Nine days after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake killed hundreds of people in south-central Chile, relief efforts were beginning to reach those in need, rescue missions became recovery missions, and rebuilding is already under way. In the days since the February 27th quake, nearly 150 aftershocks have been recorded, including thirteen above magnitude 6.0. The government has been criticized by Chileans, who say the response was slow and inefficient. One recent government action was to grant a short amnesty to looters before sending troops out in search of stolen goods. Nearly $2 million worth of looted items were returned, often dumped on roadsides, by Sunday. Collected here are photographs from the past week in quake-affected Chile. (41 photos total)
God The Universe And Everything Else
Hosted by Magnús Magnússon, with Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan and Arthur C. Clarke.
Slums Urban Living « Prospect Magazine
“Sixty million people in the developing world are leaving the countryside every year. The squatter cities that have emerged can teach us much about future urban living…
“It was a community, Calthorpe decided, because it was walkable.“
Article continues..”The magic of squatter cities is that they are improved steadily and gradually by their residents. To a planner’s eye, these cities look chaotic. I trained as a biologist and to my eye, they look organic. Squatter cities are also unexpectedly green. They have maximum density—1m people per square mile in some areas of Mumbai—and have minimum energy and material use. People get around by foot, bicycle, rickshaw, or the universal shared taxi.”