A group of urban designers and architects descends on the ur-suburbia of Levittown. Alison Arieff writes that the urban academics doodled in the margins rather than serious tackle the issues raised by the suburban way of life.
Arieff goes along for the ride as Dutch design collective Droog and architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro launch a project to look at the future of suburbia, which they call the Open House project.
Writes Arieff: "But in approaching a real place as a perfect blank canvas on which to execute distinctly urban interventions, the Open House project conveniently excused itself from substantively engaging with the real issues facing suburbia's future. Which is a pity. Because it would have been interesting to see what they'd come up with if they had."
Open House interventions for 2011 are based around the concept "Discover Your Inner Service Provider", giving homeowners ways to take advantage of their excess space and resources to make extra income.
FULL STORY: Suburbia: What a Concept
Remote Work and the Shift to Suburbia
Is the growth of working from home turning America into a ‘suburban nation?’
Homeownership—American Dream or Nightmare?
Owning a home has long been considered the ultimate aspiration. But social and economic realities mean the stories about and the path to homeownership are not simple and straightforward.
GM, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler Back Trump on Weaker Auto Emissions Rule
The auto industry is divided on whether to back stronger emissions standard adopted by California and 13 other states. Three major automakers and three auto industry groups sided with Trump on Monday in a court battle over 'one national standard.'
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.
Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)