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Today's News - Friday, December 7, 2007

An exhaustive analysis of the Big Dig holds many lessons for fixing America's failing infrastructure. -- Lessons also from affordable housing's venture into green territory. -- Russell minces no words re: government plans to demolish 4,500 perfectly good public housing units in New Orleans: "Merry Christmas, poor people...forgotten renters." -- Hume has high hopes for a sustainable multi-use complex dedicated to nature in the heart of Toronto. -- Saffron is cautiously hopeful about a new condo tower on Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square. -- Battle lines being drawn over Gazprom tower in St. Petersburg. -- Battle lines over Brooklyn's waterfront as well. -- More takes on New York's New Museum: Kennicott finds it "supernatural" and "audacious. -- It's "one of the most seductive structures seen in past decades" (but the inside doesn't live up to the outside). -- It could change the future of museum design (but skip the show). -- Brutalist church in D.C. wins landmark status despite congregation's objections. -- Ruling called an example of the "preservation police" forcing protection of "a crumbling example of a failed and arrogant architectural experiment." -- Deterring terror by design on both sides of the Big Pond. -- 25 steps to diversity offer incentive to the industry to act instead of just giving lip-service. -- Call for entries for a sustainable artists' community in Dallas. -- Weekend diversions: books to make you think about a world of slum dwellers; and not wanting to seem churlish, but... -- Corbu show at Vitra Museum doesn't "shy away from showing some aspects in a critical light." -- Architects shine at Tokyo's Museum of Contemporary Art. -- How could we resist: Never mind housing issues, aging infrastructure, etc., NYC is getting serious about its pigeon problem.

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Lessons of Boston’s Big Dig: America’s most ambitious infrastructure project inspired engineering marvels — and colossal mismanagement...The Big Dig’s story is an invaluable lesson: How can America invest in infrastructure — and do it smart?- City Journal/The Manhattan Institute

Low Rent High Tech: Affordable housing advocates build green and inspire innovation: There is much, though, to be learned from affordable housing’s venture into green territory.- Utne Reader

U.S. to Destroy New Orleans Housing While Poor Sleep in Tents: ...approved $31 million worth of contracts to demolish 4,500 public housing units of such high quality that some are on the National Register of Historic Places. By James S. Russell- Bloomberg News

Project keeps nature close to city's heart: ...$55 million Evergreen project at the old Don Valley Brick Works...ambitious scheme will transform a former industrial property into a sustainable multi-use complex dedicated to the idea of nature in the city. By Christopher Hume -- Joe Lobko/DTAH- Toronto Star

Some devils in skyscraper's details: ...the last apartment tower on Rittenhouse Square - as well as a great modern skyscraper...even in its fuzzy beginnings, it shows signs of being an important building that will make Philadelphia proud. The challenge now is to solve the down-to-earth urban concerns, while still allowing room for the architecture to soar. By Inga Saffron -- Brad Fiske/KlingStubbins- Philadelphia Inquirer

RMJM locks horns with Unesco over St Petersburg tower: ...tells Unesco to back off; Gazprom woos international media over St Petersburg skyscraper [images]- BD/Building Design (UK)

Jane Jacobs and the Crucible of Prosperity: Over the deceased activist’s objections, the new Brooklyn waterfront will have to survive its success.- AIArchitect

The New Museum Opens in New York: ...supernatural, playful, audacious, grandeur in its quirkiness... By Philip Kennicott [video review]- Washington Post

Sanaa's New Museum in NYC: ...a startling tower of boxes...but the inside doesn’t live up to the outside...one of the most seductive structures seen in past decades in New York, or indeed anywhere...it seems to be the galleries themselves that have had potential compromised for exterior effect. [images]- BD/Building Design (UK)

New Museum of Contemporary Art debuts its new home: Strong building, weak show: ...stands alone as a brilliant example of stunning yet practical museum architecture...Things in the museum-design world could change after this. -- SANAA- Village Voice (NYC)

Church Gets Landmark Status Over Congregation's Objections: Historic Preservation Review Board's 7-0 ruling bars the Third Church of Christ Scientist from redeveloping their fortress-like sanctuary...said the building is among the city's most significant examples of Brutalism... -- Araldo Cossutta/I.M. Pei- Washington Post

Op-Ed: State vs. Church: March of the Preservation Police: ...Historic Preservation Review Board...voted 7-0 yesterday to force the Third Church of Christ, Scientist, to keep its crumbling, 36-year-old home...Christian Scientists do not want to spend their money shoring up a crumbling example of a failed and arrogant architectural experiment. -- Araldo Cossutta/I.M. Pei- Washington Post

Deterring Terror by Design: The New Front Lines for Homeland Security are in the Private Sector: Seasonal Terrorist Tidings; Member of Parliament Mercer: Add Security Design to Architectural School Curriculum. By Barbara A. Nadel, FAIA- Buildings.com

25 Steps to Diversity: ...to serve as an incentive to every design professional, client, educator, and firm principal to act, instead of speaking the comfortable but unproductive phrases... By Stephen A. Kliment, FAIA- AIArchitect

Call for entries: Make Space for Art: A Juried Design Exhibition for La Reunion TX: A Sustainable Artist Residency; cash prizes; registration deadline: December 17- La Reunion TX.org

Book review: A Billion Slum Dwellers and Counting: "Planet of Slums"; "Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World"; "Informal City: Caracas Case"...Collectively, these books raise a larger set of issues.- Harvard Design Magazine

Book review: "Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises": It might seem churlish to present harsh criticisms of so many of the projects...However, with the stakes so high, judgments need to be made... -- Architecture for Humanity- Harvard Design Magazine

Modern master gets just reward: ...first major retrospective in 20 years of the renowned Swiss architect and city planner Le Corbusier at Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein...does not shy away from showing some aspects in a critical light. [images]- SwissInfo

"Space for Your Future: Recombining the DNA of Art and Design" at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo...Architects unsurprisingly offer two of the strongest pieces in the show. By Dana Buntrock -- SANAA; Junya Ishigami; Kiichiro Adachi; AMID architecture; DEMAKERSVAN; Daikin air design project; etc. [images]- Artscape (Japan)

The Pigeon Police: Pity the New York City pigeon...Now there’s talk of implementing the report’s ["Curbing the Pigeon Conundrum"] Recommendation No. 5: “Create Pigeon Czar.”- New Yorker

Problems With Pigeons: ...the New York City pigeon has been a polarizing influence since it started taking over our cement landscape centuries ago...With the recent spate of pigeon proposals, some New Yorkers might question whether city officials' time can be better spent.- Gotham Gazette (NYC)

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