UCLA / Stamen Design
Jon Christensen is an adjunct assistant professor at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainablilty and a partner and strategic adviser of Stamen Design. A former columnist at LA Observed, he is an editor at Boom: A Journal of California.
Stamen uses maps to bring data to life Atlas Of Emotions, an interactive tool designed to build emotional awareness, inviting users to visualize, identify and explore five primary emotions in order to gain a better understanding of how they influence daily life (2016). Project partner: Paul Ekman and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Photo by Stamen Design The world is awash in data, so some are looking for more creative ways of expressing, or visualizing, it. Stamen, one of the leaders in the field of data visualization and mapping, was just recognized by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York with a 2017 National Design Award for Interaction Design. Stamen uses everything from animation to interactive, 3-D maps to tell their stories. These include a single day of trading on the NASDAQ, sea level rise, immigration patterns, coalition casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and "Facebook Flowers," a visual depiction of how an image spreads virally after George Takei posts it on Facebook. So why are people so in love with maps right now, especially when fewer people can actually read a map? And how does Stamen find the sweet spot between information and art?
A New Reality for an Old California California's growth and development have been tremendous in the 20th century. But is the 21st century version of California ready or does the Golden State need a re-coding of sorts?
Did LA Pass Its First Big El Niño Test? The first of this year's El Niño storms were only a test, and Southern California is braced for another onslaught of mudslides, potholes, flooded freeways and basements and mountains of trash swept out into the ocean. We get updates and look at what's next.
Ringing in the Changes in Los Angeles This year on DnA you heard about new developments at the LA River, the opening of The Broad and the Petersen Automotive Museum... the launch of a new e-car company, and Santa Monica's new bike share program... changing attitudes to water capture. . .global money flowing into expensive, empty houses... and, possibly, the birth of a new Pershing Square. In this look-back at the changes in Los Angeles, we also hear about the good and the bad of continued growth; the significance of the demise of Kitson and the rise of private clubs; and, post-Paris, the "genius" of Governor Jerry Brown at communicating climate change.
Governor Brown: On His Way to Paris On his way to the Climate Summit in Paris, Governor Jerry Brown spoke to reporters and radio hosts today. I asked him what he hopes to accomplish since California has no official role. He says California's a "catalyst" for change in the fight against greenhouse emissions. Is that's consistent with his support for fracking, diverting cap-and-trade fees to high-speed rail and watching the oil industry score a big victory in Sacramento?
Should Water-Loving LA Allow Slide The City? Slide the City, a pop-up slip n slide planned to hit downtown LA in late September, has ignited drought shaming and a petition. But how much water does a one-time slip n slide consume compared with other water-based leisure activities?
Is LA Now on the Cutting Edge of Sustainability? Environmentalist and UCLA sustainability researcher Jon Christensen is impressed with LA’s new commitment to sustainability and sees the city as a model for the rest of the country. Water resources watchdog Emily Green couldn’t disagree more .
Claudio Magris: Blameless In Claudio Magris' Blameless, a museum of the implements of war and destruction is created to inspire peace. But this conversation is not just about war and peace.
What did Trump accomplish on his first trip abroad? President Trump is wrapping up his Mideast and European tour. We find out what he has accomplished -- good and bad -- and look at what he faces when he comes home.
Shaking up the USDA, 'The Beef Cookbook' and 'Tartine All Day' Peggy Lowe explains why Trump’s pick for USDA Secretary is rattling rural America. Dario Cecchini talks future plans for Chianti ramen, and Richard Turner shares cuts from “PRIME: The Beef Cookbook.” Writer Matthew Sedacca looks at the controversy behind liquid smoke. Jonathan Gold tries Chengdu-style dishes, and Elisabeth Prueitt of Tartine fills us in on the latest. Plus, chef Michael Beckman shares a recipe for cactus confit.
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”
