Urban Landscapes

As New York City has shut down and people remain physically isolated, stoops provide spaces where residents can safely connect with others and the city itself.

April 5, 2020 - Curbed New York

Forget the countryside. Urban walking helps people understand their cities while at the same time encouraging urban landscapes where people actually want to walk.

August 26, 2018 - The Guardian

Raleigh, NC has hopes for turning 300 acres of land near its downtown into a beautiful park. Elite landscape architecture firms are eager to help, and selecting the right one for the job won't be easy.

December 30, 2016 - Mark Hough

Architects will soon be hired to design Obama's presidential library in Chicago. It may turn out to be a beautiful building, but will it be worth all that is lost in the process?

February 26, 2016 - Mark Hough

Water has been an integral part of the designed landscape for centuries, but is it time to reevaluate its relevance?

January 12, 2016 - Mark Hough

The Bloomingdale Trail, the star attraction of the 606 in Chicago, has been compared to NYC's High Line. But with its restrained design and focus on high-use activity, it is nothing like it, and, in certain ways, it's even better.

October 5, 2015 - Mark Hough

Chicago has recently opened some of the most exciting urban landscapes we have seen in a while. And, as with New York and other cities, landscape architects are leading the charge.

July 28, 2015 - Mark Hough

A lot of people think exclusively of plants when they hear the term landscape. Without a common language to effectively describe it, the role landscape plays in the urban realm will remain undervalued.

May 1, 2015 - Mark Hough

Design criticism bridges the gap between the process and product of design, and the public’s understanding and appreciation for it. But does it have to be all about architecture?

September 27, 2014 - Mark Hough

The design of urban landscapes has become dominated by a growing call for them to be ecologically resilient. But isn't it important what they look like?

May 31, 2014 - Mark Hough

It is probably fair to say that most people think urban landscapes are at their best in the warm months. They may be right. But after a recent tromp through a frigid Manhattan, I am reminded how great cities can be in winter.

February 10, 2014 - Mark Hough

If you haven't managed to escape from, or you've managed to escape to, New York City this holiday weekend you might be pleased to learn that a new guide to the city's urban landscapes has been published by Norton Architecture and Design Books.

July 3, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog