Holistic Cities

07/23/2024

"A lively, uneven floor in the public area means a regaining of the human dignity which man is deprived of by the levelling tendencies of urbanism. ..If modern man is forced to walk on asphalt, concrete FLAT surfaces, the way they are thoughtlessly conceived with the ruler in the designer offices, alienated from his natural relationship to the earth which goes back to the dawn of time, from contact with the earth, a crucial part of man is blunted, with catastrophic consequences for his psyche, his emotional balance, his well-being and health. ...Thus, the flat floor becomes a true danger for man. ...The completely level, flat floor “trains” man to become disabled...The uneven floor is a component of humane living conditions. ...You walk in it in an aware state, joyfully. People will enjoy walking to and fro in it, as recreation and to be able to regain their human equilibrium. The corridor becomes a beautiful path. The uneven walkway becomes a symphony, it is a melody for the feet. The walkway makes the whole person vibrate. Architecture should elevate man, not humiliate him."
-Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Vienna, 1985.

07/18/2024

It was a beautiful, balmy evening on the . Not shown: three gophers chasing each other and enjoying trailside plants for dinner.

06/27/2024

Congratulations to our client Olson Homes on publishing the third edition of In Town Living, which focuses on the California housing crisis, multimodal transportation, and related topics. The magazine includes guest perspectives and interviews with Former Governor Gray Davis, Carlos Moreno, Ken Miller, Richard Green, and Olson leadership.

We were hired to guide the publishing process, hire contractors, manage the editorial, write several stories, and copyedit. We were happy to recommend and work with our colleague Andrew Robinson at Robco Design to bring a new, clean layout.

At a time when developers can choose to build in the exurbs, Olson Homes develops in-town homes near transit at or below market rate. You can read the publication in full here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/201eecd2-c03e-47e8-a1b1-8237e32ca7c0.

06/20/2024

Happy Summer Solstice!☀️ Wishing everyone a joyful season of sunshine, nature soaking, and outdoor movement!🌿🏃🏽‍♀️🐬

06/16/2024

This is excellent and a repost from .🌱

05/30/2024

Every day is a good day to be in a forest.✨

05/11/2024

Fun afternoon checking out Charlotte's Southend neighborhood, as well as a bit of Uptown and Plaza Midwood. Admired, but didn't get to ride today, the separated bike lanes.

05/07/2024

Congrats to Holistic Cities' client Momentum Bike Clubs for its live, on-air interview this morning by Margaret Burnquist, Managing Editor of local FOX News affiliate Access Carolina. Executive Director Tavaghn Monts shared some of the good work of MBC, which raises the confidence of under-served youth through the magic of the bicycle, mentorship, and peer bonding. Friends, please help us reach our goal of raising $50K to serve more youth by making a tax-deductible donation today. Thank you! Visit https://momentumbikeclubs.org/donate.

Executive Director Tavaghn Monts shares the mission of Momentum Bike Clubs.

05/05/2024

Congrats to , and all of the artists for a wonderful exhibition. "Poe Mill: A Skateboarding Retrospective" isn't 'just' about skateboarding but also community and place-based history. Check it out through May.

05/03/2024

That's a wrap! It was great to be back at an IDA conference, see old colleagues, and meet so many nice new ones. It was especially terrific to co-present with IDA chair Kate Borders and Susannah Barton of Memphis, two fantastic women. It's always invigorating to be amongst so many other urbanists who work tirelessly to make cities great.👏☀️