Urban Living in California

Photo: One of three route options from LA Streetcar, Inc.

Article from blogdowntown by Eric Richardson

Article and photo from Infrastructurist by Jebediah Reed.

In road-building circles, the “concrete vs. asphalt” debate is every bit as intense as that drunken discussion (eventually devolving into a weepy shouting match) every year at Thanksgiving dinner between your right-wing uncle and your pinko vegan cousin.

On the rhetorical battleground, one of the strongest anti-concrete arguments has always been: “So pricey!” But perhaps that is changing. In Minneapolis, when bids came in on a project that includes new bus lanes and wider sidewalks (on Marquette and Second Aves near the convention center, for those familiar with the local terrain) the concrete and asphalt options cost more or less the same, according to a local business paper.

Read the rest of this entry »

From CurbedLA by Dakota

With an exterior that’s markedly different-looking than anything else in this Hollywood neighborhood, the Gatsby Hollywood, that new 34-unit townhome project at the corner of Wilcox and Fountain, is now showing off its furnished model unit, and this past Sunday, the sales office was surprisingly busy. Hopping on a 4th of July weekend. The development, which is in its first phase–currently they are selling 12 units–has units priced from $669,000 and up. Post recent price cuts, a $939,000 unit is now $789,000, while a $873,000 unit is now $769,000. Notably, there are many energy saving features in the homes, including solar panels. Daniel S. Thompson, CEO of Newport Beach-based MasterCraft Homes, talked to us a bit about getting the city to sign off on the panels, a process that was difficult only because the LAFD wasn’t used to working with panels (seen in last photo*) and had to come out and do multiple fire drill exercise drills with the panels (for instance, walking on them). According to the sales sheet, five of the 12 units are in escrow.

IntelligentTraveler.com

Las Vegas is the last place you’d ever expect to go green. A dizzying buffet of high-rise hotels, boisterous tourists, casinos, clubs, and lights flashing all around, the city of sin is hardly a picture of eco-friendliness.

The CityCenter—the newest addition to the Strip—promises to change this, however. A 76-acre city-within-a-city, the CityCenter will house hotels and residences, restaurants, and a $40 million public fine art program. Currently under construction and scheduled to open its centerpiece building, Aria, by the end of 2009, the CityCenter is destined to be one of the world’s largest environmentally sustainable urban communities. Inhabitat reports that the CityCenter is the largest privately financed development in the history of North America vying for U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification. Indeed, the Center is slated to span 18 million square feet, which Inhabitat says is more square footage than all of the existing LEED-certified buildings combined.

Read the rest of this entry »

Courtesy of EnergyPowerAlternatives.com

Solar water heaters bring a new manner of life to those with high electric bills. The typical electric consumer can save 30%-50% while helping the environment and lessening our dependency on foreign oil.

The typical 50 gallon electric water heater uses 11.1 barrels of oil each year, this translates to the same amount as a typical 4 door sedan driven by the American consumer.

You must remember, electric utility companies provide electricity by burning and releasing energy from some very nasty sources. Foreign oil is among these fuels along with coal and nuclear. Your home water heater is burning oil from one source or another.

Lessening our dependence on foreign oil is a major bullet point for the Presidential running mates for 2008. Our dependence on oil from foreign families is a disgusting habit, turn your home into a solar green dream.

Read the rest of this entry »