A portrait of an eclectic family; held together by the courage to survive. In an ivy-clad house in Zagreb; Croatia; the Kos family argue and fall in and out of love as world after world is erected and then torn down around them.From the remnants of monarchy; through Communism; then democracy; war; and eventual acceptance into a wider Europe; four generations of Kos women -each one more independent than the last -have to adapt to survive. The one constant is the house: built by aristocrats; partitioned; nationalised; it stands witness to the passing generations.But when the family assemble for Lucijas wedding; Alisa learns that her nouveau-riche brother-in-law has bought the family home for himself and the other tenants have to move out. For the bride this is progress; for her sister its a shady act of greed. For their principled parents; finally; its one battle too many.3 Winters premiered at the National Theatre; London; in November 2014.
#2680792 in eBooks 2015-01-28 2015-01-28File Name: B00Q8Y3ZS6
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Energy Use Optimization; Spearhead of Urban CompetitivenessBy Serge J. Van SteenkisteAustin Troy explores the economic competitiveness of cities in the light of what he calls their urban energy metabolism; i.e.; the different rates at which cities consume energy. The drivers of this urban energy metabolism are for example climate; access to water; the quality of buildings; industrial use; and transportation/urban development. Too many American cities are car-dependent; sprawling agglomerations. Think for example about Atlanta; Dallas; and Los Angeles. In European and Asian cities; ownership of a car is far more a liability than an asset.Mr. Troy rightly warns his audience against complacency. Energy prices are not guaranteed to remain low forever. The author calls for both improving energy efficiency and developing new clean energy generation capacity. Mr. Troy usually explores the pros and cons of the different energy sources with objectivity in what he calls "interlude." However; the author is clearly too pessimistic about nuclear power; by far the leading U.S. electricity source which does not emit greenhouse gases. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently approved the Westinghouse Advanced Passive 1000 nuclear power plant design and the construction and operating license for the two-reactor Plant Vogtle expansion in Georgia. Nonetheless; Mr. Troy rightly lambastes the incoherent U.S. policy for the management; reprocessing; and/or disposal of spent fuel from commercial nuclear reactors.Mr. Troy looks at a wide variety of cities such as Bangkok; Copenhagen; Denver; Houston; London; New York; Satilde;o Paulo; and Stockholm; to identify the best practices for improving a citys energy metabolism. The author comes to the conclusion that regionalism is at the heart of a coherent urban policy in the U.S. Local planning too often leads to urban inefficiencies among competing local jurisdictions; whose costs are born heavily by the U.S. federal government. Mr. Troy notes that contrary to popular perception; regionalism is not un-American. The U.S. federal government is already involved in many aspects of community building such as transportation and infrastructure funding; environmental protection; natural hazards protection; and housing policy. The author calls for a much more effective regionalism at the U.S. federal level. Think for example about a revised conceptualization and funding of federal transportation projects; locally relevant environmental policies; changes to sprawl-inducing federal housing finance and credit policies; and urban revitalization. However; U.S. local; county; regional; and state governments also have a key role to play in improving urban energy metabolism. Cities such as Baltimore; Denver; Los Angeles; and New York have taken steps to reduce their energy footprint in the names of quality of life; economic development; or energy efficiency.In summary; Mr. Troy calls for changes to how cities operate in the name of energy efficiency before the eventual advent of significantly higher energy prices.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. useful visions with researchBy FarmerZitaHow did New York become the greenest city in the US; by key measures? Why has LA always been car-centered; and is there any hope for LA transit? Troy uses the concept of urban metabolism to explore the past; present; and future of communities in the US; with examples from the Americas and Europe. How do we use energy; and how can we live better with less? What urban design principles make people happier and safer; and make cities healthier and wealthier?This first edition is well structured; with interesting "interludes" on energy sources between chapters. Writing is usually engaging; sometimes list-y. Content is often compelling; sometimes questionable. Overall a worthwhile read; informative and thought provoking.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good ConditionBy lstahlThis book arrived in good condition. It wasnt in perfect condition; but I wasnt expecting to receive it that way; so Im very happy with my purchase. Also; the book itself (its content) is great. Ive enjoyed reading about how U.S. cities came to be organized the way that they are and the European (and U.S.) examples that have been offered thus far of what future cities in the U.S. could look like have been inspiring and also legitimately insightful. Id recommend that anyone interested in learning how todays cities; particularly in relation to their transportation and fuel / energy use; evolved to what they are today and what they could potentially (and hopefully) become read this book.
