I LOVE THE 100 YEARS OF ART DECO IN MIAMI BEACH EXHIBIT

I’D LOVE IT MORE IF A REDESIGN PROVIDED WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE OUTDOOR GALLERY

100 Years of Art Deco in Miami Beach features 100+ images from around the world create a visual journey through the evolution of Art Deco.

In the spirit of inclusion, I wish the journey through Lummus Park was more wheelchair accessible.

I adore the Miami Design Preservation League & will forever be grateful for its exhibit of my photography.

But I do challenge it to use temporary interlocking plastic pavers to make the entire Art Deco 100 exhibit accessible to people with disabilities.

The exhibit runs through January, so there is plenty of time to fine tune its accessibility and Universal Design.

The Miami Beach Pride Festival and Parade uses heavy plastic interlocking mat material to provide wheelchair access and inclusion on the beach sand.

That same product could enhance access along the mushy grass and varying topography of Lummus Park.

PENSION MONO CESKY KRUMLOV CZECH REPUBLIC

SUPER HIGH VALUE FOR WELL APPOINTED ROOM

IN AN OUTSTANDING AND QUIET LOCATION

Pension Mono’s Location is three minutes’ walk from heart of the old town Cesky Krumlov.

It is just far enough away to be super quiet at night.

My mattress was super comfy and the climate controls worked well.

The value is amazing.

I was in peak June season and my room was less than 100 USD fully loaded (as in taxes, fees, cleaning, etc.)

Just about the only negative is no elevator -- so this would not work as lodging for person who uses a wheelchair or cannot do steps.

The pension does not have on site breakfast.

Staff directs you to a cute deli a few minutes away – where you get a bit of a discount.

I would highly recommend this property.

 

 

 

PENSION MONO CESKY KRUMLOV CZECH REPUBLIC

SUPER HIGH VALUE FOR WELL APPOINTED ROOM

IN AN OUTSTANDING AND QUIET LOCATION

My Pension Mono room was compact, but super well put together. 

It featured a super nice bathroom with very warm water in the shower.

The staff person was there to meet me right on time and brought up extra flat sheet that I requested.

The property is super close to the smaller bus station in Cesky Krumlov – which is much closer to the old town and all the sights you want to see.

It's a five minute walk to Pension Mono from the Spicak Bus Station.

I took a direct bus from Prague and was there in less than 3 hours.

PENSION MONO CESKY KRUMLOV CZECH REPUBLIC

SUPER HIGH VALUE FOR WELL APPOINTED ROOM

IN AN OUTSTANDING AND QUIET LOCATION

 
Cesky Krumlov is well worth a two-day visit.

Pension Mono is the ideal place to overnight in the Medieval city.

It all starts with an attentive staff that fields questions before booking.

I'm a communication guy.

I don't just book -- I want to know location, locals food recommendations, be placed in a quiet spot within the property, know the proximity to transit, etc.

The pension’s staff was superb at using the Booking.com messaging system to address all concerns long before I was in the Czech Republic.

From morning to late afternoon, Cesky Krumlov is still beautiful -- but it is choked with tour groups.

That’s why I highly recommend staying overnight.

It's a whole different, quaint town from about 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next morning. 

AN IMMERSIVE EXPLORATION OF “SAUDADE”

THROUGH LITERATURE, ART, AND OTHER MEDIA

I am honored to be among the world class multimedia artists included in Amy Serrano's colorful, engaging Saudades book.

My back cover photo is on the bottom right.

More of my street photography in Portugal is in the book.

Official book sales started July 31.

It’s available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million and powerhouse Miami local Books and Books.

The Miami Launch event is on Oct. 4.

For much more information, click on the press release:

https://files.constantcontact.com/be755cbc401/7673ddfe-4756-4c76-b51a-0527d29455a1.pdf

MY URBAN PHOTOGRAPHY WILL BE PART OF A MAJOR BOOK

BY A RENOWNED CITY PLANNER AND

AUTHOR OF BOOKS ON VISIONARY PLANNING

I'm honored to be working with Thomas D. Wilson on a new book about the nation's most iconic historic places.

