Enjoy today, build for tomorrow.

Long time, no post.

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I’ve been a terrible Tumblr poster, and I know it. Terrible time management has lead to a lack of posts. I will work on this, to provide interesting information. However, I was accepted into grad school, to further study Urban Planning. I hope to be making a lot of posts in regards to new passions, new discoveries, and new methods. Thanks for still following me if you do!

-Concrete Aware.

Amsterdam is world renowned for it’s bicycle transit...

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Amsterdam is world renowned for it’s bicycle transit infrastructure. This video touches upon the problems that lead the planners and decision makers of Holland towards transit oriented development. “The Netherlands’ problems were and are not unique. Their solutions shouldn’t be either.”

Denver's Light Rail System "FasTracks"

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:20:40 -0500

Denver's Light Rail System "FasTracks":

This is an outline of Denver’s light rail system. Currently, there’s a large expansion process, with many completion dates nearing 2016. I will be reading a lot about this program over the next few weeks, like it’s my job. My aim, is to have as much knowledge about the program and its processes as possible. This will be good training for the development of a national high speed rail network.

This is the Nautilus house out of Mexico. Formed with a spray on...

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:36:58 -0400

This is the Nautilus house out of Mexico. Formed with a spray on concrete that’s stronger than regular concrete, fire retardant, and earthquake friendly. There are 9 other buildings that were inspired by nature in this link.

Cut Defense funds and turn them into Infrastructure funds...

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:40:51 -0400

Cut Defense funds and turn them into Infrastructure funds...:

The US needs to invest more into its infrastructure network if it wants to remain economically viable. The country as a whole as put its funds in squalor, spending on endless wars. Numbers report that $1.7 trillion needs to be invested in American roads, bridges, water lines, and tracks by 2020 to keep them from falling apart. The population of the US has grown by 30% since the middle of the 20th century, and its infrastructure network is a creation of the same time. If infrastructure issues are not addressed sooner than later, eventually more money will be spent than is truly necessary. Every year the unanswered repairs create inefficiencies which tack on $97, as well as add $32 billion in travel delays. Let’s begin focussing on self opposed to others America.

Odd laws used to keep Occupy Together protests at bay.

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:08:10 -0400

Odd laws used to keep Occupy Together protests at bay.:

Seriously… no umbrellas? These police are wily. Protestor’s are peaceful and deserve the right to camp out.

CO's long-term economic development is beginning to pay off!

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:41:43 -0400

CO's long-term economic development is beginning to pay off!:

Hickenlooper has been working with GE in order for a $300 solar panel plant to be installed in Aurora, Colorado. The Governor has been in frequent communication with GE in order to beat out our competitor’s in New York. Hickenlooper’s economic vision is to ensure Fortune 500 companies remain in the state, while attracting new ones that will target growth in “aerospace, aviation, bioscience, broadcasting, telecommunications, energy, financial services, and information technology.” Nice move, Hickenlooper.

"I’m sorry, Occupy Wall Street doesn’t need a manifesto. The message is as clear as a bell: Wall..."

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:49:40 -0400

“I’m sorry, Occupy Wall Street doesn’t need a manifesto. The message is as clear as a bell: Wall Street broke the economy—badly—we’re all still suffering for it. Wall Street never got held accountable for it, and now they’re using their power and their money to stop us from fixing the mess. They broke the economy and then they ate the political system.”

- Rachel Maddow (via 122782)

Rahm Emanuel makes public employees take public transit

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:16:58 -0400

Rahm Emanuel makes public employees take public transit:

Following corruption stemming from the public employees of Chicago using city dollars to pay for car washes and parking tickets, Emanuel will make every employee use public transit to get to work. Unless of course, they have a really good excuse, and are willing to fill out a hand numbing amount of paper work. This made me really happy, because this is a crucial step in getting auto riders over to multi-modal forms of transit.

'The fashionable cyclist: Why let a little rain get you down?'

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:18:21 -0400

'The fashionable cyclist: Why let a little rain get you down?':

thegreenurbanist:

I never check the weather, so I always end up soaked but when I do remember, I have a poncho and rain boots.

This is great. Tips to help make our bicycle commute easier all year round will really help us drop our dependance automobile travel.

Move closer to your job, bike more, and life will be more enjoyable.

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:17:04 -0400

Move closer to your job, bike more, and life will be more enjoyable.:

Mr. Money Mustache here has provided an economic algorithm that assures happiness in workers who commute. He provides the numbers and percentages that show how much money and time we waste commuting by car to and fro our jobs. This was a great read, I recommend everyone all followers and viewers read this. Mr. Money Mustache is retired in his early thirties.

This was a neat bike post I found today while out on a ride....

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:06:40 -0400

This was a neat bike post I found today while out on a ride. Creative structures in the city add to the uniqueness of an area. This structure, happened to make this area a little more memorable.

I found the retrofitted gas station recommended to me by a...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:51:40 -0400

I found the retrofitted gas station recommended to me by a friend. It’s now a dispensary, this is Colorado… The old display sign still stands, where the business displays it’s deals. This old gas station was not in my neighborhood this time, but just to the north of the downtown CBD.

Comprehensive planning should definitely occur in a trodden economy.

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:56:30 -0400

Comprehensive planning should definitely occur in a trodden economy.:

“America’s planners have long overlooked the importance of visioning. Great places are not created by accident, and the things people love about places they visit do not have to be exclusive to those places. Communities make choices every day about the type of places they will become. These choices are incremental; it is not always clear what impact a single decision will have. Many decisions made over time have created the communities in which we now live and will live in the future.”

- Justin Steinmann, Principal Planner for the City of Auburn, Alabama.

An economic developer gave me a lead for a new…...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:06:36 -0400

An economic developer gave me a lead for a new… retrofitted gas station! This one was quaint, and full of foliage which added to the atmosphere. Likewise, the old service door remains, opened on nice days for customers to enjoy the fresh air. I’ve got another lead for a retrofitted gas station from a friend who is solely a bicycle modalist that I’ll check out today.

Venice is sinking. It’s visionaries have found a...

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:17:00 -0400

Venice is sinking. It’s visionaries have found a solution… concrete islands. Yes, the Venetian architecture firm Bam! has presented the concrete islands as a solution to the future lack of green, public, or work space. Check this out.

Tired of looking for a parking spot... There's an app for that.

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:23:38 -0400

Tired of looking for a parking spot... There's an app for that.:

Here are 5 of the top parking spot finder apps on the market right now. These applications are constantly improving, and see no end in sight.

The space beneath Manhattan Bridge is dilapidated. As a response...

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:13:08 -0400

The space beneath Manhattan Bridge is dilapidated. As a response the city is thinking of creating a skate park under the bridge. This would also act as a community meeting point. With bike, pedestrian, and raised dog walking lanes. This is a perfect example of smart growth and developing communities to enhance quality of life.

Blogging gives power to the bikers!

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:46 -0400

Blogging gives power to the bikers!:

Interesting little article about urban bicyclists, and their impact. Bloggers posting about bicycle riding have in a sense increased ridership, showing the allure of bicycle commuting, and attracting new riders. There’s a community of bicycle bloggers out there making their voices heard! In some instances, governments follow these blogs, and have even made road repairs according to a post!

Feds release list of 14 infrastructure projects.

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:42:31 -0400

Feds release list of 14 infrastructure projects.:

Here’s a list of projects that will receive federal funding, if they pass necessary environmental and permit review processes. My top two include NextGen, which will upgrade air traffic technology, and City Market at “O” Street in DC loan streamlining, which will provide opportunities for this lively mixed use zone to thrive.