The Huffington Post reports that IKEA is planning to build “1,200 houses, as well as shops, cafés and a 350-room hotel covering 26 acres by the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London.”

Thrilled?  Appalled?  Here’s a bit more of the description to wet your insatiable IKEA/urbanism whistle…

The whole site will be surrounded by two waterways, so the idea is to create a “mini Venice”, the developers explained on Thursday. Residents can make the most of their waterside location by using the moorings, water taxi service, and even a floating cocktail bar.

Sounds downright lovely.

But of course, the prospect of IKEA – a company who worships at the alters of function with the inexpensive – comes a whole host of potential issues that clash with the zeitgeist that motivates most lovers of urban space.  Diversity of product and quality being two of the most prominent.   The Pop-Up City blog nicely summarized the internal struggle…

Read the rest of this entry »

Here in ol’ Decatur, the secret formula has long been out about how to reconstruct life on city streets.  But in other parts of the world (i.e. Texas) it still takes a bit more visible proof to convince the old-skool powers-that-be that a few small tweaks can transform a street.

Check out how this group in Oak Cliff, TX – outside of Dallas – revived a whole darn block with just $1,000, prompting the city government to invest $130,000 to make their temporary oasis a permanent reality.

For more info on how they made it happen, CLICK HERE.