An Urbanist's 2012 Calendar

  1. Charles R. Wolfe

Perspectives from the year that was and a frame for the year ahead

The last week of the year is typically reserved for retrospective, and "best of" assessments. Yet, it can also be a time of hope, resolution, and prediction---an interlude of oracles and dreams.

Picture this about 2012---an urbanist calendar with places in mind---framed by international snapshots in time.

Each month of this urbanist calendar could echo experience, and provoke optimism through depiction of people and place.

Here is my composition, and perspective, from Seattle and beyond.

January:  Street Vending (Arusha, Tanzania)

 

February:  Street Watching (Matera, Italy)

 

March:  Street Blending (Vancouver, Canada)

 

April:  Life Amid the Creative Class (Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA)

 

May:  Urban Bicycles at Rest (Florence, Italy)

 

June:  Iconic Skyline (Seattle, USA)

 

July:  Urban Density at Work (Valetta, Malta)

 

August:  Transportation Choices (Nice, France)

 

September:  Nature in the City (Seattle, USA)

 

October:  Nightlife (Moscow, Idaho, USA)

 

November:  The Storefront at Rest (Lucera, Italy)

 

December:  The Laneway  (Melbourne, Australia)

All images by the author.

This post first appeared on MyUrbanist.com.

About the Author

Most Popular

  1. Aerial view of narrow strips of land divided by water, some with houses on them.
    Environment

    The Dutch Can’t Save Us From Rising Seas

    Dutch engineers are renowned for their ability to keep cities dry. But their approach doesn’t necessarily translate to an American context.

    1. Billy Fleming
  2. Equity

    Why Are So Many People In San Jose Fighting Housing for Teachers?

    The school system’s plan to build affordable apartment units for the city’s teachers has triggered a fierce backlash in one affluent area.

    1. Sarah Holder
  3. Slogan projected on the Eiffel Tower for World Climate Change Conference
    Environment

    What Local Climate Actions Would Have the Greatest Impact

    In light of even more dire news about our warming planet, leading thinkers tell us the one thing cities and states could do to cut emissions significantly—and fast.

    1. CityLab
  4. The interior of Grand Central Station
    Design

    Saving Grand Central, 40 Years Later: a Cautionary Tale

    The Supreme Court ruling that rescued the icon also opened the door for other, more controversial preservation cases.

    1. Anthony Flint
  5. vacant store fronts in mining town in Arizona
    Equity

    America’s Worsening Geographic Inequality

    The economic gap between have and have-not places continues to widen.

    1. Richard Florida
Maps
Click Here
Newsletters
Click Here
Facebook
Click Here
Skip to content
Next Story in Design »