The new exhibit at Toyko's Mori Art Museum will be the first architecture showcase since the 2011 earthquake, and displays a movement central to the country's history of building and rebuilding.
The Metabolism movement began in the 1960s around a group of architects focused on creating structures that emulate organic life and allow for continual growth and change. "Sustainability and scale were paramount and they channeled these values not through a lens of austerity but of sci-fi dreams," explains reporter Kevin McGarry.
Examples of their work, such as the subcompact dwellings within the Nakagin Capsule Tower, built in 1971 by Kisho Kurukowa operate dually as a design oddity and manifestation of utopian planning theories hatched more than a decade earlier in the face of over population and limited space.
The exhibit is distilled into a slideshow by McGarry, who concludes that although "many of these buildings may recall a nostalgic vision of the future, projects influenced by Metabolism are still sprouting up in oceans, deserts and cultural centers the world over, and its driving ethos is as timely as it is timeless."
FULL STORY: Out There: Metabolic Pathways

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions