A visit to Tbilisi, Georgia, reveals that churches are crucial elements in the creation of landscape. Their civic functions are at least as important as their theological functions.
"In Tbilisi’s early days, its churches would have stood on their own, not as quaint punctuation marks in the urban landscape but as lonely citadels. Today, Tbilisi’s churches have mountaintop counterparts that offer a sense of what those early churches would have looked like, naked against the rough landscape of the Caucuses, surrounded by shacks and sheep, if anything....Imagine how it looked to 6th century eyes, possibly as the only permanent structures they’d ever seen. Back then, in unpolluted Caucasian air, you could probably have seen longer distances than most people would ever travel in their lives."
"Regardless of the theology and practices that came with them, the concept of the church, as a physical, permanent manifestation of God’s holiness and literal manifestation of a congregation, would have offered Georgians—like early Christians anywhere else—the opportunity to define, and, indeed, create a landscape for perhaps the first time."
"As it happens, Tbilisi is now building a whole new generation of prominent, inventive buildings. Whether they are inspirational and durable is another matter."
FULL STORY: Churches, City Making, and the Sacking of Tbilisi by Global Architecture
Op-Ed: Let Churches Build Housing
The ‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ movement could get a boost from a proposed bill in the California state legislature.
‘Yes in God’s Backyard’ Movement Wins in Pasadena
Houses of worship in the California city will be allowed to build housing on their properties in an effort to alleviate the city’s housing shortage.
Berkeley's Black Churches To Build Affordable Housing
Historically Black churches will use their property to build affordable housing aimed at seniors and other residents being priced out of their neighborhoods.
New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.
Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.
Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.
People on Bikes Outnumber Drivers in the City of London
The City of London’s efforts to increase biking and reduce driving has finally achieved a long-term goal: a preference for biking over driving.
Planners Look to ‘Activity Centers’ for Sustainable Development
Existing hubs of ‘hyperlocal’ economic activity provide a model for urban density.
Federal E-Bike Rebate Bill Reintroduced
The bill, part of an effort to encourage active transportation for short trips and take cars off U.S. roads, would cover 30 percent of the cost of an electric bike.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Tulare
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
