World’s Subways Converging on Ideal Form | Wired Science | Wired.com
By Brandon Keirn
May 15, 2012After decades of urban evolution, the world’s major subway systems appear to be converging on an ideal form … [Statistical physicist Marc] Barthelemy and National Center for Scientific Research complex systems analyst Camille Roth focused a network analysis lens on the aforementioned cities’ subways, along with Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Chicago, Madrid, Mexico, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo … Patterns emerged: The core-and-branch topology, of course, and patterns more fine-grained. Roughly half the stations in any subway will be found on its outer branches rather than the core. The distance from a city’s center to its farthest terminus station is twice the diameter of the subway system’s core. This happens again and again.
“Many other shapes could be expected, such as a regular lattice,” said Barthelemy. “What we find surprising is that all these different cities, on different continents, with different histories and geographical constraints, lead finally to the same structure.”
Subway systems seem to gravitate towards these ratios organically, through a combination of planning, expedience, circumstance and socioeconomic fluctuation, say the researchers … The convergence “is a sign that there are some basic, profound mechanisms that drive the development of urban systems,” said Barthelemy.
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World’s Subways Converging on Ideal Form | Wired Science | Wired.comBy Brandon KeirnMay 15, 2012
After decades of urban evolution, the world’s major subway systems appear to be converging on an ideal form … [Statistical physicist Marc] Barthelemy and National Center for Scientific Research complex systems analyst Camille Roth focused a network analysis lens on the aforementioned cities’ subways, along with Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Chicago, Madrid, Mexico, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo … Patterns emerged: The core-and-branch topology, of course, and patterns more fine-grained. Roughly half the stations in any subway will be found on its outer branches rather than the core. The distance from a city’s center to its farthest terminus station is twice the diameter of the subway system’s core. This happens again and again.
“Many other shapes could be expected, such as a regular lattice,” said Barthelemy. “What we find surprising is that all these different cities, on different continents, with different histories and geographical constraints, lead finally to the same structure.”
Subway systems seem to gravitate towards these ratios organically, through a combination of planning, expedience, circumstance and socioeconomic fluctuation, say the researchers … The convergence “is a sign that there are some basic, profound mechanisms that drive the development of urban systems,” said Barthelemy.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4hckvYqGV1qzok36o1_500.jpg)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Cities | Sustainable Cities Collective
- Be Proactive. There’s much any city can do today. Even without sufficient budget or authorization from ‘senior levels’ of government, every city has a full menu of things that can be carried out immediately, generating positive momentum and goodwill. Business rewards the active entrepreneur, and the public desperately wants active cities. The rewards are great.
- Plan – Plan Right. All cities carry out master plans for their key services, long-term infrastructure needs, and land use planning. Before starting these plans, the end needs to be clear. They are guidance documents, aspirational, and ways to rally supporters and give fair hearing to opponents. But a plan, no matter how good, can never be seen as a finished product. Before starting the plan an agreement is needed that the city is moving forward on this issue: the plan is the vehicle to bring along as many supporters as possible and identify potential potholes and trouble en route. Like a city, good plans are living documents.
- Put First Things First. How many cities have we visited where they are building a new grand City Hall, yet much of the garbage still isn’t being collected or the water isn’t flowing? A city’s priorities should be basic services, professionalism and quality of staff, clear metrics, a reliable ongoing base budget, and nurturing a respectful two-way conversation with its residents. All great buildings need a solid foundation.
Wow! An excavator working on the Swanston st redevelopment has just uncovered Melbourne’s 19th century bluestone footpath crn Franklin st. (Taken with instagram)
Facadism at its finest. Gut the building and turn it into a supermarket carpark. (Taken with instagram)
A shift from the ‘crowded and inadequate’ inner city slums to a more ‘spacious and healthier’ suburban realm. (Taken with instagram)
Found my bros polaroid, inspired me to open an instagram account on my android (Taken with instagram)
Before and After c 1950- present
Corner La Trobe and Burton st, an entire neighbourhood that vanished in the mid 20th century as part of compulsorily acquired redevelopment of the Little Lon area by the Commonwealth Government.
Burton st still technically exists as a windswept pedestrian walkway between Telstra buildings.
before picture courtesy of the State Library of Victoria.
Architect Plans To Build A 30-Story Wooden Skyscraper
Vancouver-based architect Michael Green is planning to swap cement and steel for timber, to build a 30-story wooden skyscraper in Vancounver, Canada.
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Chemical reaction eats up CO2 to produce energy
While there are plenty of ways to make carbon-based products from CO2, these methods usually...
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The Blackpool Tower, Lancashire
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“Community development isn’t an event but a process.”— Richard Burck, 2012
