London

Crime: Inner Cities are Beginning to Resemble Suburbs, and Vice Versa

The Economist examines how London's inner city neighborhoods are well past an inflection point in crime rates. In many cases inner city neighborhoods are now safer than suburban neighborhoods and the trend is set to continue.

October 20, 2012 - The Economist

Friday Funny: Is This Seat Taken?

In today's Friday Funny, we add to our collection of images of pets acting like people. If you happen to find yourself in London, you may get to ride the train with this Great Dane.

September 28, 2012 - Gawker

Friday Funny: Taking the Bus Just Got a Lot More Fun

Would you ride the bus more if your stop had one of these?

September 14, 2012 - BuzzFeed

The Science of Cities

Unprecedented urbanization calls for unprecedented planning, argues writer Tim De Chant. His proposal: a scientific model for responsive urban design.

September 1, 2012 - Per Square Mile

Political Squabbling Trumps Demands for a New London Airport

Where are the projected 400 million air travelers coming to London supposed to land? Prime Minister David Cameron is caught between two politically difficult choices for how to manage the projected growth in passengers.

August 30, 2012 - The New York Times

UK cities, mayoral powers, and "tall poppy syndrome"

This morning over at Atlantic Cities, Richard Florida aptly refuted an opinion piece by Kevin Meagher that appeared in the Guardian last week advocating for doing away with the position of Mayor in London. Florida lays out several strong arguments in favor of a strong elected mayor who can act as an advocate for his or her city.

August 22, 2012 - Jess Zimbabwe

Is the London Mayoralty Too Successful for England?

Kevin Meagher argues why the office of Mayor of London, "an astounding success" since its creation just 12 years ago, is bad for the rest of England, and should be abolished.

August 18, 2012 - The Guardian

London's Crossrail Offers Ticket to Economic Growth

The Crossrail train service being built in London will not only drastically decrease commuter travel times, it is also expected to catalyze the transformation of areas along its route, reports Graham Norwood.

August 14, 2012 - Financial Times

London's Transit Network Wins the Gold

Dogged in advance of the Olympics by fears of transit paralysis, Lauren Collins discusses how London's public transportation network has been the surprise hit of the Games.

August 11, 2012 - The New Yorker

Edible Bus Stops Sprout in London

I'm sure your mother had good reason to tell you not to eat on the run. But times have changed, and one group in London is utilizing the city's public transportation network to help popularize the benefits of healthy eating and urban greening.

July 31, 2012 - The Guardian

Temporary Urbanism's Short Shelf Life

London's Olympics are just the most recent example of the growing trend in building temporary architecture and urbanism in response to financial and practical considerations. Christopher Hawthorne asks whether this trend is too short sighted.

July 31, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Shopping Comes to the Olympics

The gateway to the London Olympic complex isn't marked by an iconic work of art or public plaza, but rather by a store - Fat Face - which is part of a gigantic new mall. Some aren't too happy with the blatant mix of commerce and competition.

July 30, 2012 - The New York Times

London's Vertical Solution to its Housing Woes

For a city of its size, London and its skyline are notoriously flat. Now, as the city struggles to expand its housing stock to meet the needs of it surging population, increasingly taller solutions are being prescribed, concerning some.

July 29, 2012 - The Global Urbanist

In the Shadow of the Olympics: Dickensian Squalor

Simon Clark and Chris Spillane document the illegal, and often squalid, housing that can be found only three miles from the gleaming Olympic Stadium.

July 27, 2012 - Bloomberg

Why Hosting the Olympics is a Bad Idea

As the 2012 Summer Olympics begin in earnest today with the first Women's Soccer games, Andrew Zimbalist offers 3 reasons why "hosting the Olympics is a losers game."

July 25, 2012 - The Atlantic

English Cities on the Rebound

Census results released last week offered some astonishing findings - each of England's big cities is growing, after shedding people only a decade ago. The Economist looks at the phenomenon and the factors that have contributed to the resurgence.

July 23, 2012 - The Economist

Can Madrid's Bid for a Thrifty Olympics Succeed?

As the start of London's summer games grows near, the competition to host the 2020 Olympics is heating up. Paul Sonne looks at whether the "shoestring" bid of Madrid, formed amidst Spain's austerity drive, can beat out the other finalists.

July 17, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Why London's Public Spaces Don't Measure Up

The Economist looks at the improvements made to London's public spaces over the last decade, as the city's first elected mayors strove to improve the capital city's environs. So why has the city failed to keep up with its global competitors?

July 16, 2012 - The Economist

Serpentine Goes Underground for Annual Architecture Spectacle

An annual highlight of the avant-garde architecture scene, each summer since 2000, the Serpentine Gallery in London commissions "a temporary pavilion from an architect who has not built in England before." Michael Webb looks at this year's version.

July 11, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Londoners Mixed on the City's New Tallest Building

The Shard, as it is known, has brought about much debate for its futuristic design and the expensive apartments in a part of town that is facing economic challenges.

July 8, 2012 - The Times Colonist

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.