delicious

"our 20th-century cycle of urban dispersal is finished. We are entering a new era of consolidation for which simple densification provides only a beginning consideration. It must be associated with spatial and social qualities, including equity issues. An aspect of re-centring involves sociological and cultural phenomenon, and a psychological dimension as basic as security on many levels. In the new era of direct competition between cities, these realms of consideration will be increasingly important. Climate science is social science. For example, climate and environmental justice considerations are directly connected to development of social capital. Those cities that attract social capital will also be far more likely to succeed with new enterprise and an expanded economic base – and especially for knowledge-based urban economies. And they will be successful in realising adaptation strategies for global warming. "

"“I have a problem with architects' attempts to make the future look futuristic,” spat an incredulous Sean Griffiths, founder of Fat, at London’s BFI Southbank on Tuesday night. “For some reason it always ends up looking like Star Trek, which was made in the 1960s.” “One of the beauties of the future is it is completely unpredictable. Anybody's attempt to predict it and come up with a solution that turns out to be the truth of the future inevitably ends up looking like a complete fool."

"Create the mathematical and physical foundations for the technologies that will form a new information ecosystem, the Central Nervous System for the Earth (CeNSE), consisting of a trillion nanoscale sensors and actuators embedded in the environment and connected via an array of networks with computing systems, software and services to exchange their information among analysis engines, storage systems and end users." HP joins the party. How many nervous systems does our planet need? Do you think it'll be able to exchange data with Cisco's Planetary Skin? I wonder.

"Switzerland will suffer as a result of yesterday's vote, its cherished national brand tarnished. But it is too easy to blame the Swiss alone. Many of the things that drove yesterday's vote – growing opposition to migration, the rise of the far right, widespread hatred and fear of Islam – apply just as much to other European countries, including Britain. This raises an uncomfortable possibility. Was yesterday's result a product of Swiss exceptionalism, or simply the chance existence in Switzerland of a political system that allows popular referendums? Can we be sure that the people of Austria, France, Britain or the Netherlands would have voted differently, if given the chance?" The Swiss electorate (or the 50-odd% that turned out) should be ashamed of themselves indeed. Pathetic. Also indicates the issues with direct democracy, as well as the ignorance and cowardice of those particular voters.

"In case you were of the opinion that getting around in a recumbent bicycle was not conspicuous enough, Manchester-based industrial designer Ben Wilson has created the neon-adorned, toy-car inspired Artikcar. The most striking feature of the pedal-powered vehicle is its cartoon-car silhouette, constructed from a reel of 24-volt LEDs to give the appearance of neon lights." I designed a website for that Ben Wilson almost 15 years ago you know. Nice guy.

"The residential complex is composed of four buildings between Genterstrasse, Peter-Paul Althausstrasse and Osterwaldstrasse. Otto Steidle (1943-2004) finished the first of these, in Genterstrasse, in 1972, where his studio is located. For the design of each building he worked with different collaborators and the building solutions evolved with time, although all are based on the use of prefabricated elements and on a clear distinction between loadbearing and non-loadbearing systems. The use of industrialised systems achieves an osmosis between the buildings and the surrounding vegetation."

"The party of Menzies has turned destructively on itself in an orgasm of rage and treachery on the issue of climate change, which scientific evidence overwhelming suggests will threaten the habitability of this planet. Turnbull’s leadership is doomed. He has been deserted by the senior MPs without whom he cannot present a credible alternative. The party has consigned itself to irrelevance on climate change and probably other issues as well. It faces the possibility of a split that would end the era of liberalism initiated by Menzies."

" "If you look at the sites blocked now and those blocked five years ago, it's gone from web 1.0 to web 2.0 – it's social media," says Kaiser Kuo, a Beijing-based expert on internet use in China. "The authorities are not worried about people having access to what the rest of the world is saying, but about the ability of these tools to spread rumours very, very quickly.""

"While Finland enshrines web access as a human right, this bill legislates plans to deprive users of access. It will force internet service providers to become copyright police, obliging them to provide lists of violations to copyright owners. After warnings, violators will have their service crippled, or even cut off. All this will drive up the costs of web access, by piling duties on providers. Add the more defensible surcharges to pay for next generation services, and Digital Britain risks becoming a land beset by an even deeper digital divide. Instead of building on a positive vision of Digital Britain, the government has capitulated to the fears of music and movie moguls struggling to defend their multimillion-pound businesses."