Tom is the author of several books on the history of planning and design, including The Oglethorpe Plan: Enlightenment Design in Savannah and Beyond and Charleston and Savannah: The Rise, Fall, and Reinvention of Rival Cities.

My vast travels as a planner/writer/educator/activist at the intersection of urban policy and a better built environment for people with disabilities has created opportunities to capture images of great American places.

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SAVE THE DATE FOR MY MAY 3 BOOK SIGNING

PROUD TO BE A VISUAL ARTIST IN SAUDADES

I will be joining other artists for the book release of SAUDADES: Anthological Contemplations on Persons, Places, Identity, and Time

The event will take place 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. May 3 at the legendary Books and Books, 180 Aragon Avenue Coral Gables, Florida.

It will be a multimedia event featuring:

Poetry readings

Premiere of short film Saudade

Live performance by multi instrumentalist singer/ songwriter Bill Cruz who will perform the 2 song lyrics included in book

Gallery exhibit curated by Diego Quiros composed of works by the visual artists in the book

Saudades book signing by all artists.

Saudades is part of the Untranslatable Words Series by Amy Serrano.

https://www.facebook.com/SaudadesBook/ 

https://www.sirenfilms.us/films

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

MY FINE ART PHOTOS OF LITTLE HAVANA

Dozens of fine art images are available for sale at the Art Deco Museum Miami Beach, Ocean Drive and 10th Street.

Large photos from exhibit $60-$400.
Small matted in adjacent gift shop $20-$40.

My photo exhibit has been extended to Dec. 31. The gallery and gift shop are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Free museum admission for Miami-Dade Residents.

50% of sales support the Miami Design Preservation League.

Buy local and support Miami artists when you do you Holiday Shopping.

https://mdpl.org/blog/2023/12/save-my-little-havana-exhibit-photographs-on-sale-through-december-31st/

JUST IN TIME FOR ART BASEL MIAMI

 A POP UP ART SHOW IN THE HEART OF LITTLE HAVANA

--WHEN THE ART WORLD IS FOCUSED ON THE MAGIC CITY

I’m honored to be one of the featured artists at Art & Design Gallery’s event during Art Basel Miami.

It takes place 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday December 8 and Saturday December 9 at 2380 SW 9 Street Miami – footsteps from my historic Little Havana home and just a block south of wonderful Calle Ocho.

The free event will feature art displays and sales, live music, food and more at Art by Hurley.

RSVP at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/miami-art-exhibit-tickets-764844840507

MORE THAN 400,000 READERS!

I LOVE SHARING MY WORDS AND IMAGES 

WHILE WE PURSUE HAPPINESS

This month, my blog passed more than 400,000 unique visitors.

It has been around for nearly a decade.

I try to post daily.

Nearly 4,000 blog posts have been published here.

More than 3,000 original images – from across the United States, South America, Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia have been shared here.

I have posted collaborations created for the National Association of REALTORS, United Spinal Association, Wood Communications, Global Disability Inclusion, Barlington Group, Equitable Cities, Curtis + Rogers Design and many other partners.

About half of my posts have to do with Universal Design and advocacy for people with disabilities.

Many share best practices for urban design, town planning, architecture, transit, mobility and related placemaking.

Stay tuned, we will be well over 400,000 readers before the year is out.

I TURNED 58 YESTERDAY

I HOPE I HAVE MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

The year ahead will be one of difficult and challenging transition.

Details about major changes will be shared in early 2023.

I always try to write a blog post tied to my birthday, something different than the other 364 posts of the year.

I have long contemplated writing my own obituary.

I have pre-written obits of well-known people when I was a journalist.

It’s common practice to have them at the ready with a significant person is very old or ill.

But I keep thinking if I post it, maybe someone will think I’ve expired, am about to or am in the mood to expedite the journey to the other side.

Not the case on all counts.

So how to do a bit of an I love me post without crafting my own obituary in paragraph structure.

Well, how about bullet points.

