New Bicycle Path, LISBOA

© João Silveira Ramos

Here is a wonderful project with the promotion of urban cycling at its core, while at the same time improving the quality of urban space along the river banks of the Tagus in Lisboa. The remarkable thing about this project is the minimal interventions used, no expensive paving here, just a really nice graphic language deployed onto urban surfaces. I can't help but be reminded on Caruso St. John's wonderful Bankside Directional Signage System in London. Simple, Everyday Urbanism.

History of Cycle Paths in the Netherlands

Interesting video detailing the evolution of Cycle Paths in the Netherlands.

More info: A view from a Cycle Path

Urban Mobility Beyond Cars: Dublin

Ecological Urbanism is delighted to announce that my research proposal 'Urban Mobility Beyond Cars" has recently been shortlisted for a research competition organised by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. The competition,
3Twenty10, was a call for Irish Architects to identify solutions to the challenges facing Ireland’s built environment in the aftermath of the boom years. It explores how the profession can contribute to the wider debate about national recovery.

High Speed Rail in the USA

Promising signs are coming from the United States that the country who gave the world the post-war car-dependent suburban dream is finally dreaming about a future based on sustainable development practices and with high-speed rail at the core. The exhibition invites locals and visitors alike to discover new ideas for establishing sustainable public transportation in LA.

Rail[ways]

"A gap in the agreed order of the city"

After covering design ideas for Chicago's derelict Bloomingdale Line, EcoUrb presents the second installment of our Rail[ways] series where we will be looking at Le Viaduc des Arts in Central Paris, a project widely regarded as an inspiration for the adaptation of many railway lines worldwide, most notably, the recently completed Highline in New York.

RAIL[WAYS] Series: Chicago's Bloomingdale Line

Over the next few weeks here at ecocity we will be documenting urban projects from around the world that transform redundant railway lines into leisure amenities. Often physical and social barriers in cities, redundant railway viaducts have the potential to bind communities together and create social cohesion in often very difficult neighbourhoods. Also being examined is how exactly the projects develop from conception through to completion; many of which are realized due to the hard work of volunteer community organisations with the courage and conviction to pursue what they passionately believe in.

Retrofitting existing cities infrastructure is a strategy widely accepted as one that can deliver low carbon cities quickly and at a low cost. In fact, Retrofitting cities is one of the key components of 'The Future We Want' project that I was introduced to by Bill Becker back in Copenhagen in December '09 at the Culture|Futures conference. Bill is an hugely enthusiastic and inspiring guy with great resolve from the University of Colorado, Denver and is the executive director of Obama's Presidential Climate Action Project.

Reclaiming the Banks of the Seine

Port de Solferino - left bank © Apur / JC Chobelet

Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë - who introduced Paris-Plages, when the banks of the Seine become a temporary beach every summer - said that removing cars all year round from sections of the riverbank would help cut pollution and boost the capital's international standing.

Up to 70,000 cars travel daily along the Seine's left bank and what is known as the Pompidou expressway – a dual carriageway along the right bank built in 1967 by Mr Pompidou , an avid motorist who declared: "The French love their cars". The banks have been UNESCO world heritage sites since 1992.