Car Shares

PhillyCarShare. This car share program out of Philadelphia has claimed their 50,000 member. The concept is pretty simple...you don't have to buy a car, you buy into a community non-profit that allows you to borrow a car. They offer monthly plans, parking spots and multiple vehicle types.

How does this work on a rural scale? or can it? How could this operate on a commercial level? shipping vehicles with distribution hubs. Can Americans share their automobiles? What of individuality? of Materiality? will energy rates alter our options for material identity? What sort of urban scale could this increase too? private/non-profit owned public transportation? How could dealers begin to operate/outreach in this way?


(photo from mslk.com)

additional articles:
Diamler to Bring Car Sharing to Texas:
Ikea Announces Car-Pooling Service

The value of Streets

Photo: Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times

In Philadelphia, the streets are being mined for the valuable metal of manhole covers and grates. Thieves can get 5 - 50$ at salvage/recycling yards leaving the streets unsafe and "uncovered".

Value and the streetscape. What do we take for granted as valuable? What is unnoticed in the urban landscape. New York City just realized their trees created a value of $122 million.

Is value in the eye of the beholder? or dependent upon a communities supply and demand? When does a share consensus in value leave things undervalued?

How can the city be valued?