Archive for the ‘urbanism’ Category

April 20, 2011

At Stake: The Magic of Lux Coffee Bar

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet As you might know, Lux Coffee Bar is my “office” and hang out. I go there almost every morning to work and some times to relax. There are lots of great coffee shops in Central Phoenix, but I choose Lux as my home away from home because it has a certain unique energy to it. It’s not clean or pristine, it’s usually crowded and there isn’t much space to sit, if you’re lucky enough to find a seat. But this particular set of circumstances gives Lux a je ne sais quois appeal, not unlike a messy, busy, crowded city….

April 13, 2011

Meanwhile at the Lexington Hotel: Cycle and Poolside Gallery

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet There’s something remarkable happening at the Lexington Hotel, a place that has sat rather unremarkably on our landscape for quite some time now. Recently, Habitat Metro got control of it and has big plans to revitalize it into a boutique hotel with a focus on the arts community. The Lexington hotel is located at an important crux point of our city. It is between the Roosevelt neighborhood and the midtown museum area that includes the Phoenix Art Museum, Burton Barr and Margaret Hance Park. If done well, it has the potential to act as a connector, catalyst and activator…

April 06, 2011

The New Phoenix Green Construction Code Should Take Location More Seriously

by: Cavin Costello

Tweet We are planning on using the brand new Phoenix Green Construction Code on the Castaway House. Today’s post is by Cavin Costello, the designer on Castaway House. He tells us about an important missing factor in this new code: Starting in July, the City of Phoenix will be implementing the new Phoenix Green Construction Code. This code will be voluntary and was created with the following intent: The purpose of this code is to safeguard the environment, public health, safety and general welfare through the establishment of requirements to reduce the negative potential impacts and increase the positive potential…

March 30, 2011

Car-Free Stories: A Seatless Bicycle and the Stigma of Cycling for Women

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet On Wednesdays, I usually post an update on the Castaway House. But our team is still in the middle of choosing a contractor to work with, so I’ll give you an update next time. Today, I’d like to share a car-free story with you. Yesterday at around 2:00pm, I said goodbye to my friends Kathleen and Doreen and walked over to my bike that was tied to the sign post at La Condesa. I put my computer and gunny sack into my big silver basket and proceeded to unlock my bike, like I usually do. But then it struck…

March 29, 2011

Urban Cycling and the Fetish of Mobility

by: Kevin Kellogg

Tweet Today’s post is by architect/urban planner/thought leader Kevin Kellogg: Phoenix is a great town for mobility. Great swaths of asphalt beckon motorists and the great distances between destinations keep us on the road for a good portion of our lives. In another sense, mobility appears to welcome the hard working and the ingenious, as the relatively shallow roots of society indicate room for ascension and to improve our lot in life. Looking closer beyond the promise of this young city, it begs the question: is anyone really going anywhere? Or, does it matter? For all the focus on transportation…

March 21, 2011

Proposed Road Diet on Central Between Camelback and Bethany Home Road

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet On Saturday I attended the first Annual Bicycle Summit of Phoenix at the Burton Barr Library put on by the City of Phoenix. It was wonderful to hear about proposed bike infrastructure improvements, existing safety and traffic laws, and programs and events concerning cyclists. It was also a great opportunity for the biking community to get together and be heard. I commend the organizers – City of Phoenix bicycle coordinator Joseph Perez and traffic engineer Kerry Wilcoxon for making a concerted effort to listen to what the bikers of Phoenix need and want. Although the summit this Saturday was…

March 14, 2011

Map got your tongue?

by: Jim McPherson

Tweet Prepare yourself for a lot of tan with a bit of green background, courtesy of Google Maps. I am not an employee of Google nor do I play one on TV. I do not own Google stock out-right — dang it! — but I may have a few shares in the bowels of some mutual fund I hold. With that said, I enjoy making Google Maps because I’ve been a fan of maps and flags of countries since childhood. Thank you National Geographic. And it’s true, a picture is worth a thousand words. You’re now reading Blooming Rock, “Your…

March 01, 2011

Marking the 1-Year Anniversary of Places, Spaces and Faces Community Dinner

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I can’t believe it’s been one full year since Places, Spaces and Faces Community Dinner was started! We started off small, but with fantastic participation at a quality venue, setting the standard for future events. Kathleen Bartolomei, one of the original founders, had a brilliant suggestion at the first dinner which has helped sustain the dinners every month since. She installed the tradition of voting for the best cook in the different categories (sweet, savory and later drinks) and the winners would help organize the next dinner. “Built-in sustainability” she called it and boy she was right! As the…

February 28, 2011

Why Downtown Phoenix Needs an All-Ages Music Venue

by: Si Robins

Tweet Today’s post is by writer Si Robins, who I got to know watching the Suns playoffs last year at The Duce. Si is the editor of Downtown Phoenix Journal and a family of green living websites. You can find him riding his bike throughout downtown Phoenix, and drinking too much espresso at local coffee shops. Drop Si a line at si@siwrites.com. When I was in college, Downtown Phoenix meant entertainment: Suns games, First Fridays and live music. Modified Arts was an icon for us under-agers — during that strange and unfortunate three-year window where you’re away from home but…

February 22, 2011

Don Ryden on Why Phoenix is a City of Optimism

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is the second half of my conversation with local historic preservation architect Don Ryden and the author of Midcentury Marvels. If you missed part I, don’t forget to go back and take a look! Blooming Rock: You had mentioned the idea of communal memory at your lecture for the release of Midcentury Marvels at the Phoenix Council Chambers. Can you talk a little bit about this concept? Don Ryden: Communal memory is one of the reasons we deal with historic preservation. In the lecture I said it’s either love, money, or duty (why we preserve historic buildings)….