A sustainable city requires more than just a sustainable built environment. Social sustainability is critical, something This Big City often focuses on. Here’s 5 of our best blog posts on social sustainability published in 2011:
True Love & Congestion: The Social Effects of Congested Cities
Referencing a 1966 Argentinian novel and one of REM’s biggest hits, Carlosfelipe Pardo looks at some real life examples of ‘what congestion can conjur in social life’. ‘What does congestion do to those who are in it? How is it good or bad for them?’ – read Carlosfelipe’s article here.
Small Places of Anarchy in the City: Three Investigations in Tokyo
‘Small places of anarchy are zones of human-scale action, attachment and care’. In this post, Chris Berthelsen presents three heavily-illustrated case studies from Tokyo: Tokyo DIY Gardening, FIXing the Neighbourhood, and Collaborative Mental Mapping. Read the full article here.
Guerilla Urbanism in London Sparks Social Transformation
‘The Spot’ is a self-made, freestyle BMX park, envisaged and built entirely by those who ride it. Except they built it on private, grade 2 listed land. Despite being totally illegal, both the land owner and local council have allowed the project to continue, with incredible social benefits for the local community. Read the full article here.
Cyclists? Pedestrians? Drivers? Who is to Blame for Urban Tension?
Who’s in the wrong in cities? In this article, the failings of pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers are all explored. Ultimately, Lyndsey Scofield concludes that the most important thing is ‘understanding and respecting everyone else on the road, and making it more enjoyable to share the space with each other.’ Read the full article here.
Education, Urbanization & Citizen Activism – This Big City Meets Aseem Inam and Miguel Robles-Duran
Fresh from launching two new Masters at The New School in New York, Lyndsey Scofield and I got the opportunity to interview the directors of both courses, talking multi-disciplinary design, rethinking sustainability, and Occupy Wall Street. Read the interview here.