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, Housing, infrastructure, Maps, military, place names, placemaking, planning, pollution, Russia, Science, Statistics, technology, urban planning
Tagged Atomgrads, atomic, closed cities, Cold War, military, nuclear, Russia, Soviet, Soviet Union, USSR, weapons
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Tall Timbers – The rise of the wooden skyscraper – UPDATE #1
In recent years, a new trend in high-rise construction has emerged – the development of skyscrapers constructed largely of wood products (can also referred to as mass timber, cross-laminate timber, and/or engineered-wood). Use of these natural materials have the benefits of … Continue reading
Posted in architecture, art, Canada, cities, downtown, economic development, environment, Europe, geography, history, Housing, infrastructure, land use, nature, new urbanism, North America, Oceania, placemaking, planning, revitalization, skylines, skyscrapers, spatial design, States, Statistics, sustainability, Travel, urban planning, zoning
Tagged Ascent, Brock Commons, buildings, Carbon 12, cities, cross-laminate timber, engineered wood, fire safety, forte, high-rise, HoHo, Light House, mass timber, Mjøstårnet, Sara cultural Centre, Sensation, SKAIO, skylines, skyscrapers, Terrace House, timber, towers, Treet, wood
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A BOLD transit-oriented development plan
There are transit-oriented developments and then there are BOLD transit-oriented developments. Here is Traverse City, we are fortunate to have a transit agency with a bold vision for a better tomorrow – the Bay Area Transportation Authority or BATA. Being … Continue reading
Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, Alternative transportation, Bus transportation, cities, climate change, economic development, environment, government, health, Housing, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, social equity, spatial design, sustainability, transit, transportation, urban planning
Tagged affordable housing, BATA, Bayline, TOD, transit oriented development, Traverse City, Traverse City Housing Commission
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You know you live in a starter castle when…/Sabes due vives en un castillo inicial cuando …
Note: – first try at a completely bilingual post. Sincerest apologies if Google Translate and/or autocorrect mess up the translations. Nota: – primero prueba en una publicación completamente bilingüe. Sinceras disculpas si Google Translate y/o autocorrección estropean las traducciones. —— … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, culture, entertainment, fun, Housing, land use, Language, satire
Tagged bilingual, fun, language, Mcmansions, rich, sarcasm, satire, starter castles, wealthy
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Ten Planning Lessons from Chicago’s Northside Neighborhoods
Below is my list of top ten planning lessons garnered from visits to nearly all of Northside Chicago neighborhoods over the past few years, especially those located to the north and east of I-90/94 (The Kennedy Expressway). Even with … Continue reading
Posted in Active transportation, architecture, art, bicycling, bike sharing, Biking, branding, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Cuisine, culture, demographics, density, diversity, entertainment, entrepreneurship, gentrification, geography, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, Maps, new urbanism, place names, placemaking, planning, Railroads, shopping, skylines, spatial design, third places, tourism, traffic, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning
Tagged Chicago, commuter rail, neighborhoods, Northside, Southside, Terra Cotta Row, transit
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“Some Like It Hot” – Cities/towns built around natural hot springs
The cities and towns listed below from around the globe are located amidst, around, or near natural hot springs. As a result, many of them have become centers for health spas, retreats, and environmental tourism. Unlike their rural counterparts, … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative energy, Canada, cities, civics, commerce, culture, economic development, energy, entertainment, environment, geography, Geology, health, Health care, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Mexico, nature, place names, planning, pollution, recreation, spatial design, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning, zoning
Tagged hot springs, natural hot springs, spas, warm springs
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Ten Planning Lessons from Ancient Pueblos & Cliff Dwellings
After visiting numerous pueblos, cliff dwellings, and ancient ruins in the Southwestern United States, it is clear to this retired urban planner that the Native Americans were the first great community planners in North America. The sites visited thus far … Continue reading
Posted in archaeology, architecture, cities, culture, density, environment, geography, Geology, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Native Americans, nature, placemaking, planning, spatial design, sustainability, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning
Tagged ancient, cliff dwelling, CO2, kiva, pueblo, ruin, ruins
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