architects at the border

some people are architects, others are just architects

Border Crossing studios at Columbia

Hi guys. Check out the Border Crossing architecture studios run by Leslie Gill and Tina Manis at Columbia. They had studios during the Spring 2005, 2004, & 2003. Look under "studio archives".

Recreational Bikers at the Border

From Cyclotour Guide Books:
"Crossing the Detroit River is a problem for both residents of Detroit & Windsor; and touring bicyclists. There are no bike racks or baggage holds on the buses which go through the Tunnel (only folding bikes can be brought inside the buses); the Ambassador Bridge absolutely forbids bicyclists on either the roadway or the walkway; and there sometimes is and sometimes is not a Bridge/Michigan DOT pick up truck to take cyclists across the River.
Our most recent communiqué with the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry has made us very sad. The Canada Border Services Agency and the US Customs and Border Protection Agency have prohibited the Truck Ferry from transporting bicyclists & their bicycles.
Now, crossing the Detroit River involves making a sign and using your thumb to hitch a ride. Grab a bit of a discarded box and write in 3 in./7.3 cm to 5 in./12 cm. high letters: To Windsor or To Detroit. Wait at the entrance/on ramp to either the Bridge or the Tunnel with your thumb extended and the sign on your chest. A friendly motorist will stop and help you out. Thumbing your way across the Detroit River can not be considered an adequate way for bicyclists to continue their journey."

Canadian Waste- Personalized

WASTE KNOT: Too dirty for Canada, Canflow dumps in Detroit sewers. (2-20-2002)

"An acrid breeze rustles scattered trash and trees along Greendale Street on Detroit’s north side. It’s a sunny day, July 25, and Willie Bell Gouch relaxes while watching her grandsons play.
And then it comes. Without warning, a putrid stench rushes into Gouch’s home. As the waste-disposal plant down the street dumps thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater trucked from Canada directly into the sewer system, black oily muck and metal-laced water flood Gouch’s basement and gurgle into sinks, bathtubs and toilets throughout the neighborhood..."


read the rest

Canadian Trash Trucked into Michigan

"Cross-border trash to be curbed by 2010; Deadline for PAPS switch kicks-in for waste truckers", 9/1/2006. 350 truckloads enter the U.S. daily from Detroit-Windsor and Port Huron-Sarnia border points, and end up in Michigan landfills. "Many Michigan residents have long complained Michigan-bound trucks carrying Toronto's trash clogs roadways and raises security concerns at border crossings." Shipments are to reduce 20 percent by end of 07, 40 percent by 08, and eliminated by 2010. The catch- the deal does not include industrial and commercial waste that accounts for over half of the 4 million metric tons of Canadian trash that enters Michigan annually.

Canadian trash made up 19% of all trash dumped in state landfills in 2005.

Transboundary Air

The following link is from a Canadian government site on The Environment. This section is devoted to "transboundary air"- which of course ignores political borders. There are links to the official agreements b/w Canada and the US, as well as follow up concerns from Canada. Basically:

"While Canada is a source of some pollution crossing into the United States, prevailing wind direction and large U.S. emissions mean that the U.S. can be a significant source of smog and acid rain in certain regions of Canada ."

http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/Pollution_Issues/Transboundary_Air-WS587B56F8-1_En.htm

The International Boundary Commission Website

This site has considerable information regarding the canada/US border. There is a lot of info that everybody can use towards answering questions for our book. Take a look around.