Twenty-five years ago moving near a golf course was a status symbol, largely for the green space and views, but millennials aren’t interested in that type of manicured neighbourhood, writes the Business Insider.
Forget empty swathes of green, millennials are more interested in farm-to-table living, with around 150 master-planned housing communities built around working farms, known as agricultural neighbourhoods or ‘agrihoods’ appearing around the US.
The homes feature solar panels and composting, and are often minutes from city centres so as to not sacrifice work opportunities for lifestyle.
The trend means that in some places, communities are doing away with golf courses to make room for sustainable living. Read more.
Photo by Rancho Mission Viejo, Facebook.
The war on sitting:
US and UK city councils can’t decide whether to offer more seats, or rip them out, writes CityLab.
While new benches with usb charging points and other bells and whistles are appearing with fanfare in some parks and train stations, in other places seats are removed in efforts to deter drug dealers and the homeless.
The war on sitting can be waged even in the one spot. For instance, writer Amy Crawford reports that the London Borough of Islington installed new ‘smart’ benches with wifi, solar panels, and phone charging stations, but soon after the council announced it would remove them, due to a lack of planning permission and concerns about thieves.
At Disneyland benches were removed by the city from bus shelters as they’d become a hub for the local homeless and street community. “Bus riders were losing access to the benches – people were basically occupying them 24 hours a day,” a city spokesperson said.
The trend may fit in a greater context of so-called hostile architecture, where spikes are installed to stop sitting and sleeping, in tandem with anti-vagrancy laws.
However, abundant public seating helps older people stay mobile, as recommended by the World Health Organisation. To this end, an initiative by New York City’s Department of Transportation provides public bench request forms, with 1500 seats currently installed and another 600 planned by 2019.
To seat or not to seat? Cities as a whole can be indecisive. Read more.
Photo: New York City Department of Transportation.
Successful products are often followed by copycats. Over the past year we have become aware of an increase in reproductions of the Linea range attempting to create a similar aesthetic at a lower price. This can compromise the overall durability and environmental credentials of projects being delivered, affect ongoing maintenance requirements, and in some instances pose a risk of injury to the public. The design of Linea is deceptively simple while delivering exceptional attention to detail. Details matter not only for beauty, but also for providing durability, and safety, that will last decades. Linea strictly uses the highest quality and sustainable materials, has passed rigorous strength tests, and is designed for longevity, with easily replaceable parts. The product range is the result of hundreds of hours of research and development …
Melissa Gerke, our Communications and Education Specialist, is bringing a fun, interactive and informative presentation about our carbon neutral journey and latest products to customers in cities around Australia and in the US. In 30 minutes (plus Q&A) we will explore materials and finishes, touch and feel samples, and bond with your colleagues over delicious treats. There will also be a mystery prize for a lucky winner (optional). 2024 cities and dates include: Select from three catering options (optional): To book, contact Melissa Gerke mgerke@streetfurniture.com
Street Furniture Australia’s entire product range and manufacturing operation has received carbon neutral certification through Climate Active™. Achieving carbon neutral certification marks a significant milestone in our operation and the culmination of a four year long process of detailed measurement and analysis. Climate Active™ is the only Australian government-backed carbon neutral certification programme for businesses to measure, reduce, and offsets their carbon emissions. It is one of the most rigorous carbon-neutral programs in the world. An approved Emissions Reduction Strategy (ERS) is central to achieving certification through Climate Active. Street Furniture Australia has elected to use SBTi validated science-based targets to ensure their ERS is meaningful and aligns with the 2015 Paris Agreement – to limit global temperature rises to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. For those emissions that can’t be …
Why Are Little Kids in Japan So Independent? Parents in Japan regularly send their kids out into the world at a very young age, even six or seven years old, CityLab reports. By giving them this freedom, Japanese parents place significant trust in their kids, and in the whole community. One stepmother said she wouldn’t let a child ride the subway alone in London or New York – just in Tokyo, where any member of the community can be asked for help thanks to a greater sense of social responsibility in shared spaces. A popular television show, My First Errand, follows kids as young as two or three as they buy groceries by themselves for the first time. The show has been running for more than 25 years. Small-scaled urban spaces and a culture of …
CityTree: intelligent air purifier A German-based start-up, Green City Solutions (GCS), has developed an intelligent natural air purifier, CityTree, that uses moss to trap pollutant particles. With the environmental benefit of up to 275 normal urban trees, the compact and mobile unit improves the air, cools it and protects the environment from noise. “We’re building a climate infrastructure,” says GCS co-founder Zhengliang Wu. The moss-covered air purifier, with inbuilt timber bench seats, harnesses the ability of moss cultures to filter pollutants out of the air, bind them to the leaf surface and integrate them permanently into their own biomass. The technological design of CityTree ensures the survival of the moss through an adequate supply of shade, water and nutrients; at the same time, the filter performance and the plants’ requirements …
Public art and its economic value: Public art not only enlivens urban spaces, supports local artists and sparks conversation, it’s a relatively cheap way for cities to attract both visitors and money. Events such as Vivid Sydney and MONA in Hobart have proven to have a significant impact on the local economy, in terms of the increased revenue generated from more visitors, better productivity and free publicity that unique cultural events create. As Meg Bartholomew reports in the Guardian, city planners and property developers are taking notice of the potential that lies in an ‘experience-based economy’. Art that makes people feel good makes them linger – and spend. Aside from the economic benefits, public art helps to define a city’s identity (hello, Melbourne), enhances a city’s reputation, and can even …
