This question responds to the idea that ugliness Read More
Boston City Hall by Kallmann, McKinnell, and Knowles
The connection here is more than obvious, and not exactly news either, but it is extra-topical in some ways. Just as our very very poor imitation of this building is slated for demolition (it might as well be), so too is the Mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, proposing the abandonment of the Boston City Plaza, Hall and all, and relocating the Government Center to a South Boston site. Read More
“Naked streets” or “Naked roads” – some even call them (more tamely) “Shared Spaces” – have apparently been around since the 1980s. Credited to Hans Monderman, the Naked street idea is based on a psychological approach which supports designing roads to reflect the different cognitive skills needed in different transport situations. Shared suburban spaces are contrasted to motorways and argued to need specific skills for their complex human context. This whole area of thinking has developed more formally into the field of “psychological” or “second generation traffic calming.” Read More