Tag Archives: Urbanism

Column: The Dean and The Sportsman

Posted on April 10, 2014 by David Brussat

Word in 2012 that the Sportsman’s Inn, on Fountain Street in downtown Providence, half a block from The Journal, was to become a boutique hotel was not altogether welcome. The likelihood of a cheesy, hip-wannabe hotel with a gauche modernist … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Blast past: Deep skinny on Parcel 9

Posted on March 29, 2014 by David Brussat

Here is a column I wrote in 1999 about a year after the design for Parcel 9 was denounced  by Mayor Vincent A. “Buddy” Cianci Jr. This predates any notion that GTECH would turn a sad situation into a continuing … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Blast from past, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

(Repost) Waterplace wig-out

Posted on March 28, 2014 by David Brussat

A couple more examples of initial design proposals for buildings in Waterplace Park should suffice to nail down the veracity of the idea that a perverse hand was directing the Capital Center Commission and its design review panel in the … Continue reading →

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

Providence’s 10 best lost buildings

Posted on March 27, 2014 by David Brussat

Providence has no Penn Station, no lost building whose absence wounds deeply to this day. Union Passenger Depot, designed by Thomas Tefft and completed in 1848, was replaced by Union Station in 1898, arguably its equal in beauty. The Depot’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Preservation, Providence | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Column: The secret to making great streets

Posted on March 20, 2014 by David Brussat

The secret to great streets is that there is no secret, that great streets were once the norm, that making them is easy, and that we can have them again, even in America, if we want them. This is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Book/Film Reviews, Other countries, Preservation, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 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 →

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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 →

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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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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