December 9, 2018 Comments Off on Good city practices from 2018 Views: 1208 Urban Trekker

It’s the end of the year time and the perfect timing to go back through the past 12 months and see who did it best for their cities. Here are three cases which made us smile.

Finland has just given itself an authentic birthday present: a new, fancy library in the capital of Helsinki

In December 2018 Finland celebrated its 101st anniversary from gaining independence from Russia (December 6th, 1917). To celebrate the moment, Helsinki gained a new futuristic, public library which breaks up with tradition in several ways.

Access to the library is free for everyone, including tourists. The futuristic-looking edifice is called Oodi, and not only you can borrow books from here, but you can also chip in activities like readings, workshops, and other special events hosted by the library.

The new Finnish library during construction, Photo credits: Vadelmavene, CC BY-SA 4.0

Oodi is equipped, besides with books, also with 3D printing gear, virtual reality gadgets, sewing machines for creators, rehearsal rooms for music bands and singers, a small cinema and other facilities that have multiple functionalities. Which means this is not the silent-most library in the world.

According to the UN, Finland is the country with the highest literacy rate in the world, where libraries are used by the 5.5 million locals at a rate of 68 million books per year. Knowing this, it’s probably the best possible gift the country could have ever had for its special jubilee.

Protect your heritage: Stockholm said “No” to Apple ‘town square’ in its oldest park

In November 2018, the news traveled that Stockholm has rejected a proposal for a fancy, flagship store for Apple. As noted by the Guardian, the plan envisioned how “young urbanites mingle around cafe tables outside a glass facade running almost the whole width of a park, topped off with a sliver of roof that tapers at the edges like the lid of a MacBook Air computer.”

Stockholm rejects Apple flagship store ! A local poll found 79% of citizens thought it would ruin Kungsan, the central square. https://t.co/wy4MsFYgAW pic.twitter.com/AYe2iuMnIl — #OurCityOurSquare for Fed Square NOT Apple Square (@OurFedSquare) October 31, 2018

Many countries would have craved for this type of new city amenity in their capital, but apparently, the idea did not pass among Swedes. The proposed location turned out an issue–Kungsträdgården park.

“It is welcome that Apple wants to establish itself in the city,” said politician Erik Slottner, who led a campaign against the building. “But Kungsträdgården is the wrong place.”

Ice skaters at the King’s Garden in winter, Photo credits: Tom Corser, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk

And why is Kungsträdgården (the King’s Garden) is so sacred to fellow Swedes? The park looks over the water to the Royal Palace, connecting the city to its monarchy. It’s one of Stockholm’s oldest parks and has a number of other important functionalities such as hosting Pride parades, election debates, political rallies and winter ice-skating.

So indeed, it’s good to know when to say NO.

Austin’s fix for homelessness: small houses, and plenty of neighbors

Homelessness is a serious issue across cities, and governments have been long enough having a hard time to find the most compelling solutions. One model that can work well came out this year from an U.S. city.

As City Lab reports, the Community First! Village is “a 27-acre master planned community just outside Austin, Texas, where more than 200 people who were once chronically homeless live in tiny homes and RVs. Everyone who lives at Community First! pays rent, ranging from $225 to $430 per month; many residents are employed on-site.”

Community First! Village is a transformative residential program that exists to love and serve our neighbors who have been living on the streets, while also empowering the surrounding community into a lifestyle of service with the homeless. Learn more: https://t.co/DO7peaWMSR pic.twitter.com/cTm7HWXIxI — Mobile Loaves&Fishes (@mobileloaves) December 4, 2018

The philosophy behind Community First! Village is that providing housing alone will never cure homelessness, but creating a community where people will also have jobs certainly holds great potentials, more than you can imagine. And the tiny homes, they are pretty adorable.

You may also want to check: Egypt expected to gain a new capital by 2019

Join the conversation. Below, rate what you just read (1 to 5 stars, and in the comments, share with us more good practices you observed in your city during the year round.



Tags: Austin, Cmmunity, Finland, Good city practices, Helsinki, Heritage, housing, Library, Stockholm, Sweden, Texas