VEMA
Vema, is a theoretical project, a city between Verona and Mantua, in coincidence of the intersection between the two European corridors Lisbon-Kiev and Berlin-Palermo. Proposals are from twenty architectural firms under 40 (Italian) (Avatar, Dogma | Office / Pier Vittorio Aureli, Lorenzo Capobianco, elastic spa +3, Joseph Fallacara, Santi Giunta, Iotti and Pavarani, Moreno-Santamaría-Laezza, Liverani and Molteni, Mao, Antonella Mari Masstudio, Stefano Milani, Moduloquattro, Tomaso Monestiroli Massimo Ferrari, OBR – Open Building Research, Gianfranco Sanna, Andrea Stipa, Studio Eu, Albert Ulysses).
http://www.vemacittapossibile.it/i_progetti.html
http://www.archiportale.com/news/2008/07/eventi/vema-dalla-biennale-di-venezia-a-roma_12308_32.html
Community Development
The phenomenon of Village within the city
http://www.sarai.net/publications/readers/06-turbulence/03_yushi_uehara.pdf
“Participatory city” a very long essay
http://www.unesco.org/most/vmega.htm
Advertisement of self sustainable community
http://www.ecotopia.com/ecovillage/
Advertisement to hire small scale farmers and lease out farm land
http://www.ecoproperty.ca/propd.php?id=9786
Tales of self sufficient community
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/005961.html
How local initiatives in cities can become global trends as cities act in a network
http://www.thebrokeronline.eu/en/Dossiers/Special-Report-Cities-of-the-world-unite/The-rising-influence-of-urban-actors
Mentioned below are timetables of peasants / farmers / shopkeeper / monastery student and a modern day company CEO. The purpose is to highlight 2 things. One, when each occupation in the modern day is equally demanding, is it possible to include 2 or more activities in one person’s routine without creating undue work pressure like we wish everyone to grow their own vegetables? Two, are the conditions of a factory worker and a modern day employee different considering that their lives are governed completely by occupational timetables? How does a design help in reducing this ’slavery’?
Daily life in Ancient Greece
http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210200/ancient_greece/daily_life.htm
Daily life of Peasant (Medieval Times)
http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Daily-Life-Peasant-Medieval-Times/87351
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_peasants.htm
Daily Life of Modern Farmer
http://www.countrylovin.com/Diary/diary2.html
http://www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/KSCOLL/lochist/exhibits/farmwife.htm
Daily life of a Monk
http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/daily-life-monk-middle-ages.htm
http://www.tibetan-village.org.uk/routine.html
Day in the life of CEO
http://www.eprizeblog.com/index.php/2008/07/25/a-day-in-the-life-of-our-ceo-josh-linkner/
A Day in the life of shopkeeper
http://a-day-in-the-life.powys.org.uk/eng/work/ew_shop.php
To remain adhered to a fixed schedule and behave like a regiment (and not like a community) with a singular goal of production (even if it’s self sufficiency) is not the most advanced lifestyle. How does the city offer freedom from the extreme pressure to produce?
Just for thrills
New Monstrosity
http://architecture.myninjaplease.com/?tag=mega-structure
More
http://webecoist.com/2009/12/07/real-life-water-world-12-futuristic-offshore-building-projects/
London after the rain (interesting depiction of city and jungle)
http://www.ballardian.com/near-future-nic-clear-interview
1975 Nasa Stanford Torus for 10000 people
http://www.nss.org/settlement/space/stanfordtorus.htm
Thames Town, Shanghai (definitely don’t do this)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk98JhicTvE
http://www.thamestown.com/english/thamestown.htm
Up in the air (symbol of a sick society!)
http://www.off-grid.net/2009/12/25/up-in-the-air/