To date, 40 years living as an adult, I have: 

1.     Completed projects in some of the greatest cities of the world

2.     Traveled – solo and together – to even more of the best cities on earth

3.     Written a one-of-kind special section on one of Columbus, Ohio’s poorest hardscrabble neighborhoods

4.     Won major awards for my journalism

5.     Been my editor’s nominee for the Pulitzer Prize

6.     Had my work published in more than 100 newspapers and magazines

7.     Posted daily to a blog for nearly a decade

8.     Produced cover stories on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility

9.     Produced center-spread major feature articles on urban design, planning, architecture, engineering, mobility, sustainability, housing and growth

10. Ghost written trade journal article and op-ed pieces for clients

11. Spoken in the grand ballroom at the American Planning Association national conference

12. Given a key lecture in Paris at the International Making Cities Livable global gathering

13. Spoken about Universal Design in planning at the APA Florida statewide conference

14. Written a winning proposal for presentation at the American Institute of Architects national conference

15. Written an award submission that won the APA’s highest nationwide honor for a client

16. Been on planning teams recognized with APA statewide and regional awards

17. Led the communications for an urban design studio that more than doubled in size during my tenure

18. Led marketing for a globally honored international architecture firm

19. Led business development for a legacy engineering firm that expanded its walkability and multimodal practice

20. Served as the senior policy advisor to the chair of the Miami City Commission – within three years of moving from Ohio

21. Wrote the legislation for affordable homeownership in Little Havana

22. Contributed to a project that created a pedestrian walkway connecting Miami’s greats historic main streets – Calle Ocho and Coral Way

23. Served as point person for the elected official who cast the deciding vote to adopt Miami 21, the first citywide form-based code in America

24. Created a groundbreaking Universal Design course for the undergraduate and graduate levels

25. Taught the revolutionary Universal Design course at a top 10 school of architecture

26. Contributed writing and research to the largest trade association in America for two decades

27. Contributed content to the nation’s largest non-profit for people with spinal cord injuries for 20-plus years

28. Advised world leaders on how to improve housing, transit, workplaces, parks, services and daily living for people with disabilities

29. Advised corporations on diversity, equity and inclusion – through the lens of disability advocacy

That’s 29, half of 58.

I’d like to think there are 29 more great accomplishments, but there’s no need to keep writing.

I thank those who read this essay to completion.

CELEBRATING MORE THAN 350,000 READERS

 IN LESS THAN A DECADE, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE                                 THAN 350K UNIQUE VISITORS TO THIS BLOG 

We usually observe blog milestones by recounting the disability advocacy essays and town planning articles shared on the site.

The cumulative amount of text on this blog would fill nearly four average-length books.

But today, we want to celebrate the visual storytelling.

When we were required to take a photography course in journalism school, we were almost offended – because we always thought we would earn our daily bread via the printed word.

Fast forward to digital photography, then smart phones with amazing lenses.

And we are storytelling with images as much or more than words.

When we teach at the graduate school level and a major university, we show images of the good, bad and ugly of Universal Design – so students can understand how to create an inclusive built environment.

Sometimes, we simply write about a place we’ve been, a hotel or apartment that was great about hosting us.

These images are from Lisbon Portugal.

We always wanted to get there, but 40 years of adulthood slipped by with the great, hilly city rising from Rio Tejo escaped us till this month.

Now we dream of narrow alleys, azulejo-adorned facades, great seafood, excellent wine, kind people, 300 days of sunshine and Mediterranean climate less hostile than Miami’s global warming and sea level rise-imperiled climate.

DISABILITY VISABILITY

IT’S A THING

Multiple U.S.  federal agencies have documented that one in four persons in America has some type of disability.

Never have so many tens of millions been so invisible.

“I never see anybody in those accessible parking spaces”

“We shouldn’t do away with steps into a building for a special interest.”

“Why should we make our restaurant/shop accessible to a tiny fraction of people?”

I’ve heard these and far worse 10,000 times and counting.

All are wrong headed and mean spirited.

First off, people with disabilities and their families represent one of the biggest buying power blocs in the nation.

Second, why are people who would NEVER dismiss the rights and validation of people of a race/religion/gender/orientation different from their own – be so willing to be totally dismissive of people with disabilities and trample their rights?

I don’t know the answer, but I think its’ because for some common character flaw in the non-disabled, people with disabilities are all but invisible.

That why, this year I’m going to publish lots of images of people with disabilities immersed in everyday city life.

