Cyclist Superhighway Network In London Skies

Urban development is taking a new approach with commuting in London to overcome its road and traffic problems. London is planning to introduce a network of elevated bike lanes with SkyCycle and is currently in discussions with architect Sam Martin.

Designed by Exterior Architecture, the SkyCycle will have bike lanes that allows cyclists to travel between train stations for a small fee of approximately one pound. Sam Martin has designed the SkyCycle to be an open-air cycling Superhighway in the sky which takes you from one neighborhood to the other side of the city.

A city committed to cyclist but with constraints of narrow and limited roads in London, SkyCycle appears to be a logical step to resolving its road and traffic problems and at the same time improving its green environmental footprint. Local governments with congestion and traffic dilemmas, one to take note.

High Tech Recycling Bins

The London 2012 Olympics are fast approaching, London City is busy preparing to welcome the world. One interesting project has been hitting the streets of London this month in preparation for the 2012 Olympics. City of London is replacing its old cast iron bins with smart high tech recycling bins, "Renew bins".

These sleek designed bins are equipped with Wifi and two LCD screens which provide up to date and location based "On The Go" content such as latest news, stock market stats, weather, sport news and latest trends just to name a few. The bins have also been designed to be less susceptible to terror plots than the older and more simpler bins to the point that they will withstand bomb blasts.

Currently 25 bins have been installed in the city streets as part of a phase 1 rollout. The bins don't come cheap, each bin costs $US47,400 to build and install and will require another $US790,000 for upkeep over 21 years. London city plans to install a total of 100 bins by July 2012.

Maybe one to partner with for advertising or even introduce to the streets of your corner of the world.

Urban Squeeze Living

With the world's population growth dramatically increasing every year and space for urban living at a premium, we are witnessing architects and planners becoming more creative with urban design and utilisation of space.

With an interior space that is 133 centimeters at its widest and 72 centimeters at its narrowest spot, the Etgar Keret house in Warsaw's Wola district takes urban living space to another level.

Classified as an "Art Installation", the hybrid house was designed by Architect Jakub Szczensy for the famous Israeli writer Etgar Keret as a studio and home. Once built, the house will be situated in a narrow space between two buildings that is currently been used as dumping ground by locals. Completion date is planned for December 2011.

Szczensy's utilisation of marine style plumbing technology and use of innovative building materials, creates an compact minimalist open plan living space that takes architectural urban design to an innovative and sustainable level at the same time revitalising a wasted space.