The Guardian

Through the lens of Chengdu and Delhi, Paul Webster and Jason Burke explore how the rise of the megacity is changing the way we live.

Karen McVeigh reports on 5Pointz in Long Island City, a public mecca for hip hop and graffiti artists, and its uncertain future.

Despite strong opposition from homeowners and environmentalists, the UK Government has just approved an ambitious investment in high speed rail linking London with Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds.

A new technology enables pedestrian behavior and flow to be monitored continuously using mobile phone technology. Its use in US and UK shopping centers has consumer rights activists worried.

Emissions would be reduced 25% if Europeans adopted the Danish cycling habit, a new study reports. The ECF warns politicians it would be a mistake to invest heavily in technological solutions like electric cars.

A German led initiative called 'Desertec,' aims to provide 15% of Europe's electricity by 2050 through a vast network of solar and wind farms stretching right across the MENA region and connecting to Europe via direct current transmission cables.

A return to community focused development is changing the design of neighborhoods across the country. Leon Kaye explains how the Mountain View Co-Housing's 19 new condos could provide a model for other cities.

A recent study published by researchers at Stanford University shows how the heat island effect has little bearing on global warming and how painting roofs white actually may increase temperatures, writes David Malakoff for The Guardian.

Nevada has gone from having the lowest unemployment in the US in 2006 at 4% to the highest now at 13.4%. Once again Las Vegas is proving to be a reflection of the country's wider problems, where the top end of the market never dropped out.

On Tuesday, the UK announced the creation of a green infrastructure program, intended to press planners and deveopers to infuse spaces with greenery. Writes Peter Walker, the benefits are beyond aesthetic--they're economic as well.

Terry Kerby speaks to professionals about the trend toward redeveloped and landscaped city center living and the re-evaluation of the merits of slums and suburbia that has sparked a resurgence of interest in high rise living and public space.

When the rest of the world is campaigning relentlessly for people to even consider using bicycles, the model city that started the movement is facing a unique problem of its own. Too many bikes during rush hour renders the activity dangerous to some.

This interactive map from The Guardian overlays recent incidences of rioting in greater London with levels of poverty.

Matt Seaton argues that "after significant investment in cycling infrastructure, biking needs better PR." Would a bike ambassador make the difference?

The 2012 Olympics are hoped to create a big economic boost for host city London. The event's long-term impacts on the environment, though, are still hard for organizers to predict.

Transportation is increasingly seen as a major concern as London prepares to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. As crowds fill the city, many wonder whether it will be able to handle the load and keep everyone moving.

While Brazil sits underwater due to heavy rains, an even greater political problem persists.

Two soccer teams in England are in the midst of a battle over who will take over the stadium being built for the 2012 Olympics in London. They're arguing over who will leave the better legacy.

A heavily contaminated site formerly used for chemical storage in East London provides an expensive lesson in urban brownfield remediation for government officials preparing the city for the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games.

Jonathan Glancey argues that in the wake of the UK government's culling of Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, and a recession which only diluted our consumerist thirst, the current aim to build cheaply has cost us design quality.