urbanism

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/business/distressed-office-buildings-buyers.html

Just noticed I've never heard them discussed here. Surly basically invented them and called them the Corner Bars, but given it's "bits of metal pipes" you can get some without the name branding now. They're supposed to give you like a drop bar-esque experience except without changing out all the controls and most likely drivetrain, so if you ever wanted to try one, maybe this is interesting for you. You might have to readjust some cables or hydraulic lines.

I post this here because I feel like "how do I convert my flat bar into a drop bar" is a very common question in the bicycle world and while it is possible, it is often sort of not very advisable unless you like wrenching on your bike

This is hilarious. The U.S. Corps of Engineers has dangled a $42 million carrot to replenish sand on beaches in front of expensive houses but the homeowners don't want it at the expense of having to create public access easements (because federal dollars can only go towards improving public, not private, beaches). This town is going to get annihilated by the next big storm because these little tyrants want to keep their beaches private.

In pavement cracks, roadside medians, and parking lots, there are incredible miniature civilizations booming within our concrete jungles: ants! We don’t often think of urban areas as having “ecologies” but Amy Savage, Ph.D. studies the amazing diversity of ants making their way in the city. Their combined efforts make our urban landscapes greener places to live, but their newfound love of carbs is also changing things for them...

Our host and museum curator, Jessica Ware, Ph.D. joins Amy in a search for some tiny neighbors. They're managing surprisingly well in New York and other cities by adapting to human food. But without the access to easy protein (e.g., other insects to prey on), they're doing things a bit differently in street medians than they would in a more rural setting.

For some context, Redwood City is in the Bay Area and the average rent is $2,795. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think there might be some kulaks at work here doing sabotage.

The collective efforts of the Symbiotic Architecture for Environmental Justice research community are making former industrial sites reborn as vibrant community gardens, and safe, green spaces for children to play a reality.

I knew it wasn't going to happen, because libs refuse to ever do anything good, but I figured it would be Adams, not Hochul.

Seems like everyone wants to talk about third place lately. Honestly, I don't really get it. Ray Oldenburg - the creator of the theory - was not progressive by most definitions and he built his theory off of strict masculinity rooted in misogyny and homophobia. I really don't like Ray Oldenburg and I'll show you exactly why in this video. And on top of that I'll give you something else to talk about - a more relevant theory called "The Right to the City," which is the idea that we control how the places we live change over time - not profit-seeking capitalists.

Sources (in order of reference):

Odd sentence, ain't it, but also like half the reasoning why people keep buying ever bigger cars and trucks.

The other half is "some other schmuck thinking this will snuff me out", which, fair, but how do you not arrive at the conclusion the eternal arms race of weight and height with cars is like, super bad?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/16321714

Alternative link: https://archive.ph/BxMKZ

They built a subway station in one of the worst housing markets in America and put surface parking on top of it. Bare minimum housing around the station should look like this: