Ancient Cities

Aerial view of the Sangay volcano in Ecuador at sunrise or sunset.

Amazonian Ruins Reveal Ancient ‘Garden Urbanism’

An archaeological site shows evidence of a unique layout of dense residential buildings interspersed with a network of roads and farmland.

January 16, 2024 - Scientific American

Lisbon Tourism

Lessons for Software UX From Ancient City Planners

Cities have been designed for user experience (UX) for millennia, and contemporary UX designers have plenty to learn from planners, according to a recent article in Fast Company.

July 30, 2023 - Fast Company

eviljohnius

A Lost Ancient City Is Unearthed in Egypt

The newly unearthed "golden city" sheds light on everyday life at the height of ancient Egypt's power.

April 19, 2021 - The Washington Post

Teotihuacan

How Ancient and Modern Cities Compare (and Why Planners Should Care)

A new scholarly paper argues that ancient and modern cities can be usefully analyzed in a comparative perspective. But what you do with the comps depends on how much you value similarities versus differences in urban form.

March 9, 2015 - Dean Saitta

Teotihuacan

Study: Ancient Cities Grew Much Like Modern Cities

Scientists from the Santa Fe Institute have discovered basic patterns underlying the way cities have always grown. The mechanics of "urban scaling" may have something fundamental to tell us about how large settlements evolve.

March 1, 2015 - Christian Science Monitor

Turkey Tunnel City

Underground City from 5,000 Years Ago Discovered in Turkey

An urban renewal project in Turkey yielded an unexpected archaeological bonanza: a 5,000-year-old, underground city.

January 1, 2015 - Hurriyet Daily News

What Can Ancient Cities Teach Modern Urbanites?

These 15 ancient cities can help modern urbanites plan more efficient and sustainable municipalities.

January 30, 2014 - Future Cities

Ancient Cities Were Unsustainable Too

Over the last several decades, researchers have examined how our cities deplete natural resources and change the climate and ecosystems of their surrounding areas. But new evidence shows that such impacts aren't a purely modern phenomenon.

January 9, 2014 - Smithsonian

The Sophistication of African Town Planning

Prof. Suzanne Preston Blier of Harvard unearths the ancient plans of Yoruban towns, which were laid out as early as 350 BCE.

September 27, 2011 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

Aleppo's Conservation Plan Focuses On Architecture With A Social Vision

Aleppo, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, is undergoing a conservation project that includes the restoration of hundreds of houses, a new park, and rebuilding city streets and services.

January 14, 2011 - The New York Times

Radar Uncovers Ancient Egyptian City

Radar imaging has revealed the layout of a now-underground ancient Egyptian city named Avaris.

June 22, 2010 - Guardian

Lost City Found Near Venice

Through the use of infrared aerial photography, the lost ancient Roman city of Altinum has been found.

August 3, 2009 - Der Spiegel

Signs of Urbanism Found at 2,500 Year Old Site in India

A brick structure was uncovered outside the city of Wari-Bateshwar, confirming that the site was part of a developed city as early as 400 B.C.

April 22, 2009 - The Daily Star

Ancient Cities Found in the Amazon

Anthropologists have discovered traces of highly organized and gridded cities in the Amazon rainforest dating back to the 1200s.

August 31, 2008 - National Geographic

Finding Ancient Cities Below the Surface

This slideshow form Popular Science takes a step-by-step look at how to detect and uncover ancient buried settlements from satellite imagery.

June 9, 2008 - Popular Science

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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