Ideal Bite - a sassier shade of green...

For some of us, the idea of becoming more environmentally friendly is nice and all, but it requires effort and work...

Well, it doesn't have to require that much. Welcome to Ideal Bite, a webbernet site that collects tips, ideas and goods of the "green" variety for visitors to search, collect and become more informed. You can find food, clothes and other goods as well as tips on how to live a more "ideal" lifestyle or how to supplement your already greenish one.

Special thanks to MarJ for another fine lead.

CSU - Urban Affairs Lecture Forum

Thursday, April 19, 2007
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
Glickman-Miller Hall, Atrium

printable invitation (.pdf)

What happens when you attempt to combine skilled craftsmanship, sustainable practices and progressive design? In Cleveland you probably get unemployment.** If you are lucky you get a design build firm that lives on site during construction, practicing what they preach such as Jersey Devil - Design Build.

As a matter of coincidence, Steve Badanes, founder of Jersey Devil, will grace our fair town with a forum at Cleveland States Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at the above mentioned time. Topics will include the "social responsibilities of architects and the role of architecture in building communities". I have a feeling it may be a tough crowd.**

**sorry, still a little bitter about the Cleveland Trust Tower/County debacle.

Skyfarming - a primer on sustainable urban use

Urban density and sprawl at times are two separate and distinctly opposing problems. On one hand as urban centers increase in density and size the area of land needed to manufacture, grow and process the goods that supply the city increase exponentially. As tougher environmental laws tighten restrictions on processing and manufacturing techniques these facilities find they must relocate further away from the expanding ring of inhabited space.

Conversely suburban sprawl (typically a buffer to denser urban regions) requires much of the same in terms of spatial requirements but passes the restrictions of land use and to neighboring municipalities who must in turn balance community safety and well being with fiscal responsibility. In turn great amounts of land are used to support a commuting society in terms of infrastructure requirements as well as support facilities for said infrastructure. Sprawling communities can find themselves mixing in manufacturing and processing facilities within the inhabitable fabric in order to mitigate some of the resulting infrastructure requirements from displacing said units. As density decreases habitable space is taken over for privatized greenspace which is also un-buildable and becomes another buffer for the production of goods to support said area. In essence the growth or suburban spaces pushes the agricultural production and processing facilities further away from the denser areas that most need the those products. This results environmentally for an increase in yield per acre (fertilizers, pesticides, displacement of natural area), greater shipping distances (oil consumption, emissions increase), larger centralized production facilities (run-off, toxin concentration, emission increase, displacement of natural area) and finally with a displaced or commuting population to support production facilities (oil consumption, emissions increase, longer work days). Typical manufactured goods work the same way as plants must centralize facilities in order to maximize economy of scale and take advantage of technological, legal and financial methods in order to maximize fiscal return.

While not a new problem, or even really what some would consider a problem, urban areas are looking at ways in which to circumvent the need to constantly move processes that the city requires further and further away. Many municipalities are examining local conditions that can be utilized to lessen dependence upon neighboring regions in terms of products and space. The classic example was to build denser structures and utilizing height in order to concentrate population. Then came the centralization and distribution of transit lanes in the form of shipping, rail and auto to ease mobility to and through areas. Currently many municipalities are looking at utilizing "wasted" roof exposure to capture sunlight for heat or electricity. Some of urban areas are attempting to capture power from the same amenities that made them great cities to begin with (see Lake Erie Wind Farm) which lessens the need for remote power stations that typically concentrate hazardous materials. The final solution to the self sustainability of urban areas seems to be the attempt to move food and goods production back to the urban core in a manner that is socially and environmentally responsible.

Enter the idea of Skyfarming. Not entirely a new idea but one that is growing in acceptance. While many communities are supporting the idea of urban farms (setting aside vacant land in urban areas for community farming projects) and the proliferation of growing a small "victory" garden in your own apartment marks an extreme to the organic "know your food" movement the idea of a centralized community farm (or urban center specific farm) has yet to truly be realized. The Skyfarm solution may be the perfect answer for those aging cities with vacant lots in urban centers looking to lure inhabitants that are concerned with their food and health (most of which are younger professionals who can afford the surcharge for the "organic" label). Of special interest to me is the possibility of a city using centralized urban farming as a marketing technique to not only support its citizens and attract new inhabitants but also as a means to subsidize school lunch programs, horticulture and science educational programs, foster community growth and relations and drive down the cost of the typical "organic" produce making it more attainable for the entire community.

