Diigo Bookmarks 06/03/2008 (p.m.)

Nature’s Photonic Crystal, by Kristina Grifantini (MIT Technology Review) – Annotated

File this under “I HEART biomimicry!” Amazing piece about scientists discovering that a lowly Brazilian beetle manufactures –chemically! — scales that essentially function as a photonic crystal structure for visible light. Now the scientists are not only making molds or copies of the beetles amazing crystal structure embedded in its scales, but are trying to mimic (figure out) the chemical processes by which the beetle creates them in the first place.

(Note: I’m highlighting the entire article to have in my Diigo archive, as I’ve noticed that some MIT Tech Review articles disappear after a while.)

tags: biomimicry, nature, science, photonic_crystal_structure, nanotechnology

Generative methods in urban design: a progress assessment, by Michael W. Mehaffy – Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability

Have only skimmed this so far, but worth going over in detail. Mehaffy focuses on Christopher Alexander’s 1987 work, A New Theory of Urban Design, which was inspired by Jane Jacobs’s 1961 work, The Life and Death of Great American Cities. Some of Alexander’s ideas have been incorporated by the New Urbanists, and Mehaffy’s article traces their “setbacks and shortcomings, and significant opportunities still remaining.”

tags: urbanism, placemaking, christopher_alexander, jjacobs, urbanplanning

Urban Research: Shibuya vs. Marunouchi – PingMag – The Tokyo-based magazine about “Design and Making Things”

Written by Ryoko (translated by Kevin McGue): An absolutely fascinating article in PingMag on how Shibuya (a hip, youth-oriented area) and Marunouchi (a more upscale and dignified area) are designed differently. While those sorts of differences are things we think we expect to recognize and anticipate, it’s very effective to have them laid out and itemized so clearly.

Ryoko’s analysis starts with how the train stations for each district are designed differently, and how they therefore signal different trends and intentions. From there, the piece moves to “towns,” that is the districts themselves, paying particular attention to outdoor/ public advertising and streetscapes, and architecture; then, a comparison of how greenery and public seating arrangements are used (or are absent); next, it’s the streets themselves, this time with a focus on layout and grade (interestingly, Shibuya slopes and has many changes in grade, as well as narrower streets, while more sedate Marunouchi is level and has wider streets); finally, the author looks at products: what’s for sale, particularly in terms of publications/ magazines.

tags: pingmag, shibuya, marunouchi, urban_design, cities, tokyo, districts, conscientious_design