Monday, April 20, 2009

A view over the Golden Gate Bridge, Berkeley, California, US













These pictures were taken on my way down from Anza Lake, Tilden Regional park above Berkeley. Beautiful day and so hot, around 28 degrees C. I got sunburned everywhere, almost passed out on the way uphill so everyone have to wait for me, and well there, I had to lay in the shade for a hour before I just relaxed on the way down (walking down.. tricky bike).



















Here are some picutes of pretty amazing houses on the hill side. Big trees were saved and they just live there under in the cosy dark? space.

Some of the houses was pretty special built too, with big windows, different rooms in different hills, very similare to a small Ecocity.
















 The view was also amazing, not easy to see in the dowtown Berkeley. There are some high houses in the center but the roofs are not open for public. More houses with open roofs should be something for Berkeley says Richard Register at Ecocity Builders, "so people could see the view here..". Cafees and restaurangs could have it, or just roofs where peope can relaxe? Roofs are almost always flat, but aren't used for other purpose than just.. a roof.

 






















Richard Register had tried to do a lot of work in Berkeley but it hasn't work so well cause it's too hard; landowners or owners of restaurants don't want to rebuild the area. When the plans for the Strawberry creek (Center street, Berkeley) was questioned around the street, some of the owners were really angry and thought they would miss customers if the street (read a street for cars) could't leave people outside the restaurant (same argument all over the world, right..).


It's so sad to see that such a great idea and great job will be a failure if its not implemented right. But it is so, everywhere in the world. We could give people a chance to realize by themself that it would be a great idea. But how to do this? They (Ecocity Builders) have had some open meetings (like workshops?) were the public can come and say something about the rised issue. But what about the landowners? How to rebuild someone else's property or as a first step; how to convince people that it is a good idea?

 













Berkeley Hills view. If you look closer to the picture of the view you will see Golden Gate bridge and after that the open sea. In some pictures you also have to look closer because you might not understand that I try to show, look again and now you can hardly see the houses, it's only the cars that tells that someone lives there under the trees. Why not have this much nature in the city center?

















Yesterday at the meeting in the Ecocity Builders organisation we talked about how a city looks mostly. They talk about the "Smart Code". Dense city center, lower surroundings, even lower and more nature and so on, until we reach "pure nature". But why even have all this zones? This is why the society look as it does. It has to be rebuilt. Built directly from densed to "pure nature".



























A holistic perspective is important to not say necessary for future plans for cities. And with that; some cities have to be entirely rebuilt.

2 comments:

  1. Häftigt!! Hoppas du har det toppen, det tror jag att du har ;) Många kramar!

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  2. Very unique blog.
    Fantastic pictures. Wow...

    I like your blog.

    I would like to invite you to visit a green community blog:
    http://globalgreenview.blogspot.com

    Let's join this community to save our planet for next generation.

    Keep blogging.
    Good day.

    ReplyDelete