Tram research links (FFWD Nov 11)

Here is a link to the original article: Trams, Trams, Trams in FFWD, Nov. 11, 2010

Tram street in Freiburg, Germany

Seven rules for Sustainable Cities by Patrick Condon
A Tyee Series based on the book.  Each Chapter from the book  is condensed into one article.  

Sustainability by Design (UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture)

For information about trams in Portland see (from the Sustainability by Design website) Research Bulletin 6: The case for the tram

For information about comparative costs of transportation modes see Research Bulletin 7: A cost comparison of transit modes from the same website.

The PBS documentary series Blueprint America  provides a wonderful, short introduction to urban transportation issues in the US.  The five-part series connects transit, land use and sustainable living.  The third episode focuses on progressive urban development in Portland, Ore.  The figure citing $3B in tram-related investment was quoted in this segment of the series.

Ridership numbers are from the American Public Transit Association. Links to ridership statistics are here.

Resilience and the city

Link to our latest FFWD article which examines why resilience is a necessary component of a healthy, sustainable city.

In resilient places streets have multiple roles and are shared
by multiple users

Latest FFWD article: Building Better Cities

Here is the introduction to a FFWD series on building resilient cities being written with my colleague Noel Keough.

Family and transit oriented development (Freiburg, Germany)

Hurricanes show Calgarians danger of short-term thinking

First published in the Calgary Herald on Sunday, September 25, 2005 page A14

The world is on sustainability overload.  It is everywhere.  In all realms of society it is a virtue that is constantly and endlessly proclaimed.  Because of its universal appeal as a desirable state of existence, politicians, activists, businesses and organizations of all types, operating at local, national, international, and global scales, all utter the word at every possible opportunity as if its mere mention endows credibility to a particular interest.  On one hand the widespread realization of the desirability of sustainable systems is a good thing.  However, on the other hand, its omnipresence dilutes the serious consequences of present-day development decisions.  

Welcome to Kid Calgary's City Blog

Kid Calgary is my poker avatar, but it sounded like a good name for my blog so I've adopted it.

In daily life I'm Geoff Ghitter, mild mannered instructor in the Urban Studies Program at the University of Calgary.  I received my PhD in Urban Geography last spring and in this blog I'm going to be writing about cities.

In my fantasy life I'm Geoff Ghitter urban photographer.  In my secret identity I travel to cities around the world documenting the urban fabric of foreign places through the medium of photography.  I'm a big believer in the idea that we are visual creatures and a visual image always enhances the understandings conveyed in text.  I illustrate and enliven all my posts with relevant photography from Calgary or other places I've visited.  Many of my photographs are linked to a GPS coordinate so viewers can see exactly where in the world they were taken. 

Now, the "city" is an immense topic that can be approached from many varied perspectives.  In this forum I want to address many different kinds of urban issues, but the overriding focus will be on urban sustainability as our global society moves forward into an uncertain, and perhaps unstable future.

The small ambition for this blog is to initiate a conversation about urban sustainability, including a rational way to understand that overused term.

So I will leave this short welcome at that and hope that, as you get to know me, and I you, that a fruitful dialogue will ensue.

I will begin by posting some editorials than ran in the Calgary Herald a number of years ago but are still relevant.  Every day or couple of days, I will post my thoughts about current urban issues in Calgary with a mind towards how other cities have coped with the same or similar problems.

Look for a series of articles on things Calgary can do to become a "great" city beginning on October 14 in  FFWD magazine.