Insights

‘Urbanized’ – To Be Human in the 21st Century

by | October 4, 2011 0 Urban Design + Planning

How would one go about describing the range of issues surrounding our world’s cities? Where would one even begin to portray the urbanization of our globe and the people influencing this aspect of civilization? Filmmaker Gary Hustwit’s most recent documentary, ‘Urbanized,’ rises as the new standard in these efforts. A few of us from SERA […]

What We’re Reading – September 2011

by | September 28, 2011 0 Urban Design + Planning

September brought a wide range of topics to our attention. We hope you enjoy these highlights… + Architecture Going Well Beyond Biomimicry | The Architects Newspaper Biomimicry and biophilic concepts are becoming central to how we approach many of our design challenges at SERA. While biomimicry and biophilia are admittedly esoteric terms, the concepts are […]

Breakfast of Champions

by | September 21, 2011 1 Ideas

7:03 AM. Dawson Park. Jeff Hosea and I cut across the dewy grass on our bikes to a small white tent set up on the northwest corner of the park. There stands an apron-clad Jacob Lupton, spatula in hand, gently coaxing whipped eggs into the maw of a heavily buttered cast iron pan. Red and […]

What We’re Reading – August 2011

by | August 19, 2011 0 Urban Design + Planning

In the midst of the daily madness here at SERA, a number of interesting reads have been passed around the Urban Design + Planning Studio. Here are a few we thought you might like to dig into as well. + Denmark’s Road Map for Fossil Fuel Independence | Solutions Journal Responding to massively complex issues […]

Can Skyscrapers Save the City?

by | August 16, 2011 4 Urban Design + Planning

Harvard economist Edward Glaeser’s new book Triumph of the City provides interesting observations and insights into the workings of cities, but the book’s most notable (and controversial) argument is that regulatory constraints limiting building height and preserving historic districts have crippled cities in terms of their ability to provide affordable housing. An entire chapter of the […]

Tim Smith talks Civic Ecology at TEDx

Tim Smith, Principal and Director of Urban Design + Planning at SERA, was honored to speak at the recent TEDx event held at Portland’s Concordia University. Click below to view his presentation. In the ever-important (yet increasingly cluttered!) conversation about “sustainability,” what are the key innovations that are showing us the way forward? Are more […]

Walking with Walgreens vs. Walking to Walgreens

by | July 22, 2011 2 Urban Design + Planning

Efforts by American corporations to leverage social programs have been on the uptick in recent years. One of the more recent initiatives is by Walgreens, the Illinois-based drug store chain that has over 7,500 stores in the U.S. Walgreens has implemented a new rewards program to encourage customers to integrate more exercise – specifically, walking […]