Rem Koolhaas is perhaps the greatest contemporary architect, but as a planner, he falls flat.
"Koolhaas's first full-scale attempt at master planning was Euralille, a transportation hub and urban complex in Lille, France. The French government hired him in 1989 to create the master plan for, among other things, a new high-speed train station near the city's center that would connect France to Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands; Lille was to be the first stop in Europe out of the Chunnel. The development -- which includes a convention center designed by Koolhaas and a train station, business offices, retail shops, public services, and housing designed by other architects, whom Koolhaas helped to select -- was intended to link downtown Lille to its suburbs and to stimulate an economic renaissance in this region of northern France.Koolhaas used the Euralille commission to propose what he claimed was a new paradigm of urbanism, which, he said in 1992, 'must not rest on order and power' but 'must incarnate uncertainty.'"
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Kool Houses, Kold Cities
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie