First, we kill all the architects

Danny Lyons is asked to design a city

Personally I thinking maiming ought to be sufficient. There is something to be said for grossly overgeneralizing as it appears to becoming the only way to instigate any sort of thought, opposing or otherwise. Still, I would agree with most of the assumptions made and wholeheartedly agree with the diagraming used to explain and convey the various points.

I would find this more amusing if it wasn't really so depressing.

Cleveland and Sprawl: a Global Perspecitve

Cleveland and Sprawl: A Global Perspective
Thursday, September 27, 2007; 4:30 p.m.
Free Public Lecture
Thwin Center (Ballroom), 11111 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland

Part of the "Cityscapes" Lecture Series today's guest speaker is Robert Breugmann, author of Sprawl: A Compact History. The subject of sprawl hits particularly hard in Cleveland with the constant revitilization of our inner core a topic of constinuous debate. I have read some of the shorts on Breugmann's book (and admit to actually not having read the entire thing...yet) and am interested to see if the argument that anti-sprawl debate is in fact elitist either arises or can withstand comparison to Cleveland's history, or if when compared to Cleveland's operations sprawl is actually vindicated.

I am eager to see how tonight turns out.

Resources:
Case Lecture Series Link

LAUN-CHair - the spectacle

So a while back MOCA Cleveland held an event called a night at the Uptown Launchpad which supposedly I took part in. Regardless, it dawned on a few of the presenters that while determining how best to answer the theme of "what is best for the city is..." we arose at the decision that meeting and discussing events of the design and architectural nature as it pertains to Cleveland specifically could be, at the very least, an interesting excuse to sit on a patio and drink.

After some wacky emails of critique and thoughts on the MOCA event circulated (in an annoying fashion) the Google Group L A U N C H was formed to at least act as a sounding board and archive for all the noise.

Things have quieted down, as they are apt to do without external stimuli so a couple of the chuckleheads of LAUNCH decided to instigate the first event, LAUN-CHair. We are well aware that the cardboard furniture thing HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE but this was an exercise we felt could intrigue all sorts of people and not just architects. So if you are an artist or just like to sit on a patio, come on down. You can read all about the intent on the LAUNCH site (which I have already copiously linked to). Feel free to spread the word.

Heck you can even download the sweet flyer, print it out and give out to all your friends.

One World Day - 2007

One World Day
Sunday, September 30,2007

I am sure that as a child my parents took me to 'One World Day' in the Cultural Gardens (also knows as Doan Brooke Park or Rockefeller Park) when I was growing up in Cleveland Heights, which is an annual celebration of the wonderful 23(and then some) multiple ethnic gardens along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard built and cared for by the multiple ethnic organizations in the city. For some reason though I haven't been to one in recent years. Even when I worked in Cleveland Heights and went out of my way to drive down MLK (I love those gardens) I could never time it right to discover when One World Day was.

I spent a lot of time Googling it but have yet to come up with any regular information. This year's event however (which is currently in the future and lends itself to the possibility of being attended by me now that I have ascertained a specific date) will be hosted by the Jewish Community Federation.

There will be entertainment, food, children's activities and a naturalization ceremony as well as a wonderful excuse to peruse the cultural gardens themselves, one of Cleveland's 'hidden gems'.

More Resources:
Cleveland Cultural Gardens history and map
2007.09 Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation Newsletter
Walk and Roll Cleveland
Doan Brook Watershed Partnership