Iraq
Garden of Eden Site Being Restored
A marsh in Iraq drained by Saddam Hussein and believed by some to be the site of the Garden of Eden is being restored -- despite dangerous risks.
Der Spiegel
Baghdad Plans Slum Redevelopment
The city of Baghdad is looking to revitalize its Sadr City slum through a $10 billion, 10-year redevelopment plan.
Reuters
Iraq Beyond Baghdad
Basra and Mosul are Iraq's second- and third-largest cities. In this post, Iraqi journalists talk about the two cities, their evolving public realms and the security issues they face.
The New York Times
SimBaghdad
New video game-like programs are enabling the U.S. military to train for deployment in the middle east. One program is modeled off the urban planning computer game SimCity.
The Atlantic
Iraqi Civil Engineers Take Over Base Planning
An architect, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and four civil engineers from Iraq have taken over the base planning for the U.S Army's Basrah base, a small city with electrical, sewage and water systems as well as ongoing construction.
Red Bull Release
Iraq, Tourist Destination?
With its rich history and wealth of artifacts, palaces, and natural beauty, some wonder if tourism could help Iraq to recover.
BBC News Magazine
The Gardens of Baghdad
This piece from The New York Times looks at the role of private gardens and public-facing landscaping in the city of Baghdad.
The New York Times
Cities in the Sand: U.S. Military Bases in Iraq
U.S. Military bases in Iraq are being consolidated, but their footprint is hard to ignore. Many operate much like small cities, housing as many as 20,000 people and all the services and infrastructure they require.
The New York Times
'Fertile Crescent' Doomed by Century's End
Water projects and diversion efforts in Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria are draining the marshlands near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known as the 'Fertile Crescent'.
New Scientist
Middle East Choking as Euphrates Shrinks
Water policies in Syria and Turkey are draining the Euphrates River dry, and neighboring Iraq is feeling all the hurt from it.
The New York Times
Baghdad's Changing (U.S.) Demographics
The population is falling -- the population of U.S. troops stationed in Baghdad, that is.
The New York Times
In Ancient City, Conservationists Can't Help Sprawl's Effects
Ninevah, one of the world's most endangered heritage sites, is deteriorating due to recent development and urban sprawl, say officials.
The Christian Science Monitor
Baghdad Combats Street Beggars
Officials in Baghdad are instituting a new program to sweep beggars off the city's streets -- a number that has risen sharply since the U.S. invasion in 2003.
Agence France Presse
The 'Undiplomatic' New U.S. Embassy in Iraq
The new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad embodies all of the negative connotations of the American presence in Iraq and provides an example of how not to build an embassy, according to Jonathan Glancey.
Guardian
Riding the Baghdad Express
For about a month, commuter rail has been rolling in Baghdad. Where once there was danger, now there are commuters.
Los Angeles Times
Le Corbusier's Baghdad Sports Complex Revealed
In the mid-1900s architect Le Corbusier designed a grand sports complex for Baghdad as part of the city's bid for the 1960 Olympics. That bid failed and the project was never built. Now, original drawings and designs are on display.
Building Design
Florida Planner Takes Skills to Iraq
Daniel Reed, former Planning Director of Daytona Beach, is now the primary planner of Sadr City, 12 miles north of Baghdad.
The Bay City Times
Amusement Park Planned for Baghdad
Investors are moving forward with plans to build an amusement park in Baghdad, arguing the Iraqi capital is in dire need of entertainment facilities. Many worry that security concerns will disrupt those plans.
The Times
Iraq War Spending: What Could We Have Built Instead?
Robert Pollin & Heidi Garrett-Peltier writing in The Nation show that the U.S. has spent hundreds of billions of dollars in Iraq that could have been much more productively invested in public goods like sustainable infrastructure.
The Nation





















