From a penthouse dwelling above an air-raid bunker to an "inside-out" building where plants grow on the walls through rainwater irrigation, Wendy Goodman and Justin Davidson have asked design experts to compile their favorite urban ideas.
While some projects have larger environmental impacts, some are just classic examples of interesting design. Take House N in Oita, Japan, for example:
"'The client, an elderly couple, didn't request anything specific, just a nice house,' says architect Sou Fujimoto. 'In that area, they have bigger plots than in the Tokyo city center, and I proposed to combine the garden and house. Usually people might think this bigger outer box could be a waste of money, just covering the garden. But fortunately they quickly understood. I think the house is like living in a cloud.'"
FULL STORY: Fall Design 2011
3 Reasons We Should Pay Attention to Medellín
Medellín has been called the most innovative city in the world, and recently hosted the World Urban Forum WUF7 to huge acclaim. It has taken back the city's public realm, found simple solutions to complex problems, and emphasized a "City for Life."
Urban Planning Trends are Bad Medicine
In a provocative essay, Mitchell Sutika Sipus examines the dangers of subscribing to conventions such as style or planning trends, and argues why planners must forgo ideologies to create better solutions for community problems.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.
New Alaska Bitcoin Mine Would Burn as Much Energy as the State’s Largest Coal Plant
Fueled by “stranded” natural gas, the startup hopes to become the largest in the US, and to make Alaska an industry center.
New Jersey Duplexes Elicit Mixed Reactions
Modern, two-unit residences are proliferating in northern New Jersey communities, signaling for some a boon to the housing supply and to others a loss of historic architecture.
Renters Now Outnumber Homeowners in Over 200 US Suburbs
High housing costs in city centers and the new-found flexibility offered by remote work are pushing more renters to suburban areas.
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.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
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)