You guys were awesome today!
HOMEWORK FOR SATURDAY: Discovery task, if you didn't do it yet. Here's the info about connecting to library sources from off-campus.
HOMEWORK FOR TUESDAY: See ideas draft assignment in the previous post.
HOMEWORK FOR WEDNESDAY: Death and Life of American Cities 3-25, at minimum!... it would help if you could also read 29-34, 50-54, 58-65 and 84-88, and in a world far more perfect than this one, you would also read 89-111
Related: Nicholas' summary of the Irvine Park event (see reply to this post), and another Lupton event about Swedish design sensibility... for Bauhaus/Ikea fans
THE CONCLUSION OF THE "RENT" CONTROVERSY: Here... did I mention my wife is the one writing these stories?
RECENT CONTROVERSIES OVER RACIST IMAGERY: Obama, Obama, Obama
OBAMA/GERSHWIN/WONDER MASHUP: the question we really didn't pursue today, which you should consider your paper, is whether or not music can be "racially authentic" somehow, and if so, what music or whose music... note how Obama avoids the issue entirely, even though Stevie Wonder's best songs specifically addressed racial inequity... but then compare the criteria given in 2007 to those given in 2008
This was Nicholas' summary of the event... supposedly Amanda So was going to write something too.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Park (Irvine)
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The Great Park is aiming to be the first metropolitan park in the 21st century. Although it will probably be at least a decade until it is fully launched, the blueprint stage is finished and it is becoming a reality. The Great Park is going to be placed in Irvine because according to Irvine'e mayor, Sukhee Kang, "Irvine is the greatest master planning city in America"
Some goals for the great park:
- Habitat creation and restoration. They aim to create biodiversity and also promote education by encouraging visitors to learn about local ecology.
- Feature unique and eco-friendly architecture
- Focus on being green and long-term sustainability. They have a natural water treatment system that captures and cleans stormwater and runoff as it moves through the property. Also will have over 100 acres of organic garden. They claim this creates a "positive impact on [the] region."
- Designs have a 188-acre sports park to promote health and recreation.
- Supports cultural diversity by having a cultural museum and cultural terrace that will feature performances by different cultures.
Hey Aaron
ReplyDeleteRemember us discussing about the authenticity of "Slumdog Millionaire"
Here is the article that I agree with. The guy Pridarshan, whose opinion is stated in this article is one of the prominent film directors of Bollywood and a fellow Mumbaite.
Here's what he had to say about the movie. Some of his arguments aren't relevant to us..but ...
Whoever is interested, Check it out...
oops forgot to post the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aol.in/news-story/slumdog-millionaire-is-mediocre-trashy-director-priyadarshan/2009013122189012000001
GREAT PARK FOLLOW-UP:
ReplyDeleteWell, the area of land that the Great Park is going to be built on used to be an airport and Marines base of some sort. There was a measure on the California ballot some time ago that gave voters a choice of whether to build another airport on the land, or a park. Guess what Orange County voters picked?
(By the way, the park is currently under early construction but it is still open to the public, since it is one of the park's goals to "educate" its visitors--they're growing some fruit trees and have some park furnishings on display; it's a part of their "learning by doing" plan)
The park is going to be a "positive attribute to Orange County" because not only is it going to serve recreational purposes but it is going to link to public education--it is going to build a new relationship between activity, reflection, and education. Some aspects of the park are going to connect the visitors with the history of Orange County: avocado and citrus trees are to be grown around the park, and the landing lanes from the airport it used to be are to be kept (these also add to the "sense of great open space" in the park).
The designers try to accommodate with the needs of the community by dealing with "contemporary issues" such as health, energy, environment, and culture; individuals helped through public surveys from which the designers try to draw out their vision into a great park. The landscape artist of the design group, Ken Smith, heavily stressed sustainability for the park. He and the other designers strive to make the park both sustainable and more comfortable for people.
I recreated a diagram he made of how he and the designers would promote and maintain sustainability of the park:
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/blahblahhello/PIECEOFCIRCLE.jpg
Energy: the park will generate renewable energy (there will be solar trash cans...whatever those are)
Nature: restoration of land
Material: recycle base material to construct walls and underground water systems (and promote other kinds of recycling)
Water: building an oasis and a canyon (http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/blahblahhello/02-25-09_1408.jpg)
Other information:
There will a hundred acres of organic crops and fruit for the community to help grow, help themselves to, and donate to soup kitchens. The cafés will serve food using the crops they grow in the park.
Furnishing designs (I think they look really weird):
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/blahblahhello/FRUITLESSLABOR.jpg
It all sounds very expensive to me.
Hi everybody! I was really sick on Friday and couldn't make it to class. Could someone please summarize the major points made during discussion on Friday? I would be forever grateful!!! Thanks :)
ReplyDelete