Monthly Archives: March 2011
Ecological Footprint of Cities
Finally gathered enough data to plot the ecological footprint (EF) of 30 cities against their population density. It’s reassuring to see the trend of decreasing EF as population density increases. It also shows that I’ve lowered my EF from 7.36 to 4.4 gha (avg.) by moving from Toronto to HK!
tagged: canada, dissertation, hk, project, school
........................................................
<>
Revisited this book, Ecological Footprint can be an interesting tool to measure the sustainability of cities, will try to gather data and plot some graphs for my dissertation tomorrow. Was a bit sleep deprived over the weekend because of sleeping problems and two long day lectures (not sure if the 2 were related). Anyway, felt […]
tagged: dissertation, project, school, thankful
........................................................
<>
Learned a bit about Sustainable Development Indicators (SDI) through this book. Can sustainability actually be measured?! If not, how else can I define a sustainable city?! Need to go full speed on my dissertation starting next week. I’ve already declined most of my social activities till the end of March. Looking at my progress, I’m […]
tagged: books, dissertation, project, school, sustainability
........................................................
<>
Nature is a limitless source of design inspirations. Can cities be designed to be sustainable by mimicking natural ecosystems that is inherently healthy, zero waste, self-regulating, resilient and self-renewing, and adaptable? A very appealing concept, but seems to be lacking concrete measurable progress indicators. Played soccer with my highschool friends tonight, perhaps my last social […]
........................................................
<>
Feeling the urgency of my dissertation, I started rejecting social gatherings like soccer last night and badminton tonight. Continued my readings for the dissertation. Learned about Sustainable Urbanism – an attempt to unify concepts of Smart Growth, New Urbanism, and Green Buildings.
tagged: books, dissertation, project, school, sports
........................................................
A Gloomy Day
After a couple of hot sunny days, the thick clouds returned, together with strengthening wind and appreciably cooler temperature. Weather seems to have its own way of showing empathy to the victims of Japan’s earthquake. Went to the university library and borrowed the last batch of books (possibly) for my dissertation. About 2 weeks left […]
........................................................
<>
A rather hot day, but managed to finish reading a relatively short book in my steamy studio. The subject of the book isn’t quite directly related to my dissertation, but it introduced many interesting concepts such as the EKC curve, which could come in handy when I start composing my manuscript.
tagged: books, dissertation, project, school
........................................................
Japan’s Earthquake
The air seems particularly hot and stuffy today. Went to church, dim sum with family, watered my plants, tended my aquarium, and killed hours at night sitting in front of the TV – a typical Sunday routine. It must have been years that I have the habit not to do any “work” on Sundays (had […]
........................................................
<>
Found the book that would serve as the starting point for my dissertation, it includes many relevant concepts and suggested further readings. Meanwhile, I went to the university library to pick up a few more books. The list of books to go through seems endless, but I really got to start composing the manuscript next […]
........................................................
<>
There were times when I would romanticize myself living in a remote small town by the sea with my other half, leading a tranquil and simple life. But is this sustainable? Re-evaluating my dream life now, I want to live in a relaxed, convivial, and sustainable neighborhood where my friends are at walkable distances. With […]
........................................................
