deyan dudjic at urban age

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/16/what-should-future-cities-be-like-lse-urban-age

"The “smart city” concept may have turned into a banal marketing tool, but digital technologies really are changing the way that cities work. On the positive side, initiatives such as Transport for London’s decision to make its data on the position of every bus and train on its network available free in real time has made possible such game changers as the City Mapper App, that makes us understand the cities in which we live in ways that were never previously possible. On the other hand, one of the essential qualities of urbanity is privacy and anonymity. The indelible digital trail left by a GPS changes all that.
Cities are also the first places to feel the results of the migration from conflict zones. They are subject to waves of anxiety about their security, challenged by terrorism, civil unrest and continuing racial tension."

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WhatsApp a scuola e l'insopportabile pesantezza delle regole

....E se un ragazzino/a capisce che sono proprio i suoi genitori che si rivoltano anche contro un minimo rispetto delle regole, come potrà diventare da grande? Un saputello/a, uno sbruffone/a che farà molta fatica a comprendere e a misurarsi con il mondo, soprattutto quando comprenderà, a proprie spese, che altrove le regole esistono e sono amministrate senza alcuna accondiscendenza. ....

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Why apply the LEED ND mobility planning

An exemplary sustainable mobility strategy takes shape in the preliminary stages of planning, observing the territory, considering the aspects of climate change and the social and economic trends. Experience and competence are the best tools for mobility planning specialists to interpret phenomena and databases. The creative and the analytical aspects are elements of a recursive loop of planning design in which the tests provide modeling elements to support strategic choices; the same strategies – sufficiently extended and integrated – offer optional scenarios to be evaluated in detail. The meaning of sustainability can ‘be interpreted with different facets and this is often an excuse to use the term sustainable in an approximtive and extensive way.

Those -professionally and competently – involved in mobility consultancy, often has an adversarial relationship with the standards and certification systems, which are struggling to grasp the human user’s decision. How to validate a mobility project as really sustainable?
The evaluation scheme LEED Neighbourhood ( http://www.usgbc.org/articles/getting-know-leed-neighborhood-development) offers – for the writer – an interesting trail, with which, despite the distrust to the rigors of certification, it would be advisable to learn to deal.

Unlike other schemes the LEED system is considered “open” – accessible at all – in the principles that are made available through downloadable summary or complete manuals for sale. The idea is that you can apply the principles of the rating system in the planning / design phases, regardless of the will to get the “label” certification. For this reason it should be considered a good method to be applied diffusely.

The system also considers a discrete spectrum of integrated themes of good planning: the mobility issues (directly or indirectly) affect a significant number of the prerequisites and credits (45 points out of 110 available points) proposed in an integrated fashion with related themes and multi-level strategies.What emerges is a process of reflection that exceeds the integrated scientific approach to sectoral area. Scrolling through the main items of the requirements and options worth dwelling on some, hereinafter briefly touched.

The system emphasizes and promotes strategies “sprawl-proof” that bind the developments in the areas of already developed land , is filling that adjacent, providing specific definitions of what should be considered “already developed.” Also the UNI reference practices (http://www.uni.com/index.phpoption=com_content&view=article&id=2573&Itemid=2460# ) and the Italian system ITACA (http://www.itaca.org/valutazione_sostenibilita.asp) focus on this same theme, although in the latter case the measurement is carried out differently (based on the need to prolong existing service infrastructures).

Another interesting parameter that drives various credits and prerequisite of the rating system, is the organization of the blocks and their connection scheme. Simply the numerosity of the intersections by area is a good parameter to give a level to the degree of urbanity. Even UN-Habitat (http://unhabitat.org/the-relevance-of-street-patterns-and-public-space-in-urban-areas/ ) addresses this issue by analyzing 30 world cities. The idea that a neighborhood is permeable and easily accessible (and not an enclave) requires a high level of interconnectivity (internal and external). Obviously this is not sufficient, but it is certainly a necessary condition.

