Architecture

A proposed waterfront apartment building received final approval from Philadelphia's Historical Commission last week, disappointing waterfront advocates and preservationists who claim its design violates the city's new waterfront master plan.

August 15, 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

We get it, China's cities are big and getting bigger. But what's it like to live there? Isaac Stone Fish takes a closer look at the quality of life in Chinese cities, and finds them almost uniformly monolithic and unlivable.

August 15, 2012 - Foreign Policy

Modern architecture's infatuation with glass, seen in sparkling residential and office towers rising in cities across North America, has been a bird killer of staggering proportions. Christopher Joyce profiles those trying to solve the problem.

August 10, 2012 - NPR

The Guangzhou Opera House was recently recognized by Architectural Record with its "Best Public Project: Honor Award." Larry Speck argues why recognizing this poorly designed and executed building reflects poorly on the Architecture profession.

August 9, 2012 - Archinect

Leading the way in establishing Hong Kong's ambitious new $2.8 cultural district is the M+ Museum, which, at more than twice the size of the Tate Modern, intends to be Hong Kong’s answer to the Centre Pompidou or the Guggenheim in Bilbao.

August 9, 2012 - Bloomberg

A new report released last week documents the energy use of New York's largest buildings for the first time ever. It's the first step in tackling the source of two-thirds of the city's greenhouse gas emissions.

August 8, 2012 - The New York Times

Old urbanism holds countless lessons on satisfying livability. Montréal shares some of its insights in this photo blog by Hazel Borys.

August 8, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Columbus, Indiana? Susan Stamberg investigates what makes one small Midwestern town a global center for architectural innovation.

August 7, 2012 - NPR

Rives Taylor pens an editorial for Urban Land advocating for "engineered resilience", which he describes as "next-generation sustainability" that "adds adaptability and the protection of human life" to planning for the well-being of the planet.

August 6, 2012 - Urban Land

As downtown Los Angeles seeks to cement its nascent transformation into a full-fledged urban neighborhood, Sam Lubell cautions against the threat brought by the suburban mindset of Walmart, Target, and other chain operators.

August 2, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Is your home historic? The Atlantic Cities challenges its readers to look at the history behind their own homes, providing a list of 10 things one can do to learn something new about the place we spend most of our time.

August 2, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

In an urbanizing world, density is being recognized for its ability to stimulate the "metabolism of daily life." In an essay for The Wall Street Journal, Richard Florida argues that all density is not created equal, however.

July 31, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

London's Olympics are just the most recent example of the growing trend in building temporary architecture and urbanism in response to financial and practical considerations. Christopher Hawthorne asks whether this trend is too short sighted.

July 31, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Finding new uses for vacant gas stations is a major challenge throughout the U.S. The days of the small, independent service station are fading, yet they often occupy prime, gateway sites. Whether razed or transformed, challenges are formidable.

July 30, 2012 - The New York Times - Commercial

As cities across America continue to pour public funds into limited use venues in their downtowns, American Dirt looks at why such venues, and convention centers in particular, refuse to engage with their surrounding streets or neighborhood.

July 27, 2012 - American Dirt

With suburbia saturated, large retailers chase an urban market poised for growth.

July 26, 2012 - The New York Times

You read that right...$7 billion. In a plan to be unveiled today, Amtrak is proposing to transform the second-busiest Amtrak station in the country into a hub for high-speed rail and redevelopment, report Jonathan O'Connell and Ashley Halsey III.

July 25, 2012 - The Washington Post

To find Oregon's first energy-neutral building, you'll have to venture 45 minutes outside progressive Portland to the Willamette Valley town of Newberg. There you'll find a first step in an effort to change our physical and cultural environments.

July 24, 2012 - Fast Company

If you have a hard time answering that question you're not alone, at least according to the ‘shocking’ and ‘depressing’ results of a new survey conducted in the UK, reports Max Thompson.

July 20, 2012 - The Architects' Journal

As the U.S. experiences its worst drought in over half a century, Kaid Benfield questions the connection with the country's suburban growth patterns over that same period.

July 20, 2012 - Switchboard