Architect Richard Murphy's masterplan for Edinburgh's Haymarket is facing complaints about the height of the hotel. Murphy says, 'Our hotel will breach the skyline, and a jolly good thing too.'
BD: The hotel has already generated a lot of interest.
Richard Murphy: It's no big deal to me. Virtually every building I've done in Edinburgh has been subject to campaigns to stop it happening. I've now got an incredibly thick skin about it and I just laugh.
Do you think that's part of being an architect in Edinburgh?
If you want to do something interesting, yes. The easiest thing to do is to knuckle down and do what you're told. Edinburgh New Town was conceived as a city and it generally has some unity about it. Unfortunately, that New Town mentality has spread to the whole of Edinburgh. There's no place for individual buildings, everything has to blend in with the building next door.
How did you address the hotel's height and scale?
Building heights are a very sensitive issue in Edinburgh. The city has brought out a skyline policy, which hasn't been adopted yet, and that's good because the client process is otherwise very hit and miss. You do a big building and once it gets built, people realise it's going to have an impact three miles away from a totally unexpected direction because Edinburgh is so topographical.
FULL STORY: Reach for the sky

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

Op-Ed: Why Mobility Is Political
The freedom to move remains unevenly distributed between people of different backgrounds.

Bringing Community Voices Into Renewable Energy Planning
The MIT Renewable Energy Clinic helps coastal communities navigate the complexities of offshore wind development through neutral, inclusive engagement that surfaces local concerns and supports fair decision-making.

Creating Ocean-Safe Plastic from Seashells
USC researchers have created a biodegradable, marine-safe plastic alternative using calcium carbonate from seashells, offering a promising solution to ocean pollution.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions