Urban Design

The Threat of Poor Urban Design to Public Health

Scott Carlson profiles the work of Dr. Richard J. Jackson, chair of Environmental Health Sciences at the UCLA's School of Public Health, one of the leading voices calling for better urban design for the sake of good health.

23 January 2012 - 11:00am

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Many Urban Cities Now Welcome Walmart

Walmart stores -- once vilified by cities for their impact on local smaller retailers -- are now getting the red carpet treatment from some urban cities. Walmart has adapted its store design, and cities need the tax revenue from large retailers.

3 January 2012 - 7:00am

Shopping Centers Today

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1 comment

Samuel Staley

On the Risks and Responsbilities of Living (in Cities)

Wed, 11/16/2011 - 12:10

Last summer, most of the nation was justifiably outraged when Raquel Nelson was convicted of vehicular homicide because her four-year old son stepped off a median into oncoming traffic and was killed. Common sense alone should have kept this case from going to trial, but I believe this case should have raised a bigger and more encompassing issue for planners and a question of social ethics: What is the responsibility we take as individuals for the choices we make living in an urban environment?

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Less Crime Through Urban Design

Environmental criminology may not be the most well-known field, but in this profile of Nikki Filipuzzi and her work throughout Calgary, Tamara Gignac shows how even the right amounts of shrubbery and light can make the city safer.

2 November 2011 - 6:00am

The Vancouver Sun

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1 comment

"Creating Places for People"

That's the title of a draft report from the Australian Dept. of Infrastructure and Transport presenting model processes for creating high-quality urban environments.

21 October 2011 - 10:00am

Architecture and Design

Eleven of the Best Urban Design Ideas in the World

From a penthouse dwelling above an air-raid bunker to an "inside-out" building where plants grow on the walls through rainwater irrigation, Wendy Goodman and Justin Davidson have asked design experts to compile their favorite urban ideas.

12 October 2011 - 6:00am

New York Magazine

From Sprawl to Complete Communities

Galina Tachieva's new Sprawl Repair Manual creates a narrative and visual process for making suburbs more sustainable. The book's first chapter is available now online.

11 October 2011 - 8:00am

Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments

Feature Doc on Urban Design Out Soon (Trailer)

Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.

23 September 2011 - 9:00am

urbanizedfilm.com

How Urban Design Influences Behavior

"There has been a long-standing thread of recognition that the way people live their lives is directly linked to the designed environments in which they live," writes Dan Lockton, reflecting back on his research.

18 September 2011 - 11:00am

Design With Intent

Seeking the Top 100 Public Spaces in the U.S. and Canada

Planetizen and Project for Public Spaces want you to help us determine the best public spaces in the United States and Canada. Add your favorites to our list, and vote for other submissions to move them up in the rankings. The results will be published on October 20th, 2011.

15 September 2011 - 10:00am

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1 comment

Redesigning the National Mall

Got what it takes to revamp the Union Square, Washington Monument Grounds, and Constitution Gardens? The design competition is now open to anyone who has the vision of making this revered space in D.C. the "best park in the world."

9 September 2011 - 11:00am

THE DIRT

Faking It: Imitations of Cities Around the Globe

For better or worse, cities mimic each other, making replicas of great landmarks down to unique light fixtures. The Infrastructurist selects top 5 cities that do the job well. Not surprisingly, Shanghai earns the title as the hallmark of knock-offs.

9 September 2011 - 5:00am

The Infrastructurist

The Urban Planning of Burning Man

The annual Burning Man festival is underway in Nevada, and this piece from The New York Times looks at the urban plan that undergirds the event.

30 August 2011 - 5:00am

The New York Times

My Future City is Houston?

The BMW Guggenheim Lab has released an online urban planning game called "Urbanology," which asks a serious of questions to determine the type of city you think is the future.

22 August 2011 - 7:00am

TheCityFix.com

Miami Shifts Urban Form

Though much of its urban form requires a car to traverse, a few new projects in Miami are shifting the city away from its past of parking lot sprawl.

21 July 2011 - 6:00am

Wallpaper

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1 comment

Designing the Built Environment With Information Technology

A new project at the National Building Museum is collecting information to better understand the built environment. Next American City talks with the program's curator, Susan Piedmont-Palladino.

19 July 2011 - 5:00am

Next American City

Urban Parks for Healthy Cities

Urban parks have an important role to play in solving the health and fitness crisis, but too many acres of parkland are not helping people become healthier. How can park systems be designed to be better-used and live up to their potential?

16 July 2011 - 9:00am

Philadelphia Daily News Digital / The Inquirer Digital

Sustainable Practices Find a Home in the Americas

Whether in Cupertino, Calif. or Curitiba, Brazil, cities are starting an aggressive move toward sustainability in the Americas. In this evolution, technology, citizen involvement and innovation will play a role transforming cities, Leon Kaye writes.

5 July 2011 - 1:00pm

Guardian

Versatile Urban Design: China’s Roadblock Toward Energy Sustainability

Studying neighborhoods in Jinan, China, MIT urban studies and planning Professor Dennis Frenchman told MITnews that the country’s biggest challenge is its homogenous urban design.

23 June 2011 - 6:00am

MITnews