Category Archives: Urbanism and planning

Proposed for Benefit Street

Posted on March 19, 2014 by David Brussat

Yesterday I posted about several projects in Providence, including an excavation of a front yard at 43 Benefit, the Joseph Jenckes House. I talked to Jason Martin of the city’s planning office and he sent me PDFs of the project, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Preservation, Providence, Uncategorized, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Aaron Betsky sees the light?

Posted on March 15, 2014 by David Brussat

It was a remarkable admission to appear under the byline of an architecture critic of the stature of Aaron Betsky, in Architecture Magazine, the mouthpiece of the American Institute of Architects. His piece is called “A Place for Grief and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Column: The easy way to build on R.I.’s assets

Posted on March 13, 2014 by David Brussat

Almost all cities and states have policies intended to strengthen their economies by building on their assets. Most fail because they reject easy strategies and embrace difficult strategies. Two recent Commentary pieces in The Providence Journal address this issue: “Wise … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mr. Hublot’s urban future

Posted on March 10, 2014 by David Brussat

Here is Mr. Hublot, a short animated film that charmed me no end. The animator’s idea of a sort of tinpot gizmoid future of urban life will pull at your heartstrings. As for the quality of the future envisioned, well, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Humor, Old Video, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Alex King lets it all hang out

Posted on March 9, 2014 by David Brussat

Here is an interesting rant from the architect Alex King: I like what [James Howard] Kunstler says about ‘the new urbanism’ in his TED talk but think that part of the problem is not just with architects not appreciating the … Continue reading →

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Column: An elegant guide to Brown’s campus

Posted on March 6, 2014 by David Brussat

This week marks 250 years since the General Assembly passed a charter to found Rhode Island College, as it was first called, in the town of Warren, where it was first located. With a change of place in 1770 and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Book/Film Reviews, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leon Krier’s tale of post-carbuncle London

Posted on March 5, 2014 by David Brussat

Here is Leon Krier’s piece, “Sustainable Architecture and the Legible City,” just published in Britain’s Architectural Review. Krier recalls the atmosphere in London architectural circles after Prince Charles’s speech denouncing an addition to the National Gallery as “a carbuncle on … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Other countries, Providence, Uncategorized, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Carpionato proposal for 195 land

Posted on February 23, 2014 by David Brussat

Here are some images from the Carpionato Group’s proposal to redevelop most of the vacant Route 195 land east of the Providence River, in Fox Point. The illustrations, drawn under the direction of architect Neil Middleton of TRO Jung Brannen … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Column: Digging into the Route 195 “Toolkit”

Posted on February 20, 2014 by David Brussat

On Monday evening, breaking only for the Olympic figure skating in Sochi, I plowed through the 139 pages of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission’s new “Developer’s Toolkit.” LINK_Toolkit(1) My object was to find out what sort of vision the commissioners had … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More on the modernist coup d’etat

Posted on February 15, 2014 by David Brussat

John Massengale, head of the New Urbanists in New York and a classicist who often writes in to TradArch to note that modernism is at least as popular as traditional design in the cafes and restaurants of the Big Apple, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment