Rio de Janeiro’s Transit Solution: Cable Cars Over the Favelas

Rio de Janeiro’s Transit Solution: Cable Cars Over the Favelas

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/02/st_riogondola/

Touch/Gesture based video walls

http://amnesiablog.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/ultimate-list-of-cool-touch-and-gesture-based-video-walls/

LED lights behind glass in C4D

Since a ton of us are using Cinema 4d for visualizations, I wanted to share this. I was having trouble getting LED lights set behind glass to appear when using GI to light the scene. After some searching I found a few solutions

1) Use these settings for the class. They are pretty good, and more customizable than the pre-defined glass materials
http://planetpixelemporium.com/tutorialpages/glass.html

2) These light settings work really well with GI
http://www.jag4d.com/LED_Christmas_Star.html

Event to suport streetcar

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100470856700514

Come join Cincinnatians for Progress as they kick off their campaign to defeat the latest city-killing scheme to destroy any hope of passenger rail in Cincinnati. Although not required to attend, please consider making a donation to Cincinnatians for Progress here:

https://secure.pledgeconnect.com/donation.aspx?cincinnatiansforprogress

Portland Streetcar System Flourishing Despite Challenges - Cincinnati News Story - WLWT Cincinnati

http://www.cincinnatireadventure.com/2011/02/portland-streetcar-system-flourishing.html

Just a quick post to share this article. I think it's a fair article discussing the pro's and con's of the system. The key though is that the end result, despite the early criticism, is that the Portland Streetcar delivered billions in economic development, just as our system will.

I'm tired of the negativity in Cincinnati and the endless fear of change. If people want jobs and the city to grow, we have to become a modern and attractive city to outsiders. That means public transportation. Sitting still isn't going to deliver any of that, and going BACKWARDS as COAST would have us do, will devastate this community.

The fear mongering needs to stop. The public spoke on Issue 9 and it's time to let the city build the streetcar.

Note: And in typical fashion, the intellectual elite of the city show up in the comments. Why are people so hostile, ill-informed and negative towards change?

Portland Streetcar System Flourishing Despite Challenges - Cincinnati News Story - WLWT Cincinnati

Cincinnati to test broken windows theory to Over-the-Rhine

http://www.urbancincy.com/2011/02/cincinnati-to-take-broken-windows-theory-to-over-the-rhine-bond-hill/

Cincinnati has selected the next two neighborhoods for its 2011 Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP). This year’s 90-day blitz will take place in Over-the-Rhine and Bond Hill.

First started in 2006, the NEP has moved through 10 of the city’s 52 neighborhoods including Mt. Washington and Corryville which were targeted last year. City officials say that the collaborative effort is designed to jumpstart community revitalization and reinvestment, and focus on developing neighborhood assets and improving quality of life.

Some in Over-the-Rhine feel like the focused effort could not come at a better time given the recent progress there.

“While Over-the-Rhine is a strong neighborhood, we could use more tools to address some real barriers, such as buildings with code violations, that prevent us from getting more things done,” says Over-the-Rhine resident and owner of Park+Vine Dan Korman.

The NEP employs the broken windows theory that changes the norms of an urban area in order to influence social behavior in such a way that prevents an escalation into more serious crime. Cincinnati’s NEP has won numerous local, state and national awards, and puts significant focus on building code enforcement, litter removal, vacant lot maintenance, beautifying landscapes and public right-of-way, and “cooling down” crime hot spots.

The 2011 NEP is made possible by Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, People Working Cooperatively, Police Partnering Center, Leadership Cincinnati, Citizens for Civic Renewal and through the financial support of $8,000 from U.S. Bank.

Homeless to ride public transit for free

http://inhabitat.com/homeless-to-get-free-mass-transit-in-the-bay-area/

TRANSPORTATION

Homeless to Get Free Mass Transit in the Bay Area

by Ami Cholia, 02/07/11

filed under: Green Transportation

As an incredible initiative to get the homeless in Santa Clara moving, the Valley Transportation Authority in the Bay Area approved a plan to give them free bus and rail passes starting in April. The idea is to enable the homeless to get to medical or job appointments. People will be screened by social security agencies to see if they qualify, and the county will fund the $111,000 program. Around 1,850 transit stickers will be handed out every three months.