By michael | Published:
18 February 2010
In Brantford, I happened to stumble upon what might be one the most flagrant instances of urban vandalism in the province. I confidently categorize it as vandalism because it doesn’t appear, from what I have read, to make any sense whatsoever. They are taking down something of great value and replacing it with nothing at all.
By michael | Published:
27 January 2010
Two dogs get some fresh air and exercise on the roof of a front porch to a modest townhouse in a poor neighbourhood of Hamilton.
Also posted in Hamilton |
By michael | Published:
2 December 2009
Pittsburgh has an unusual urban configuration in that its central business district–the Golden Triangle–is relatively isolated from the rest of the city. The Triangle is where the two rivers meet to form the mighty Ohio. As we told the boys, this is where in the old days people drifted lazily down the river–Huck Finn style–all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.
Also posted in Pittsburgh |
By michael | Published:
9 November 2009
The fall of the Wall in 1989 was a joyous occasion for me. I lived in West Berlin in 1981-2 and understood the brutality, ugliness and the simple lack of convenience that the Wall brought to the great city of Berlin. The Wall was an interesting geo-political artifact of the Cold War but it was also very offensive, as walls that imprison populations tend to be.
By michael | Published:
28 October 2009
The McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) had its official opening on October 26, 2009. I took a tour with several others and found the experience enjoyable and interesting. MIP is a research park and technology transfer facility whose goal is to take technologies developed at McMaster University and transform them into viable businesses. MIP joins dozens of other university research parks in Canada.
Also posted in Hamilton |
By michael | Published:
5 October 2009
It is the density of crowds that makes Nuit Blanche a worthwhile event, almost regardless of what is exhibited in the galleries. The event attracts crowd-lovers and repels crowd-haters. The crowds are diverse in age, but the physicality of the event tends to favour the young.
Also posted in Art Crawls |
By michael | Published:
2 October 2009
Hamilton is not only near a border region with another country but is also near communities that are sometimes strikingly different in terms of urban aspiration and political affiliation. One such community is the city of Burlington. The contrast between the two can be as dramatic as between Detroit and Windsor. This contrast produces interesting juxtapositions.
Also posted in Hamilton |
By michael | Published:
29 September 2009
Every once in awhile I read a newspaper article that extols the charms of Pittsburgh. I have enjoyed reading such articles because Pittsburgh is wonderful city for which I feel great affection. However, there is a sameness to the articles and their manufactured, somewhat contrived message that I now find a little suspect.
By michael | Published:
23 September 2009
Buffalo has a reputation as being an iconic rust-belt city whose fortunes have fallen on hard times. It tends to reinforce the Canadian attitude towards the States as a place where social and political problems somehow seem more intractable. However, from an architectural perspective it might surprise some that Buffalo contains many architectural jewels.
Also posted in Hamilton |
By michael | Published:
18 September 2009
Art crawls provides not only a means to revitalize a city but also provide glimpses of alternative lifestyles. One group found at the Art Crawl are young people trying to establish identities as artists or designers, or to flirt with the possibility of creative, possibly unconventional lifestyles. In larger cities, with well-established cultural industries, the sight of such young people are commonplace. In Hamilton, they are a new development.