The importance of mass transit (and consequently reducing of private car use) is tackled considering the presence of public transport , both in terms of stops of services available in different peak and off-peak periods). The stops itself , almost an interchange node, must provide minimum equipment to provide a sufficient level of quality service to users. Moreover – like the concept of PTAL London (see http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/public-transport-accessibility-levels/resource/86bbffe1-8af1-49ba-ac9b-b3eacaf68137 ) and the TOD’s principles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit-oriented_development )- areas well served by public transport should enhance this potential, guaranteeing minimum density of development, above average.

Great attention is given to urban design of the accessibility system, not only in terms of minimum size, but also to focus on the reduction of the critical points (percentage of the distance concerned from driveways) for bicycles and pedestrians, shading of the paths and proportions of height manufactured than the size road. Attempting to minimum requirements for cycling is a particularly interesting because, regardless of the consistency of the numerical standards – considered in an integrated paths, staging points, long-term parking need and distance from parking to final destinations.

A line of reasioning about demand management is introduced with the organization of mixed neighborhoods, where the areas of residence shall be proportional and functionally organized for the jobs offered by the tertiary and industrial surfaces of the same project. Additional points are creditable with strategies to support the spread of public transport passes for future settled.
The attempt to quantify the quality of a project is definitely a difficult challenge, which must consider different habits and geographical conditions; if there is still legitimate skepticism about the thresholds identified, only a widespread application of the method and analysis of indicators will allow the improvement of the certification scheme and probably will offer the public – as feedback – a greater credibility of the planning strategies.

EXPO 2015 CLOSING CEREMONY - backstage

GRAZIE

ad AGIR ed in particolare a Stefano C.  e Giorgio V., che -senza conoscerci - ci hanno aiutato, con attenzione e comprensione, a risolvere il nostro problema nel problema. (prometto di passare ogni tanto nella cartoleria di a comperare qualcosa);

a Michela, moglie del maestro, che si è presa un sacco di insulti da un sacco di persone, ma alla 52^a telefonata ancora rispondeva gentilmente (le ho già chiesto di darmi il nome del suo maestro di yoga);

al maestro Stefano,  per l'opportunità – ovviamente - e per il discorso fatto durante le prove in auditorium sabato pomeriggio, sull'ordine , l'entusiasmo, la partecipazione; per averci divertito durante le stesse prove, imitando la voce di Antonella Ruggero e cantando " Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" con la voce di Louis Armstrong ; uno special thanks per aver consolato e rinfrancato il nostro supereroe febbricitante Alessandro, ringraziandolo per tutto quello che era riuscito a fare fino a quel punto, per avergli trasmesso l'orgoglio e la serenità che (con l'aiuto della tachipirina, quella "buona") gli ha dato la forza di raggiungere la meta (povera la mamma che ne stà raccogliendo i pezzi);

a Chiara, ovviamente per tutto quello che si è già detto, ma anche per aver gestito la giornata con la serenità e l'accoglienza tipica di una mamma; senza escludere nessuno, con l'unico obiettivo di lasciare ai bambini il ricordo di una fantastica esperienza (ci sei riuscita);

a Paola, che con il suo logorante expottimismo ci ha spronato ad insistere anche nei momenti più bui, quando stavo per mollare e per averci fatto sognare , al passaggio del commissario Sala durante le prove esterne, di vederla rubare il microfono ad Antonella ed inscenare una versione Pop-porno di Volare;

ad Andrea, che ci aggiornava sui risultati sportivi;

ai papà presenti, che hanno sopportato camionate di ormoni femminili;

a Francesca, web director per canali social ed interattività da remoto (ti ricordo che mi hai promesso un catino di polpette calabresi);

alla famiglia M., per aver diffuso all'estero l'evento;

a tutte le mamme che si sono fidate, risparmiandomi lunghe telefonate quando non avevo neanche tempo per andare in bagno (qualche telefonata in effetti l'ho fatta seduta sulla tazza);

alla nonna di Sara C., che le ha insegnato l'importanza della pettinatura (del resto con quel cognome...)

unico neo, Alessandra: aveva un solo compito, spegnere il microfono a Sergio, e non c'è riuscita! Ma ha una figlia eccezionale e le vogliamo bene lo stesso.

E citando Dave Grohl su Rockin1000: CHE BELISSIMO!!!!