Brave New Worlds

At the margins of our known geography, some open country still exists. In a sense.

NG forwards me this article in the NYT about the Territory of KonungaRikena Elgaland-Vargaland (the Royal Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland). Headed by two self-proclaimed and self-ordained kings,

The Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland [KREV] were proclaimed in 1992 and consist of all Border Territories: Geographical, Mental & Digital. You are currently visiting the KREV digital territory as a citizen or as a tourist. You are encouraged to browse the digital territory of the Kingdoms - follow the links on the right.

Elgaland-Vargaland is the largest – and most populous realm on Earth, incorporating all boundaries between other nations as well as Digital Territory and other states of existence. Every time you travel somewhere, and every time you enter another form, such as the dream state, you visit Elgaland-Vargaland.

Kings Carl Michael von Hausswolff of Vargaland and Leif Elggren of Elgaland are pleased to welcome you and invite you to email them via the KREV admin office.

Their official website is worth a visit.

On a slightly more realizable note, the excellent architecture critic Witold Rybczynski, who writes for Slate.com, has an overview of proposed re-designs for New York's Governor's Island. This is an exciting project, certainly. Having spent the day walking through the small but elegant park that has been reclaimed along the Williamsburg waterfront at Kent and North 9th, and having long been an admirer of Olmsted's legacy, in New York (Central Park and Prospect Park) and elsewhere, I can only hope that a Governor's Island re-design is completed during my New York tenure. It will be a welcome addition to the many wonderful parks that help keep public life in New York vital.

Along with Rybczynski, I am most enamored by the possibilities of an expansive, open meadow as included in the proposal by Field Operations (illustrated above). The overview of the final five proposals (some illustrations below) in Slate.com by Rybczynski is definitely worth a look.