tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127741012024-03-07T15:23:10.276-05:00another hundred years hence>>discussions about philippine urban futuresUrbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-71336736250318687152009-06-01T13:30:00.002-04:002009-06-01T13:37:14.606-04:00here we go<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->This from the Manila Times: BRT in the Philippines to cost Php55B for 426 kilometers. (That seems a little pricey to me but at least the idea has found legs.)Moreso, pilot routes are in the works. I hope they do it right.The Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-23228524346354032009-04-20T13:51:00.003-04:002009-04-20T14:01:29.326-04:00chicago, a hundred years since<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->So, if you didn't know it yet, Daniel Burnham created a plan for Manila before he even worked on Chicago, DC or San Francisco. Of course, we decided not to follow through with it.Urbanophile lists down why the Burnham plan for Chicago Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-86969897459035045282009-04-08T10:52:00.001-04:002009-04-08T10:52:49.263-04:00"Our cities are linked and they are learning"Check out this SlideShare Presentation: The Demon-Haunted WorldView more documents from Matt Jones.Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-83980498172398886822009-04-07T14:19:00.005-04:002009-04-07T14:41:18.070-04:00the street of the future is a livable street<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->This interactive graphic courtesy of GOOD Magazine."It’s easy to forget that our streets are alterable. They weren’t set down by God on the eighth day; they were designed by human beings. Unfortunately, throughout the 20th century, most Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-6340081202108175272009-03-06T11:47:00.004-05:002009-03-06T11:55:19.033-05:00want to reinvent metro manila?<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->DIYcity: How do you want to reinvent your city?Twitter bots, aggregators, social software, mobile apps - we use these things more and more in our daily routines to make our lives better. But can we also use them to remake our cities Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-90266879079465860352009-02-23T10:29:00.002-05:002009-02-23T11:18:18.549-05:00business improvement districts<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->I've advocated for the use of BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) in Metro Manila. Someone just has to write the enabling law.What's a BID? (Caveat -that links to a Manhattan Institute report on BIDs, and MI is decidedly on right of Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-40900386911976481062009-02-03T11:09:00.002-05:002009-02-03T11:16:58.913-05:00bbc's bicycle diariesGreat podcast series on bicycles (and cities) from the BBC:This three - part series illustrates how the bicycle is used today and what impact it has on people's lives. With more than a billion models worldwide, the bicycle has found a place in every society. Since its invention in 1817 people have redesigned and used the bike for hundreds of different purposes.From sporting events and policing Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-25896467528416179202009-02-03T09:55:00.000-05:002009-02-03T09:56:57.124-05:00RF and Asian Cities<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--> Via MCONET:Foundation to help Asian cities endure global warming The Rockefeller Foundation President recently came to Thailand on many occasions, one of which concerned the 70-billion US dollar “Asian Cities Climate Change Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-768898549614981352009-01-15T16:41:00.004-05:002009-01-15T17:21:14.171-05:00decongesting manila<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->This was Econmist Benjie Diokno's latest column in BusinessWorld.He reports back from the findings of WDR2009 and argues that "Decongesting Manila by creating new government centers in other cities is "ill-advised and a waste of public Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-9472159837219341722009-01-09T14:06:00.001-05:002009-01-09T14:11:28.841-05:00mag-aral ka, anak<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->from CEOsforCitiesSo, go get your college degree.But make sure to walk through a park to give your brain a break.Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-3956734325337643882009-01-07T14:28:00.002-05:002009-01-07T14:34:27.810-05:00National Land Use Committee<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->This came out in BusinessWorld the week before Christmas:President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has included the National Land Use Committee (NLUC) into the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board to address the land-use Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-26879990711870043622009-01-04T09:16:00.007-05:002009-01-04T09:52:20.142-05:00inspired by ManilaRendering by Rafael Smith, via NYTAbove, the Uber Shelter - inspired by Manila.Dismantled, the Über Shelter looks like a large gray gurney. But this compact pile of aluminum unfolds into a two-story home, complete with lights, stove, porch and a small refrigerator. Rafael Smith, a senior in the industrial design program at Purdue University, designed the Über Shelter for his undergraduate thesis Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-9668543582804589442008-12-29T15:43:00.004-05:002008-12-29T15:58:39.493-05:00by the people, for the people<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->Success in upgrading slums led by the people who live there:The Baan Mankong Community Upgrading Program was launched by the Thai government in January 2003, as part of its efforts to address the housing problems of the country’s poorestUrbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-44414221894844243492008-12-29T10:50:00.005-05:002008-12-29T11:00:04.014-05:00The world’s 10 best commutesphoto by APForbes has listed the 10 best