While the whole enclosed garden idea may make one feel as if they were in Silent Running (and depending on the company you keep, Bio-Dome) I think that the amenities of capitalizing on underused urban space could possibly be the catalyst many urban centers are looking for to recreate themselves.

I look forward to watching this idea grow and develop to incorporate even more sustainable practices, lessening the burden of the urban core on the environment.

Tuesday, April 3rd - 90.3FM discussion on architecture

Just when you thought it was safe to put away the Breuer Trust Tower Trading Cards WCPN 90.3FM will present Christopher Diehl, Steven Litt and Robert Madison to discuss the woefully and wonderfully delicious debacle that is the County's decision to raze the tower.

Again, I wish I had actual minutes of the county's meeting to really make some good jabs at the expense of others but one can only PRAY that Litt and Diehl will have the veracity of soul to do it for me. While I personally believe that the County is only capitalizing on the city's complacency in its actions of demolishing the tower I find the fight not without merit and will welcome any action that moves to point out the bureaucratic hypocrisy and fallacy that has helped run the region into the ground.

In other news the Cleveland City Planning Commission did what others were afraid or unable to and attempted to put the brakes on the County's plan to demolish the Breuer Tower. They are allowing the removal of 3 pedestrian bridges but want the County to re-evaluate whether the Trust Tower does in fact, need to come down. In fact the city demands to first approve a master plan for the site and a presentation on preserving the tower as conditions for approval to move forward with any development of the site in question.

Hope you all tune in tomorrow and be sure to have your phone and email ready as I am sure that there will be ample opportunity to be heard.

Another local design challenge!

It appears that the kids over at |re|Design Cleveland have yet another design challenge in mind. This one is centered around the Columbus Road Lift Bridge and fits a certain hobby of mine, you know, designing bridges.

Anyway, this one is due at the end of April and looks like they are fulfilling their mission of attempting monthly design challenges for anyone to partake in. I am very excited to see what came of the last design challenge and hope that they had enough submissions to make this sort of thing a real conversation. I am actually giddy with excitement about this.

Live and don't learn, that could be a new city motto

While reeling from the recent events surrounding the Breuer Trust Tower I learned of some more craptastic ideas (or solutions for problems that don't really exist yet) in the works.

Before I go into that I would like to toss a shout out for Cleveland Public Art's "influence and imposition", a rather nice exhibit that made it's public introduction on the same day as the county voted to continue on with plans of demolishing one of the city's architectural pieces. What made this gala event (the gallery opening) more bitter sweet was that the work of these designers, most with formal training in architectural design, were showing off their collective takes on the city, and had made conscience choices to come to Cleveland to practice their trade. Now I realize that the work of a design professional goes mostly unheeded and that most of the great and truly wonderful ideas never become realized which is why these gallery exhibits are so important. However, I have to take great issue when, as a community, we are willing to portray an image of the city of not even caring when there is talk of destroying something of value and when we do not question the circumventing of normal channels in order to lessen the inconvenience of having to hear dissenting views. Well that is just ridiculous, especially when it is counter-intuitive to maintaining and growing local design talent and presence. I will have to find a transcript of the last County meeting to point of specific examples. If anyone can point me to one I would greatly appreciate it. GREATLY APPRECIATE it.

The current task at hand though is ODOT's new innerbelt plan which would result in 5 possibly historic buildings, possibly being torn down. Now, these buildings may not carry the same importance or exhibit the same wonder as the Breuer building does, however I would rather these issues be brought up now, while there is time to take a stand, rather then waiting until the chance is gone and city/county/state is too entrenched in their process to allow for the presentation and study of alternative solutions.

That is really all I have for that, just a heads up, that we may make another regretful mistake that we will have to live with.

resources:
online photo gallery of buildings in question

County votes - They know better then the rest of us, or something.

I don't know how long it will take for this to make the "official" news channels but word on the street (singular) is that the County did indeed vote to collect bids for the demolition of the Breuer Tower.

While some may argue that the County's reasons lack merit, are fiscally unsound and just plain dumb I would like to argue that I am sure there are more devious reasons afoot. Something along the lines like the building blocks the gateway to Zuel's (from Ghostbuster's fame, who should probably have a myspace page) home dimension or some such.

Go ahead and chortle. When Jimmy Dimora rides through town on the back of a giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man don't come crying to me. The plan still has to go through the Cleveland Planning Commission so it could still be quashed if the right people became vocal.

