6.47.Hungary-5-detail-c Highlights Relevant to Sustainable Design:
We can rethink the use of rivers for transit and how our cities meet the edge.
This panoramic view of Budapest is over six feet long and took several hours to complete while standing on one of the bridges. The majestic bird on the left is a large statue that sits on the castle hill side of Budapest. Two city sides, Buda and Pest, flank the Danube River, and this sketch also includes the famous Széchenyi Bridge. Spending the time drawing the city let me look closer at the activity along the river’s edge. I realized that industry, roads, and rail have largely dominated the edge of rivers in Philadelphia and other American cities. The “asset” of the river may be something to renew, given that shipping and rail were largely the only games in town up until the advent of airfreight. As the world shifts toward on-demand inventory, the edges of rivers could play an increasing role in the rebirth of American cities for even more enhanced social activity. Many cities have undertaken riverfront redevelopment, and the cleaner river water over the past few decades certainly helps spur the demand to engage near the river’s edge.
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This bird is a phoenix.
This is appropriate for a city and people that have endured and “risen from ashes” multiple times. In Greek mythology, a phoenix or phenix (Greek: φοῖνιξ phoinix) is a bird that is cyclically regenerated or reborn.
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Author and illustrator: Charlie Szoradi is an architect, inventor, and the CEO of Independence LED Lighting. He writes about many other topics related to riverfront redevelopment through his extensive travels around the world.
If you have found this posting online, it is an excerpt from Mr. Szoradi’s book Learn from Looking that served as the inspiring seed content for this drawing share resource. For additional drawings and insights on city planning and riverfront redevelopment, we hope that you enjoy exploring LearnfromLooking.com. You can search via general terms such as sustainability as well as narrower terms such as riverfront redevelopment and the rebirth of American cities.
