Brady Dale provides a list of quirky trivia (taken from the new book "A History of Future Cities") about the forward-looking creation of four mega-cities: Shanghai, Bombay, St. Petersburg and Dubai.
Brooklyn blogger Brady Dale offers concise highlights of the quirky juxtapositions of the mega-cities in Daniel Brook's recently published A History of Future Cities.
Brook's book looks at the strange yet still relevant histories of Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai and St. Petersburg, making the case that the forces that drove their development are still at work in the rapidly globalizing cities of today.
Dale is particularly fascinated by the economic and political power struggles that shaped infrastructure and cultural life in these cities, citing trivia about how Bollywood managed to thrive under a Socialist government, how Dubai openly censors the internet, how Peter the Great refused to let construction workers use wheelbarrows and how Shanghai avoided building a sewage system for the sake of profits.
Concerned about a largely inactive electorate that votes according to untested economic mantras, Dale also makes a case for why the relationship between government and its people in these four cities resonates with the American political status quo.
FULL STORY: Considering the Autocratic Cosmopolis in "A History of Future Cities"
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.