With all the problems that Cleveland has right now, razing what could become an architectural gem for a plethora of misguided reasons just makes this city seem, I don't know, dumber then we should seem. Dumber and corrupt and just plain awful. I don't like feeling awful.

Steve Litt - I love when he calls things a wash

Just a few comments about the County's intentions to demolish the Breuer tower. Honestly a rather interesting article.

I wonder how the meeting went this morning. I am out of town right now and far from any news, good or bad. Unless someone wants to drop me a line...

Hopefully more news later.

Ah spring, the time of new beginnings.

The weather in our fair town of Cleveland has almost made me delirious with its potential. I have already found myself in the attic taking advantage of the warmer clime as I attempt to recreate myself, anew, by ridding myself of the trappings of the past.

So many books and old "collectible toys" and clothes (that fit a much more svelte me) going to good will, it is crazy. My plan is to convert a gigantic pile of "collection-ish-things" into maybe half a car load by the end of this weekend is on track. Granted some is driven by a need to move on, some by a need to simplify but most just because I feel suffocated by the overwhelming amount of crap I have collected.

I have collected a lot of things.

One thing I wouldn't mind having though is the new Home Joule a nifty little device that plugs into your outlet and monitors not only your home power usage but also tells you when you could save money (because of weather conditions or off peak power usage) and when you are being incredible consumptive. Supposedly the little thing also tracks market trends and weather forecasts as well. No info on how much power IT consumes itself (or if there is I chose to ignore it).

It is even colour coded for you people that don't like to read things. It goes from a wonderfully nice green hue to a DANGER DANGER red color when you are using too much power. I suppose one could say that it is a more holistic-whole household solution then the extremely less sexy Kill-a-watt and it manages to put power consumption into tangible dollar amounts instead just energy units consumed data. That's right, it is all about the Benjamins. That is what people pay attention to, cash money. Not that I blame a single one though. Not that much.

AIA - Urgent Bulletin - in case you don't suscribe to the emails

Cuyahoga County Commissioners to Determine Fate of Breuer Tower The Cuyahoga County Commissioners will be discussing the demolition of the Marcel Breuer designed Cleveland Trust (Ameritrust) Tower at it's next meeting at 11:30 AM on Thursday, March 29, 2007 at the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners Chambers, 1219 Ontario Street, 4th Floor. All AIA Cleveland Members are invited to attend the meeting and express their views on this matter. Over the course of the last several months, AIA Cleveland's Executive Board and Committee on Historic Resources has urged the Commissioners to reconsider demolishing the Tower and has called for them to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of adaptively reusing the Breuer Tower for the new County Administration Center. If you cannot attend, please call or e-mail your position on this important matter directly to the Commissioners before Thursday's meeting. Their contact information is as follows: Commissioner Jimmy Dimora Phone (216) 443-7180 CNJCD@cuyahogacounty.us Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones Phone (216) 443-7182 CNPLJ@cuyahogacounty.us Commissioner Timothy F. Hagan Phone (216) 443-7181 CNTFH@cuyahogacounty.us AIA Cleveland Statement Cleveland, Ohio, January 30, 2007 - AIA Cleveland, a Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, urges The Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners to preserve and renovate the Cleveland Trust (Ameritrust) Tower. Designed by the pioneering modernist architect Marcel Breuer in 1971, the tower's prominent location, noteworthy design and contribution to downtown Cleveland's skyline, make the building potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. As stewards of the built environment, it is our community's responsibility to ensure that significant examples of modern architecture like the Cleveland Trust Tower endure for future generations. Furthermore, AIA Cleveland encourages the Commissioners to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study of adaptively reusing the Breuer Tower for the new County Administration Center. This study must thoroughly analyze the overall project development costs to the tax payers of Cuyahoga County and definitively justify the decisions made by the Commissioners. In addition, the impact of demolishing the twenty-nine story structure must be carefully considered from an economic, environmental and sustainability perspective. This study, coupled with a creative and transparent design process, will determine if and how the existing building can best meet the County's needs. Most importantly, we urge the County to engage the community during the decision making process so that all voices are heard on this major expenditure of public resources. AIA Cleveland stands ready to provide the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners with assistance and counsel in this most important matter and we look forward to a constructive community dialogue on this issue. - bulletin reposted from email sent to suscribers of the AIA Cleveland announcement list. The word is out.

