A new exhibition curated by the Cooper-Hewitt in New York illustrates how the design community is trying to reshape itself as more collaborative than 'pedagogic or paternalistic.'
The designers featured immerse themselves in needy communities, before attempting to find solutions to problems of waste, sanitation, and poor health. The exhibit comes at an opportune moment as the number of people living in informal settlements, or slums will double to 2 billion by 2030.
One example of a smart design solution is the Community Cooker in Kibera, Kenya, created by architects James Howard Archer and Mumo Musava. "A far safer alternative than Kenya's typical use of wood and charcoal cooking fires (which cause respiratory diseases and environmental degradation)," explains Allison Arieff. "This communal oven not only helps eliminate those risks, it also runs on trash, thus reducing a significant waste management problem the community had been experiencing."
"The Community Cooker not only makes people (let's not call them "users") safer, it promotes social exchange and entrepreneurship within communities."
Read the full story: Design With, Instead Of For, The Other 90%
Urban Link: UN Endorses a Uniform Measure for Urbanization
The Penn Institute for Urban Research's latest issue of Urban Link features Lewis Dijkstra writing on the Degree of Urbanisation, the first global definition of cities, towns and rural areas endorsed by the UN.
New Report Contradicts the U.N.: More Like 84 Percent of the World Lives in Urban Areas
"Everything we've heard about global urbanization turns out to be wrong."
Five Key Takeaways from the 2018 World Urban Forum
Insight into the hard work of implementing the New Urban Agenda.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
New bill requires California data center developers to create water scarcity plans
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed 7 bills intended to give California communities more information about the impact of proposed data centers.
San Diego may kill one-third of its bus routes as budget crisis looms
Under the city's proposed plan, 21% of Metropolitan Transit System riders would lose access to transit services.
Philadelphia to invest $2 billion into upgrading city airports as PHL places last in customer satisfaction
Modernizations to Philadelphia's airports will include baggage system upgrades and a new automated parking garage guidance system.
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 Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello