United Kingdom

According to a recent survey of architects in Ireland, 80% think that local planning decisions do not support good design and are essentially a waste of time.

Artist Anish Kapoor, creator of the famous "mirrored jellybean" in Chicago's Millennium Park, is creating a new series of massive sculptures for five depressed cities in Yorkshire. Backers hope the art will transform the region.

Belfast developers plan on turning a Victorian-era jail into a tourist attraction, hotel, and art gallery. Her Majesty’s Prison Belfast closed in 1996, and is a symbol of The Troubles, the long struggle in Northern Ireland for Irish independence.

London's new mayor is considering a plan to tone down the city's congestion charge system, reducing fees during certain hours.

With gas prices at more than $9 per gallon in Britain, driving habits are changing.

Steve Rose argues that the time may be ripe for a new respect for brutalism, the mid-century architectural movement that planners love to hate.

Members of the British Parliament attempt to speed up the process for planning major projects. But some advocates and observers fear the public's voice will be muted.

The Mayor of London is pushing a plan to bring London's undergrounded rivers to the surface.

Dermot Finch of the Centre for Cities, an independent research group, says that the U.S. could learn a lot from the U.K.'s urban renaissance.

It's ethics vs. economics in a debate over a proposed casino in Stranraer, Scotland.

MI5 has requested that planners and architects keep some details of building designs top secret as part of the fight against terrorism.

A charity in Britain wants to replicate the success of London's heavily used Speaker's Corner in other parts of the country to encourage public interaction and discussion. Some say it's an idea that could never be.

London's underground subway system recently banned the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and to celebrate the last night of drunken train commuting, Londoners converged on trains to get hammered. They also got rowdy, assaulted and arrested.

Plans for the construction of "eco-towns" in the UK have sparked protests from groups who argue that they will be too spread out and will encourage sprawl.

A campaign is underway in Wales to revive the "Garden City" concept, first brought to life in 1898. This time, supporters are claiming the radial, suburban plan is a sustainable alternative to cities.