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The initial plan was to dig post holes, but we figured that an easier and just as effective way to elevate the coop was simply to use deck blocks to hold the posts.  They may settle a bit, and we'll have to keep an eye on how the deck blocks deal with cold Chicago winters, but the structure is small enough that we're hoping there will be minimal problems. 

After we put the frame together we lifted the coop on top and secured it to the frame.  We finished with the roof.  The roof is a separate element with a slight pitch that will be a "green roof."  I plan to plant some species of sedum which have been shown to perform well in Midwestern climates.  Although I may just settle for some type of grass depending on the eventual substrate depth.

Before I put the growing medium on the roof I will need to install a waterproof membrane, a filter, and a drainage layer.

Next steps are to get the roof squared away, paint the coop, and then build the run.

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My local Whole Foods recently switched out their useless grammar-school jail-bar bike rack for a new, but only slightly-less-useless, "wave" rack.

In urban areas where bicycle security is essential, most cyclists favor the inverted-U bike rack for its ease of use and security. Two points of contact with the rack allow the use of compact U-locks which can secure the tires and frame to the rack and leave minimal leverage space for a thief to defeat the lock.

This is why U-racks are the standard municipal issue in Chicago, Portland and elsewhere.

So the fact that Whole Foods didn't put in standard racks is bad enough. What's worse is that absolutely no thought was given to spacing. If you use a popular anti-theft lock like the Kryptonite Evolution, there is not enough clearance to secure your back tire and frame to the rack because the rack is placed too close to the building.

Unfortunately you see these installation failures all too frequently. Whole Foods should shoulder the blame to a certain extent.

More egregious, however, is the fact that the City of Evanston has no policy or regulations pertaining to bike parking requirements for commercially zoned property. Compare this to the auto parking guidelines which are detailed and enforceable.

When the city treats biking as an afterthought, is it any wonder that businesses treat it in the same manner? If cities want to really enhance their transportation mode shifts they need to start paying as much attention to biking, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure as they do for cars.

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What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than documenting the state of bike parking in Downtown Evanston?  While there are a number of bike racks downtown and many of them were being put to use, I wanted to focus on "unconventional" parking to show the need to have ample and strategically-placed bike parking.

We see many examples of bikes parked to parking meters, trees, planters and street lights.  In many places we see multiple bikes tied to these unconventional structures while the space allocated for street parking for cars is vacant. It seems like Evanston would be perfect for a bike corral demonstration. 

For the uninitiated, a bike corral is on-street bike parking.  You essentially swap a space that traditionally supports one vehicle (e.g. car) for the capacity to support ten vehicles (e.g. bikes).  It is more efficient, equitible, and enhances sidewalk life.  When I explained the concept of bike corrals to some of the random folks I encountered during my venture there was universal enthusiasm.

Now if we can only convince the city...    

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You can't see it in these photos, but we designed a green roof to act
as an insulator and limit runoff.

The next phase will be to elevate the coop 45cm or so off the ground
and to install the roofing element.

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When I was assigned this plot the garden coordinator said she thought someone had planted a raspberry bush. I can't really tell at this point if that's true.

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Apparently they were kicked out of the conference and a photographer documenting the action was arrested!

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One quandry facing public transportation planners is trying to figure out how to get people to take the bus. Frequent and convenient service are certainly one way. But those pose financial challenges to transit agencies strapped for cash.

But there are some low-cost solutions that could be tried. Consider this example, located in Chicago on Madison at the corner of Wacker Drive, just in front of the Civic Opera building. Most urban bus stops are ugly street signs, haphazardly erected on corners and exposed to the elements. Some lucky corners get a shelter; but the setups are largely functional and devoid of aesthetic, sensibility.

Here we have an attempt to make the bus stop fun. Faux opera seats are placed over the normal steel bench. It is a refreshing, colorful addition to the streetscape, linking the public space to the cultural amenity that contributes to the neighborhood's unique identity.

This type of design is modest, but it should be standard practice. By presenting the bus stop as a "micro-destination" you give a greater, positive visibility to the bus. Plus, it livens the street.

There are also likely public-private financing opportunities to offset some of the costs that go beyond the norm, functional bus stop. Good work CTA, JC Decaux and whoever else was involved!

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I would have rescued this bird I saw about 10 minutes ago, but I was on my bike and I live in Evanston where such things are illegal!

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I was walking by Buckingham Fountain last night and came across a kiosk for Chicago's new bike rental scheme.

The program was introduced a month ago with a great deal of local publicity. Comparisons were made to the bike sharing schemes of Paris and Montreal where users are always within 500 meters of a kiosk and residents and visitors are using the hundreds of bikes for commuting, shopping, and running errands.

Chicago's program is not a bike share like those found in cities where the systems are successful. Here there are about 100 bikes scattered amongst a handful of kiosks that are far removed from transit centers and places marked by mixed land uses.

So it shouldn't be surprising to see the kiosk full of bikes. Although it was a beautiful late afternoon when you would expect significant demand, the bikes remain idle since the number of places to return them is so limited.

I would be curious to see if other stations were similarly filled with idle bikes. Fortunately (I guess), the scheme here in Chicago is privately financed so if it turns out to be unsustainable, the public coffers won't be impacted.

I wish the folks behind the project well, but seeing idle bikes on a beautiful summer day doesn't make me optimistic for the program's future. My sense is that the initial poor siting decisions will be difficult to overcome.

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