Architecture

paris

Crumbling Of Democracy Bodes Ill For Urban Design

Ironically, some of the greatest architecture of the past came from the most nefarious of sources: monarchies and dictatorships. Democratic design, though, can be bland and generic. What of design in our new undemocratic age?

March 13, 2017 - Common Edge

Fatehpur Sikri

Learning from Mughal Architecture of Northern India

Fatehpur Sikri, an example of Mughal architecture in Northern India, has some lessons and reminders for modern architects, writes Indian trained Bay Area architect, artist, and planner Ayub Patel.

March 12, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Detroit

On Detroit's Proposed Tallest Skyscraper

Slated for the site of the late Hudson's department store, Dan Gilbert's mixed-use mecca and its glassy 734-foot tower would symbolize Detroit's rebirth, in downtown at least.

March 11, 2017 - Detroit Free Press

Bunker Hill

Los Angeles' Iconic Angels Flight Railway To Utilize P3 Model

After appearing in the film La La Land, the world-renowned, iconic, 116-year-old Angels Flight will reopen to the public after a three-year modernization process.

March 10, 2017 - The Planning Report

San Francisco

S.F.'s Transbay Transit Center: Grand Central Station of the West, or Billion Dollar Bus Station?

The developers of San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center say it has the potential to change travel patterns in the region and land use in the neighborhood, as did New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. How realistic is this promise?

March 6, 2017 - Linda Day

RCR Arquitectes

Architecture's Top Prize Goes to a Relatively Unknown Trio From Spain

The Pritzker Prize, sometimes called the Nobel Prize of architecture, was announced this week, going to Spanish firm RCR Arquitectes.

March 2, 2017 - The Pritzker Architecture Prize

Downtown Los Angeles

Map: The Towers Changing the L.A. Skyline

In Los Angeles, Curbed has declared 2016 "the year of the skyscraper."

March 2, 2017 - Curbed LA

Vancouver Skyline

New Trump Tower Brings Controversy to the Vancouver Skyline

The second project bearing Trump's name will open next week in Canada. Donald Jr. and Eric Trump will be on hand for the opening. The mayor of the city will not.

February 25, 2017 - Associated Press via The Mercury News

New York City

Are Driverless Cars Good for Cities?

With experts predicting widespread autonomous vehicle (AV) adoption in the not-too-distant-future, many policymakers, designers, and ordinary citizens are left scratching their heads, uncertain of what to expect and how to prepare.

February 22, 2017 - Doggerel

Designers Propose New Development Model for NYC's Gentrifying Industrial Districts

From warehouse to art studio to luxury loft: the SoHo model of industrial-zone gentrification has become familiar around the world. A team of New York-based designers developed a proposal for spreading the benefits of economic growth in these areas.

February 21, 2017 - Soft City

Minecraft Model

Friday Eye Candy: A Minecraft Duplicate of Chicago

An exemplary display of Minecraft prowess.

February 17, 2017 - Chicago Tribune

Little Free Library

Designing a Better Little Free Library

The care that goes into each Little Free Library makes each example special and unique. A little architectural expertise can't hurt either.

February 15, 2017 - Quartz

Star Wars

Friday Eye Candy: Renderings for the New Star Wars Theme Park

Fans of Disney theme parks and fans of Star Wars had a big week.

February 10, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

North view

Is This a Way Forward for Urban Farming?

Pulling in community members and a network of local nonprofits, Phoenix's "Spaces of Opportunity" is an attempt to make urban farming something more than a catchphrase.

February 7, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Chicago River

Fortress No Longer: What's in Store for Willis Tower

Designed for a different era, Willis Tower's pedestrian-phobic base is in line for a complete overhaul. The goal is to open the immense tower to the street.

February 7, 2017 - Chicago Sun-Times

Place Dauphine in Paris

The Trifecta: Urbanism, Architecture, and Nature

Susan Henderson shares some thoughts about the alignment of issues contributing to well-being in cities.

February 1, 2017 - PlaceShakers

Advice for Young Architects in the Vortex

After a few years in the architecture field, it can be hard to see the bigger picture. San Diego Gensler architect Marin Gertler provides perspective based on his own experiences.

January 30, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Houston Astrodome

Houston's Astrodome Finally a State Antiquities Landmark

The arc of history has bent back to the Astrodome.

January 28, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Downtown Los Angeles

Duany on the Imperatives of Urban Design Codes

Andres Duany takes to the CNU's Public Square to argue for the critical need for codes in a built environment awash in mediocrity.

January 26, 2017 - Public Square

Empty Swings

Should Risky Playgrounds Make a Comeback?

From the mid-19th century to the early 1980s, playgrounds were designed public spaces that would likely horrify parents today. Swiss urban planner Gabriela Burkhalter has studied how these public spaces have evolved over the years.

January 24, 2017 - CityLab

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.