Densities & Openings
Doing research for our previous Google-Earth themed posts (Dwelling-Scapes and Building-Scapes) we began noticing some interesting deviations in the urban fabric of cities. Where there is density and grid, inevitably, there is also the divergence from both. We’ve tracked down a number of examples that document the anomaly of the dense, urban grid. These pattern changes become the open spaces, the parks, plazas and public realms. The images have all been taken at 3,000 feet above the Earth’s surface and have been cropped to show a square of 1,700 feet horizontally and vertically for comparison purposes. Let us know about your favs out there…
Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Dam Square, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Soccer Field, Maputo, Mozamique
Kongens Nytorv (King’s Square), Copenhagen, Denmark
Parking Lot, Tetouan, Morocco
Cuzco Plaza, Cuzco, Peru
Broadway, New York City, USA
Townhall Center, Hamburg, Germany
Park, Seoul, South Korea
Open space, Nairobi, Kenya
Piazza Dante, Naples, Italy
Neighborhood, Mexico City, Mexico (Not really and opening but it appears to be a previous lake re-appropriated as housing and subsequently establishing it’s own exception to the gird around it.)
Allee Paul Riquet, Beziers, France
City Center, Viacha, Bolivia
Duomo di Milano, Milan, Italy
Cathedral Basilica de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Parque de la Pera, Lima, Peru
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Farm-Scapes « BUILD Blog — September 11, 2008 @ 10:39 am
By Leandro Rolon, July 23, 2008 @ 8:41 am
Aside from New York, Chicago and maybe Los Angeles what other U.S. city(s) share this global practice of the use of public space? It seems to be an Urban Issue, but I wonder if our social system (or lack of) has something to do with it.
By the way the Soccer Field, Maputo, Mozamique is my fav, it says something about the culture and lifestyle in just one shot. Brilliant topic.
By mike, July 23, 2008 @ 11:49 am
modern day Camillo Sitte??one of my faves is augustinerplatz, in freiburg…
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&q=freiburg&ll=47.99368,7.85195&spn=0.001224,0.00338&t=h&z=19
http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_g1337/458850463/
mostly due to spending 12 months living on the NE and SW corners of it while working abroad. great place to get some sun or meet for a drink, with several beer gardens within walking distance. saw a great KTS (pro-squatter movement) protest concert here one night where the bands pulled up in trucks w/ massive speakers mounted on them and were handing out beer. cops in ful riot gear off to the side, but they were into it and dancing as well. in america, those bottles would have been tossed at the police, no doubt.
http://media.de.indymedia.org/images/2004/02/74051.jpg
as an added bonus, it’s a fussgangerzone, so no cars to run you over.
By Joe, July 23, 2008 @ 1:22 pm
Broadway yes, but Union Square, New York City, USA would be better.
By Hu, July 29, 2008 @ 10:27 am
Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain is my fav! How the buildings are designed to work as the envelope of the open space is fascinating to me!