United Kingdom

A collective of practitioners, students, academics and activists have drafted a manifesto aimed at examining the current state of planning in the United Kingdom, and the scope for radical, alternative approaches, reports Cristiana Strava.

November 7, 2012 - POLIS

Sue Illman thinks so. And in this editorial for The Guardian, she argues that the success of the High Line signifies a new era in which the quality of our parks and public spaces, rather than our skylines, makes our towns and cities stand out.

October 24, 2012 - The Guardian

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

A movement to shed light on the worldwide loss of dark skies aims to minimize light pollution in order to increase public opportunities for stargazing, while also serving as a money-saving measure for cities, reports Kate Galbraith.

October 18, 2012 - The New York Times

This past weekend, the Sainsbury Laboratory, by architects Stanton Williams, beat out favorites such as the Olympic Stadium and the Hepworth Gallery to win the Stirling Prize. Oliver Wainwright discusses why the jury made the right pick.

October 16, 2012 - The Guardian

Norway takes this responsibility seriously. Not only will it double its carbon tax, in existence since 1991, but it will use revenues to invest in renewable energy and food security in the developing world while expanding its own oil exploration.

October 15, 2012 - Guardian - U.K.

The UK's Department for Education is banning curved walls, glazed walls, internal partitions, and a host of other design elements and materials in an attempt to keep a lid on costs for its five-year $4 billion school-building program.

October 4, 2012 - The Guardian

Designed by architect Léon Krier, and spearheaded by Prince Charles, the 'model village' on 400 acres outside of Dorchester, England was begun 25 years ago. As Graham Norwood reports, its success is still a matter for debate.

October 2, 2012 - The Financial Times

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

Squatting has been a rite of passage for British youth since at least the 1960s, but a new law criminalizing the practice, amid a rise in squatters due to the economic crisis, is "upending the rebellious and politically charged British subculture."

September 24, 2012 - The Washington Post

According to Prime Minister David Cameron, planning regulations are the boogeyman holding back the UK's economy. Thus, in an effort to boost construction, Cameron is proposing to ease the country's rules on which projects require planning approvals.

September 15, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

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

September 14, 2012 - BuzzFeed

Terry Macalister reports on the £4.5bn plan to construct 339 turbines covering 300 square kilometres off Scotland's northern coast, which could potentially power 40% of the country's homes.

September 4, 2012 - The Guardian

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

With the world's supposedly fashionable neighborhoods "increasingly as banal, antisocial and plain dull as any suburb," Feargus O'Sullivan explains why he's perfectly happy to have ditched inner London for the burbs.

August 23, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

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

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

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

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

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