Saving the Trust Tower - Operate with heresay and innuendo until something better comes along.

Thursday, March 29th, 2007
1219 Ontario St. 4th Floor
Cleveland Ohio 44113

11.30am (same great county meeting, new exciting county time!)

This Thursday is there is an open meeting of the Cuyahoga County Commissioners who will be discussing, upon other things, the fate of the Breuer Trust Tower, future home of the rockstar county commissioners office (it is on Rock-n-Roll Blvd, right?).

Just check out item #23/c of the attached agenda:

Department of Central Services, submitting specifications and estimates of cost in connection with development of an administrative comples for County government; requestion authority for the Director of the Office of Procurement & Diversity to advertise for bids:
RQ8528: Ameritrust Tower Exterior Asbestos Abatement and Deomolition and 1010 Euclid Building Demolition - $8,950,000.00

Word on the street is that there will be open and the county will hear testimony from the public prior to voting. Perhaps this would be an opportune time to reiterate how the destruction of the Breuer Tower actually goes AGAINST the environmental creed the county is using to support its decision as well as destroying one of Cleveland's few remaining skyscrapers. I suppose this meeting would be perfect for those of us used to shouting at a brick wall, however if you can go and show your support or your concern I think the city of Cleveland would thank you.

I bet they would also appreciate any phone calls on the matter.
216.443.7178

posted agenda

If you would like some more primer on the topic check out Design Rag's rather comprehensive list on the topic at hand.

Countryside Harvest Guide - local eating help online

So, I was at Lucky's Cafe in Tremont this last Saturday for brunch (which was AMAZING) and my gloriously wonderful breakfast date handed me a nice little card and gave me that sort of smile that a mischievous child who discovers a secret doles out to unsuspecting adults.

At first glance it appeared to be a quick little reminder about the NE Ohio eat local challenge which I am pretty sure I have mentioned before. Now Lucky's Cafe has a wonderful local food history. They have their own garden next to the business, they are part of the City Fresh program, so it should come as no surprise to find these cards around.

I only bring this up simply because as spring rolls around and we start to wander outside and look at our yards and think of all the possibilities I would suspect that having a little garden might come to mind. I started my tomatoes and lettuce inside a month ago and they are in need of being transplanted outside as they are getting a tad crowded in their containers.

However, if you don't have a green thumb (or any earth tone digits for that matter) perhaps I should mention yet another online guide for you to use. Introducing the Countryside Harvest Guide which now contains a directory online of the following catagories:
Community Supported Agriculture Programs
Farmer's Markets
Local Grocers and Retailers
Local Farms
Restaurants, Cafes and Caterers Featuring Local Food
Artisan Bakers and other food specialtists
Northeast Ohio Harvest Calendar

They plan to soon add an interactive food map, local food shopping list and local food request cards. Now even if you can't grow it yourself you can still eat local, and what is more wonderful then eating?

PVC is BAD, I mean, seriously people.

Everytime I open up an issue of eco-structure magazine or Environmental Design + Construction I find advertisements for vinyl flooring and I think to myself "How the heck can this crud be in an environmentally centered construction magazine?" Then I wonder if I am taking crazy pills.

Well, I appear to not be the only one flummoxed by this happening. Recently Healthy Building News has published a finding that soon after the USGBC has listed PVC as an unhealthy building material the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has discovered that a deadly 2004 factory explosion occurred because of released vinyl chloride gas.

There have been movies and tons of studies about how vinyl products have a very deadly and poisonous birthing process but it hasn't been until recently that concerns for material production and environmental impacts of such being a marketing strategy that resulted in the proper attention being paid.

One can hope that scrutiny directly caused by green building practices and environmental concerns can continue to help create safer jobs and communities around factories, if only through indirect means.

Did anyone else find that last sentence a little awful tasting in the mouth? It does seem a little hard to swallow that all of a sudden safety and health concerns are being brought to light. Perhaps it is only the power of marketing that can actually sway manufacturing and production practices and standards. Something to ponder next time you pull up to a red light in your Hummer watching the kids on the sidewalk waiting for the bus choking on your fumes.

Don't Forget

Tomorrow is Shut Down Day, which of course means have to work.

But I will try to do as much as possible without the computer and definitely not use the internet so THERE.

Also this means there won't be any posting. However I got some GREAT material to go up on Sunday (if I don't have to work) so catch you then.