Middle East
Mass Transit on Track in Tehran
Over the past 30 years, the overgrown Iranian capital has arrived at unhealthy levels of air pollution and traffic congestion, but with the installation of a metro, BRT system, and bike rental program seems to be heading in a new direction.
The State of Development in Abu Dhabi and Doha
Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for The New York Times, offers this lengthy look at the state of development and design in Abu Dhabi and Doha.
Giant Ferrari Logo Emblazoned on Abu Dhabi Desert
Ferrari has built an enormous Formula 1 race track and amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Metropolis Magazine reviews the in-your-face architecture.
Permanent Infrastructure in a Temporary City
Millions have been in the tent city of Mina in Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Though the crowds are temporary, the infrastructure built to handle them is permanent.
Updating Mecca to Handle the Hajj
Millions of religious pilgrims travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia every year for the Hajj. Officials there have been updating the city to better handle the crowds.
Trouble in Masdar City
Kiran Stacy looks at some of the challenges facing what is intended to be the world's first carbon-neutral city.
Israel's Only Subway is a Mountain Climber
TheCityFix's Jonna McKone profiles one of the most interesting subways in the world — Haifa's Carmelit funicular — and the city's BRT system.
Environmental Problems Plague Dubai
After decades of rapid urbanization, the emirate is now contending with a wide range of challenges to its environment and infrastructure.
Long Way Down for Dubai's Residential Market
With property values now half their boom-time peaks and a flood of additional supply on the way, the emirate’s residential market may not recover in the foreseeable future, says Angela Shah.
Abu Dhabi Eyes Tram Network by 2014
Feasibility studies underway in Abu Dhabi predict that a new light rail tram network could be operational by 2014.
City Revival Through the Arts
A suburb of Tel Aviv is trying to revive itself by becoming an arts destination.
Light Rail Plans Emerge in Saudi Arabian Capital
The Saudi Arabian capital of Jeddah is looking to build a $5.6 billion light rail system.
Dubai Calms Down
After nearly collapsing under the pressure of a free-wheeling building boom, Dubai is on the rebound. A new internal accounting effort is trying to explore what went wrong and how to avoid those mistakes in the future.
Building Takes More Realistic Pace in Dubai
Once the site of a seemingly endless string of outlandish building projects, Dubai has shaken off the dust from the market crash and resumed building less flashy projects at a steadier pace.
Reconsidering Masdar
Nicolai Oursoussoff says Masdar, the eco-city being developed near Abu Dhabi, is "something more daring and more noxious" than we think.
Better Place To Create First Oil Free State In Israel
With the support of Israel's government, Better Place is proposing a radical solution to the country's petrol problems and aiming to make the country the first to rid itself of dependence on oil for transportation.
Masdar Highlights Policy Shift Away From Autopia
Robert Wright describes the policy shift already underway in planning for cities of the future. He reports that "as energy becomes more expensive, cities will have to be much more compact, easier to navigate by bike and on foot."
Architecture Gets Political in Israel
Esther Zandberg calls on Israeli architects and planners to refuse to design in Ariel, a sliver of land that goes deep into Palestinian territory. "Architecture is the implementer of political decisions," says Zandberg.
Dubai's Formula of Tax Free Economic Zones and Mass Tourism Doesn't Work
Joshua Hammer describes his visit to the financially straitened emirate where he found "deserted highways, empty hotel rooms, miles of unsold residential and office space."
Can This Desert Oasis Project Actually Be Green?
This piece from Fast Company Design looks at plans for an eco-conscious-yet-inappropriately lush desert development being planned in Oman, and wonders whether a project so out of place will actually work.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
