Video of a lecture on urban hydrology by Fernando de Mello Franco

Quoted: He traveled by boat, train and bicycle through England, France, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece. Bacon heard there were architecture jobs in China, and on a whim, boarded a ship with very little money in his pocket, and no concept of what opportunities would await him.

Quoted: William H. (Holly) Whyte (1917-1999) is considered the mentor for Project for Public Spaces, because of his seminal work in the study of human behavior in urban settings. While working with the New York City Planning Commission in 1969, Whyte began to wonder how newly planned city spaces were actually working out – something that no one had previously researched. This curiosity led to the Street Life Project, a pioneering study of pedestrian behavior and city dynamics.

Quoted: Moses, who was instrumental in shaping modern New York City, is depicted in Caro's Pulitzer Prize-winning book as a power-hungry bureaucrat who, while never elected, had more control over public works than most mayors and governors ...

Quoted: In the Fall of 1972, she says, “Jules toured the neighborhood selling apples from the back of his station wagon and talking co-op to anyone who would listen. He also distributed flyers door-to-door. Finally, when enough people had chipped in a few dollars apiece, Jules was ready to make his dream a reality. He rented the store front at 555 Carpenter Lane, which had been Sid’s Delicatessen.”

Quoted: Van Jones has been on a crusade to "green the ghetto" by killing two birds with one stone: reducing poverty and saving the environment. Recently appointed as Obama's "green czar," Jones now has an opportunity to implement his vision: "new work, new wealth and better health for all Americans."

Quoted: A proposed toll road near Houston exemplifies an unintended effect of the stimulus: encouraging sprawl.

This is a blog entry based on my newfound love of buses.

Quoted: Buses generally lack the poetry of railways. This may be why there hasn't been a Bus Named Desire or a Soul Bus. I tend to associate buses with congestion, exhaust, delays, noise, and advertisements. ... At the same time, bus systems are less expensive and more flexible than trains. If we can make them more appealing, they might become a popular alternative to private vehicles.

Quoted: For things like eggs and honey, some urban and suburbanites are skipping the store entirely and turning instead to their own backyards. Whether from tighter food budgets or local eating ideals, more people are petitioning their cities to allow small-animal husbandry.