Architecture

A unique blend of religious beliefs, state policies and capitalist interests are reshaping Mecca for the worse, critics argue, at the expense of its most prized cultural assets.

October 27, 2012 - The Guardian

While your neighbors may be busy outfitting their "haunted" house for next week's festivities, we bring you a collection of buildings that have managed to gain a fear factor all on their own.

October 26, 2012 - Travel+Leasure

Another day, another plan for an ambitious city to be built from scratch in China. In this case it's Great City, "a high-density, car-free 'satellite city' for 80,000 people that will be built from scratch in a rural location close to Chengdu."

October 26, 2012 - Dezeen

What do all these seemingly unrelated elements have in common? They were just a few of the creative ideas for improving the urban environment showcased at the recent Urban Prototyping Festival held in San Francisco.

October 26, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

With wind turbines, a "daylighting" system, and charging stations for electric cars, Chicago's Greenway Self-Park bills itself as the city's first "earth friendly parking garage." John Greenfield asks, can a downtown garage truly be eco-friendly?

October 25, 2012 - Grid Chicago

Sue Illman thinks so. And in this editorial for The Guardian, she argues that the success of the High Line signifies a new era in which the quality of our parks and public spaces, rather than our skylines, makes our towns and cities stand out.

October 24, 2012 - The Guardian

Now that Mayor Bloomberg has had his say in what New Yorkers drink, Alan Brake argues it's time for the next mayor and his partner in Albany to focus on what they eat, by devising a plan to link New York's upstate farms with its downstate markets.

October 24, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

With the portion of American's living in cities set to rise to 90 percent by 2050, a new set of accessibility issues will confront the nation's disabled and aging. Metropolis invited 7 teams of designers to develop solutions to meet this challenge.

October 24, 2012 - Metropolis

In advance of Grand Central's 100th birthday next year, the Municipal Arts Society (MAS) asked three architecture firms to rethink the station's public spaces for the next 100 years. The results were unveiled last week.

October 24, 2012 - A/N Blog

A new initiative launched by Mayor Bloomberg to tackle New York City's need for affordable housing through the construction of microunits is attracting hostility from advocates and local leaders for neglecting the needs of large, poor families.

October 22, 2012 - The New York Times

For Howard Blackson, the latest trend in planning and design is redevelopment based on evolving, rather than phased, implementation. In this blog post he identifies the three typologies of this "slow urbanism."

October 22, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

Last week the San Francisco Planning Commission gave final approval for the 1,070-foot Transbay Transit Center tower, reports Mike Billings.

October 22, 2012 - The San Francisco Examiner

From the "world’s first floating village" to the "world’s most audacious balconies," New York Magazine surveys "9 Experiments in Large" for their special feature on "Global Urban Design 2012."

October 19, 2012 - New York Magazine

With the waning of the starchitect era, Philip Nobel sees an opportunity to skewer some of the profession's "last stars standing" and applies his critical broom to help finish the house cleaning job.

October 19, 2012 - Metropolis

Preservationists have been outspoken in arguing for the protection of Prentice Women’s Hospital. Rather than bemoan Northwestern University's intransigence in finding a way to reuse the hospital, two powerful figures have put forth a way to save it.

October 18, 2012 - The New York Times

Rachel James speaks with historian Jennifer Gray about the impact that Disney's "particular brand of nostalgic, comforting architecture and urbanism" has had on the way people experience the city and professionals plan for it.

October 17, 2012 - SmartPlanet

As cities strive to improve the "design" and "beauty" of their buildings, how can such attributes be mandated by planning documents if their mere mention is verboten, asks Karrie Jacobs.

October 17, 2012 - Metropolis

Young architectural firm, TYIN Tegnestue, proves that good design can be affordable, and that architecture can be used to help solve some of the world's existing social ills, rather than exacerbating them, writes Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan.

October 17, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

This past weekend, the Sainsbury Laboratory, by architects Stanton Williams, beat out favorites such as the Olympic Stadium and the Hepworth Gallery to win the Stirling Prize. Oliver Wainwright discusses why the jury made the right pick.

October 16, 2012 - The Guardian

Is Clay Chapman the Joel Salatin of homebuilding? At $80/SF for a custom, multi-century, structural masonry and timber frame home, he just might be. Scott Doyon enumerates the similarities, and challenges others to get involved.

October 16, 2012 - PlaceShakers