cities for commuters (via MSNBC)Of course Metro Manila is not on the list - but it would be good to look to these cities for inspiration. And, hey, Mumbai, Chennai and Dakkar are on the list. There's hope because "dense cities perform particularly well ."Quoteworthy:The speed of transit not only benefits commuters; it contributes to a city's economic Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-75387625788881445852008-12-03T14:50:00.004-05:002008-12-03T15:12:59.996-05:00on my reading list<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->Sorry folks. New job, new city and new baby (Luna Emilia -born Oct. 13, 2008) have been very demanding so have not had time to post or to answer comments.In lieu of more nuanced thinking, I throw at you books and events I have been Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-71987842283875638852008-10-06T23:04:00.004-04:002008-10-06T23:36:47.985-04:00where I've beenwhere I'm going<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->So tell me, are we way past the point in the life-cycle of blogs where the reader, not having seen a new post in weeks, has decided it's not worth visiting the blog anymore? I hope not. Then again, you're reading this so maybe I have Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-1122391060681117212008-09-19T23:28:00.002-04:002008-09-19T23:31:14.157-04:00car free streets<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->Yes, I know. I've been gone for too long.Hold on. I've got some major news and updates coming up but meanwhile, be inspired by New York and San Francisco's own takes on car free days on major streets.Tell me why we can't do this in our Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-36221044838291016112008-07-07T16:42:00.004-04:002008-07-08T21:48:43.702-04:00a little bit betterJan Gehl, one of the most effective urban planners and urban theorists alive, has this advice about dealing with the seemingly overwhelming challenge of changing our cities:Take it one step at a time.Check the video above (a segment from Contested Streets) about the success of Copenhagen. Says Gehl:It's really wonderful to live in a city where everyday, when you wake up in the morning, you Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-3234331561959716772008-07-06T16:56:00.004-04:002008-07-07T01:27:47.585-04:00lupang hinirang*This, before we talk about how to change a city:<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->Caring About Places: ThresholdsGood places need to be excellent in many dimensionsThey need to be structured so we can remember them,They need to remind us of important things about our Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-43804341747991110002008-07-05T09:27:00.004-04:002008-07-05T10:30:13.924-04:00hope for the cityI've been on an unintended hiatus from blogging for almost two months. I've moved to a new company and job and a new city and the settling-in has taken time.Despite my absence from these pages, Manila hasn't been far from my thoughts. Mostly I've been thinking about the comments on this post from Carlos Celdran. Carlos posted a 1938 Andre de la Varre feature on Manila. The video is a Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-89112341824591381332008-05-16T14:10:00.003-04:002008-12-11T02:16:01.901-05:00the net and the metroBeing a mapping and graph geek, I've been thinking about the juxtaposition of cities and their websites. Is there any sort of relationship? Does the complexity of a city's website relate to the complexity or legibility of its built environment? Or do they speak more to the level of participation the city engenders through its online presence?Here are the webgraphs of four cities, two of ours Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-74000725630595188082008-05-02T16:26:00.005-04:002008-12-11T02:16:02.056-05:00streets as valuable public spaces<!-- google_ad_client = "pub-0948763882552425"; /* 300x250, created 4/30/08 */ google_ad_slot = "0514601197"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //-->"treat streets as valuable public places, rather than utilitarian corridors"So says Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of New York City's Department of Transportation, as she introduced Gotham's new "Sustainable Streets" strategic plan. Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-20366268203072835812008-05-01T13:23:00.002-04:002008-05-01T13:27:46.650-04:00leon chua and the memristorSo, if you're geeky enough, you would have heard the HP has finally created the missing link in the "family of circuits" -the memristor."an entirely new kind of electronic device, which could make chips smaller and far more efficient...a computer built with memristors could allow PCs that start up instantly, laptops that retain sessions after the battery dies, or mobile phones that can last for Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-10309797181956709562008-04-27T14:22:00.003-04:002008-04-27T14:44:33.066-04:00long timeIt's been nearly a month since my last post. I wonder if anyone is still with me. My apologies to the lack of responses to your comments. Work has gotten far too hectic lately, and it doesn't look like there will be any let up soon. The upside is there are exciting developments on the horizon.My unintended dormancy made me think of all some of my favorite blogs/bloggers that have gone silent:Urbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12774101.post-85462166137971439752008-04-01T17:07:00.002-04:002008-04-01T17:13:11.261-04:00what will the sustainable city of the future look like? What will the sustainable city of the future look like? from EMBARQ Network on Vimeo.Nancy Kete's speech at the World Conference on the Development of Cities in Porto Alegre, Brazil on February 16th, 2008.This is a must, must see video for any would be urbanist and for all environmentalists. Listen closely to her calls for visionary urban leaders and how our cities can save the world.MilitaryUrbano dela Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04789741333608173414noreply@blogger.com4