Monthly Archives

October 2009

NeighborhoodQortubaUrban
October 31, 2009

Kid-Friendly Neighborhood

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in Kuwait. Computer games and television has made it easy for kids to live a sedentary lifestyle. For some, the only exercise is the few hours of PE class in school every week. Neighborhoods have a social duty to provide…
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NeighborhoodUrban
October 28, 2009

Mixed-Use Neighborhoods

A decision was made a long time ago to divide Kuwait into distinct zones; residential, offices, industrial and commercial. At the time it seemed like a natural thing to do. I remember doing it all the time playing Sim City as a kid. This is…
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ArchitectureNeighborhoodUrban
October 26, 2009

Residential Variety

Most of our residential neighborhoods can be described as a sprawl of very large houses packed fairly close to each other. Why is there such little variety in the type of dwelling? Even when people attempt to create a dense living arrangement, it is usually…
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MetroNeighborhoodUrban
October 25, 2009

Walking Distance

The heat in Kuwait in the summer is unbearable. Yet this is only a problem between June and September. The rest of the year is fairly pleasant, especially in the morning and evening. We have to design our spaces with that in mind and not…
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NeighborhoodQortuba
October 20, 2009

Neighborhood Center

Neighborhoods in Kuwait have lost their charm and have become glorified parking lots. What can we do about it and are there any guidelines that can help us in designing better neighborhoods? According to AndrĂ©s Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, a husband-wife team of town planners…
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QortubaUrban
October 17, 2009

An Anti-Mall

Why do we have so many malls? People seem content to walk inside them in circles. Lots of people walking, but only a few with shopping bags. They're there for the experience. People attracting people who attract people. The mall itself seems almost irrelevant in…
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