A new building going up in China is will be the as long as the Empire State Building is high. It will also be raised on columns to create a parkland underneath, giving the impression that it is floating.
"This 'floating' design is poetically described by its designers as if the building were 'once floating on a higher sea that has now subsided; leaving the structure propped up high on glass and white, coral-like legs.'
The columns are also designed to free up space for parks underneath and around the building. 'The elevated structure frees up ground space which is made into a public park, with the building itself providing shaded areas. Rather than the conventional walled-off nature of corporate compounds, as much land as possible will thus be given back to the public. Sea and land breezes can blow freely through the underside of the buildings and into a garden of tropical plants, pools and walkways with cafes and restaurants.' Shanghai Daily says the park design will be modern, yet natural, channeling Brazilian landscape architect, Roberto Burle Marx."
FULL STORY: China’s New ‘Horizontal Skyscraper’ Frees up Parkspace
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)