After Gustave Eiffel turned down an opportunity to build a landmark tower for London, railway magnate Sir Edward Watkin held a world-wide competition to design the icon instead. "Stevie SW9", at Brixton Buzz, explores some of the spectacular entries.
"Back in the late Victorian period, railway magnate Sir Edward Watkin decided what London really needed was a massive tower to eclipse the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris," says Stevie. After Eiffel declined the opportunity, "Watkin opened up the design to public competition, and thanks to the rather excellent Public Domain Review it’s now possible to view the kind of weird and wonderful landmarks designers had in mind for London – including some entries from south Londoners."
"No less than 68 designs were submitted, many showing off the full reign of imagination, ambition and, in some cases, sheer madness of the white heat of the Victorian age," he writes.
Construction actually began on the winning design submitted by Stewart, MacLaren and Dunn in 1892, however technical and financial problems stunted its growth, and Watkin’s death in 1901 "[put] an end to the dream."
FULL STORY: Gasp at the south London entries for the 1890 Great Tower Of London competition
Are Skyscrapers Profitable?
Yes and no, says Peter Bill. As a look at London's delightfully nicknamed towers - the Shard, the Walkie-Talkie, the Cheesegrater - shows, it may take years, and multiple economic cycles for skyscrapers to recoup their investment.
Bikeshare for the Win: Team Pedals to London Cricket Match, Beats Rivals Stuck in Traffic
While their opponents sat in gridlock, England's national cricket team hopped Lime bikes, riding to a 3-0 victory.
Study: Large SUVs Double Risk of Death for Children Under 10
New research from the United Kingdom reveals the higher risk of larger vehicles for pedestrians and cyclists.
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.
San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)