In "Uninhabitable high-rises," he points out some of the problems: wind speeds grow with height, making cross-ventilation difficult. Glass curtain walls either cause immense glare, or must be so strongly sun-screened that it's tough for light to penetrate far inside. Operable windows are problematic in tall buildings. And this:"Elevator motors consume more energy than any other single piece of equipment in a high-rise building."
Subdivisions go urban as housing market changes. USA Today's Haya El Nasser asks: "Why are the giants of the building industry, the creators for decades of massive communities of cookie-cutter homes, cul-de-sacs and McMansions in far-flung suburbs, doing an about-face? Why are they suddenly building smaller neighborhoods in and close to cities on land more likely to be near a train station than a pig farm?"
Her answer: The U.S. housing industry is rethinking what type of housing to build and where to build it.
I've wondered whether some of the news about this trend might be wishful thinking, but El Nasser has facts to buttress her point:
"Latest Census data show that population growth in fringe counties nearly stopped in the 12 months that ended July 1, 2011, and urban counties at the center of metro areas grew faster than the nation as a whole, a USA TODAY analysis found.
"Central metro counties accounted for 94% of U.S. growth, compared with 85% just before the recession and housing bust.
"A recent Case Western Reserve University study found that Cleveland's inner city is growing faster than its suburbs for the first time."
Fortune magazine takes a look at Charlotte after the banking crisis: "Charlotte after the bank crisis: 'Just fine, and you?' " Contains this great line: "And there you have the essence of Charlotte. It is a city that knows how to move on."
And for long-time Charlotteans or newer residents who are history buffs, here's a video of driving through Charlotte streets in 1986. There's footage from Indy Boulevard but, alas, no Thompson's Bootery and Bloomery. I lived here then, and I had a hard time identifying a lot of the scenes. There were a lot of highways and convenience stores. The car radio music is fun, too.
Meanwhile, back in the OQC (Other Queen City, aka Cincinnati): "Getting it right in the Queen City."
Photo credit: Claire Apaliski of UNC Charlotte's Urban Institute.
