Each week we will be focusing on blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
• China will slow down its high speed trains from 350 to 300 kilometres per hour in an effort to improve safety and affordability (AFP).
• Online platforms capturing geographic information, such as Foursquare, have been gaining popularity for a while. But a new player on the scene, Wanderlust, builds off of location-based sharing to allows users to capture the stories that come along with their journeys from place to place. (The Pop Up City)
• Across the pond, a company called Mudlark, has created a game which integrates the transit and bike journeys of London travellers. The game, Chromaroma, allows players to track their journeys and accumulate points via their Oyster cards.
• The deterioration of the world’s oceans is well established – yet we don’t often think of the impact that urban areas have on the health of these global systems. “Blue urbanism”, an emerging set of ideas and perspectives, calls on urban residents and planners to more carefully evaluate their effect on marine environments and seek opportunities to improve ocean health. According to The Design Observer, blue urbanism might include political support for stronger international regulations, support for sustainable fisheries practices, education through public aquariaums and the creation of public spaces which celebrate urban-marine connections.
• In San Francisco, a recent by-law prohibits sitting or lying on sidewalks. While activists denounce the backhanded attack on the city’s homeless, others have gone a step further. Ten DIY benches were installed around the city with a message attached: “These benches are more than places to sit. They are a visible resistance to the privatization of public space.” (San Francisco Bay Guardian)
Image from IPS
Do you have a World Wide Wednesday worthy article you’d like to share? Send the link to www@spacing.ca