New Blog

Hi Everyone!

I have a new blog (since I no longer live in Chicago and this name doesn't really make sense anymore).

Here it is! Enjoy!!!
http://velourcity.blogspot.com/

XOXO,
Christy

I'm Back!

Ha. So both of my laptops died on me, thus no posts for a very very long time. I don't really have much to say right now, except that life is unpredictable.

Anonanimal

It's been almost a month since I posted my last entry. I have a new job, and have not made the time to post about urban design. Today was Bike the Drive here in Chicago. Lakeshore Drive, a major interstate along Michigan Avenue, is closed to motor vehicles from 5:30 am to 10:30 am once a year. The result is a huge bike party in and around Grant Park. The Active Transportation Alliance, a not-for-profit with a focus on fun, active, safe transportation like walking, biking, and mass transit organized the event. I volunteered to work the membership tent. Volunteering with active trans is always gratifying and a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded people in Chicago. As I rode my bike home today from the event, I realized that we all want more bike lanes, bike parking, trails, and a safe way for our kids to walk or bike to school. I had almost no problem convincing people to become a member of Active Trans once they understood the scope of the Active Transportation Alliance's work. Since my mind is still recovering from the start of a wonderful new job and packing to move to a new apartment next weekend, I am going to take a giant leap and relate Andrew Bird to Bike the Drive. Andrew Bird, a Chicago native and the object of my obsession, gleans inspiration for his music while riding his bike. It's a beautiful thing to see him perform and think about how these compositions are born. Please see video below for his performance of Anonanimal off his new album Noble Beast.

Bowerbird Courtship

This is the sweetest courtship display. The female looks so lovely and excited by the male's dance. I couldn't resist posting here. What does it have to do with urban design? Well, if these adorable little things find beauty in the exotic and exciting, then why do we feel okay living in bland, depressing places?...or something like that...

All the Single Ladies

Wow! My friend Jen Gamber sent me this video today. Spontaneous dancing in Piccadilly Circus, London. I love it, and I wish that I was one of these off-the-shoulder-leotard-clad dancers. More than wish...I am insanely jealous of these hot ladies. That's what I call Urban Revitalization. For anybody out there who is on the fence of joining my awesome Non-Invasive Urban Revitalization group, this is exactly the kind of thing I want to do, but instead set in an under-noticed area and not product endorsement (this is a promotion for some brand of gum). Come on! I'd look ridiculous out there alone. You know you want to dance in random places in Chicago with me! And if you're not a dancer...I'm also quite interested in public art, sports, whatever. The sky is the limit. The point is: public spaces are meant to be used for more than walkways and lunch spots -- they are stages with unlimited potential to brighten someone's day and challenge our understanding of place.

I Started a Group

I started a group that consists of creative types (dancers, musicians, urban planners, scientists, and so forth...) who would like to see Chicago's under-used spaces reinvigorated through non-invasive techniques. This group would brainstorm spaces we'd like to see re-invigorated, develop a cool intervention, and then follow through. This is not for pay, just for fun, and maybe something to put on your resume. :-)

Please read spiel below:

"There is un-tapped potential in Chicago's talent pool and its underused urban spaces.
Back in the Los Angeles drought of the 1970s, a group of teenage surfers, the Z-Boys, took skateboarding to another level by using drained swimming pools to practice moves when the waves were flat. In these pools is where aerial skateboarding was born.

McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn, NY was abandoned and unused for years until choreographer Noémie Lafrance used it for a site-specific dance piece, "Agora". This performance brought attention to the space, which was then used for film screenings and music concerts. The Borough of Brooklyn saw the potential in this space, and decided to re-make it into a public pool. Of course some people would have liked to see it remain as an arts venue, but this in an important case study that suggests that bringing attention to a space can change it."

About me: I have my Master's degree in Urban Design (Landscape Architecture) and my undergrad degree in art, and am obsessed with cities and the details of place.

If you are interested, please email me with your background, why you are interested, and if you have any questions.

M Ward

M Ward plus skyrail pulls at my heart strings. Enjoy!