It will prove the need for wheelchair access for subways, parks, restaurants, offices, universities, buses, sidewalks and everything else everyday people immerse themselves in.

RAINY NIGHT IN PARIS

ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT 

Winding down a 14-hour workday.

Lengthened by two hours of pre-dawn exercise.

Coming home to Art Nouveau splendor in 9th arrondissement.

The next day, a Universal Design roving workshop with the goal of visiting all 20 arrondissements, via walking no transit or car travel, within daylight hours of one day.

CELEBRATING MORE THAN 325,000 READERS

THIS BLOG IS PART OF OUR PRO-BONO EFFORT TO IMPROVE UNIVERSAL DESIGN, INCLUSIVE MOBILITY AND PLANNING FOR ALL

Long before Diversity, Equity and Inclusion became a popular phrase – we were writing daily about DEI+A (the A for accessibility, as in access for all).

We have published more than 1,000 professional articles on Universal Design, Inclusive Mobility and planning that serves all – including people with disabilities.

Our work has appeared in Planning Magazine, On Common Ground, Strong Towns and hundreds of leading newspapers, websites and other publications.

For a decade, we have posted daily to this free blog.

More than 3,000 posts have shared ideas for urban design, planning, architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, sustainability and related disciplines to be more inclusive to those who use wheelchairs for mobility.

We have shared thousands of original images taken in our travels through North, South and Central America as well as Europe, Africa and Asia.

The humble blog – we once were proud to share with friends and colleagues that a grand total of 15,000 people had read us – has now been viewed by more than 325,000 unique visitors.

That means we soon will have a readership equal to the entire population of New Orleans – one of our favorite sense of place cities.

The amount of text in these blogs, if published as compilations, would fill more than four novel-length books.

This blog is part of our commitment, since turning 55, to dedicating 20 percent of our working hours to producing award-winning written and visual content that focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion + accessibility.

Thanks for reading and please share this blog with others:

http://urbantravelandaccessibility.blogspot.com

DIA DAY LOS MUERTOS

THE DAY OF THE DEAD IN OXACA, MEXICO

Oaxaca is a cultural capital.

The region is amazing and diverse.

The city of Oaxaca easily is one of the top 10 culinary destinations on the planet.

The grand churches and buildings are an architecture buff’s dream.

The surrounding small towns are historic and enchanting.

Nothing compares to the observation of Dia de los Muertos.

It runs Nov. 1 to Nov. 2 but for weeks leading up to the family-centric observations, folks are decorating altars, preparing special foods and sharing their colorful city.

SAUDADES: EDITED AND CONCEPTUALIZED BY AMY SERRANO

Proud to be a part of this artistic endeavor

Here is the book cover and the artists whose gorgeous and haunting works will be featured in the upcoming book.

ARC DE TRIOMPHE

PARIS FRANCE

Situated at the Place de l’Etoile, overlooking the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe is the biggest arch in the world.

It was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to celebrate his victory at Austerlitz.

The architects Chalgrin, Joust and Blouet all worked on the monument. 

Sculptures were designed by Cortot, Rude, Etex, Pradier and Lemaire.

Beneath the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and each evening at 6:30pm its flame is rekindled.

From the top of the monument, visitors benefit from a panoramic view of Paris, during the day and at night, and two viewpoint indicators.

A museum retracing the history of the Arc de Triomphe, situated within the structure, completes the visit.

--Parisinfo.com

ARA GÜLER -- 3

PHOTOJOURNALIST

Though I have seen him quoted as saying he's not a photojournalist or artist -- he's an historian with a camera -- Ara Guler is arguably the greatest photojournalist of the 20th century.

And he continue to document his beloved Istanbul, well into the 21st century, well into his 80s.

When I found out there's a book on him, I couldn't want to order it.

Amazon screwed up the first delivery. Hoping the second order arrives before the weekend.

Here's a mini blurb on the book:

Photojournalist, a book by Nezih Tavlas, provides a compelling and in-depth look into the life of Ara Guler who is regarded as one of the most accomplished documentary photographers of the 20th century and the pioneer of photojournalism in Turkey.

http://photojournalistaraguler.com/