World

In a recent "TED Talk", Jeff Speck makes the case for creating a more walkable America based not on design arguments, but rather on the potential to create a more economically resilient, healthier, and environmentally sustainable country.

October 16, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

To celebrate its first anniversary, Future Cities has assembled a list of the top 100 city innovators making the biggest difference across a range of industries and specialties.

October 15, 2013 - Future Cities

Supported by imagery of human urban conduct, Chuck Wolfe argues that walkable is good, but sit-able is better—and that "it’s time for the next big focal point and the next big idea, the 'Sit-able City'."

October 14, 2013 - myurbanist

In an excerpt on Places from his new book, Smart Cities, urban forecaster Anthony Townsend considers the inevitable glitches.

October 14, 2013 - Places Journal

They're used to designing homes and vanity projects for dictators and developers, but have the world's leading architects ever designed for a doll?

October 11, 2013 - The Guardian

This week the World Monuments Fund (WMF) published their biannual list of the globe's cultural heritage most at risk "from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change." 67 sites in 41 countries made this year's list.

October 11, 2013 - Architect Magazine

Is your property the scene of a famous murder? Or perhaps a group suicide? Andrew Khouri profiles Randall Bell, a specialist real estate appraiser, who'll estimate just how much that "doom-and-gloom" is going to hurt your bottom line.

October 11, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

David Madden laments that our current debate over gentrification, whether bemoaning a loss of authenticity or trumpeting the good that trickles down, "doesn't do justice to everything at stake." He suggests how to reorient the discussion.

October 10, 2013 - The Guardian

Get used to hearing about historically hot temperatures. Using 39 of the world’s foremost climate models, researchers have developed "climate departure" dates for cities around the world to predict when temperatures will exceed historical norms.

October 10, 2013 - The New York Times

The recipe for a happy commute isn't just about length. Whether in a car or on mass transit, predictability and productivity are among the key attributes.

October 10, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Told over four parts meant to evoke chapters in a storybook using films, photos, archive materials, text, and miniature games, this "Op-Doc" is a short masterclass in the 2,500-year global history of vertical living.

October 8, 2013 - The New York Times

From Austin to Copenhagen, swings of varying shapes and sizes are adding a bit of whimsy, refreshment, and visual interest to urban environments. And they're not just for children!

October 7, 2013 - This City Life

Using high definition scanners, digital modeling, and Scan-to-BIM software, consultants and non-profits are helping to restore historic structures following natural disasters, and cataloging treasures before calamity strikes.

October 7, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

Who needs four years of costly undergraduate education in History (sorry Mom & Dad) when you can just consult John B. Sparks' "Histomap" of 1931. Writing in Slate's "The Vault" blog, Rebecca Onion looks at the 5-foot-long guide to world history.

October 4, 2013 - Slate

For good reason, Coca-Cola is better known for supplying the world with high-calorie sugary drinks than empowering residents of poor countries. By partnering with Qualcomm Technologies to produce the "EKOCENTER" kiosk, that may soon change.

October 4, 2013 - The New York Times

No architectural style arouses more hostility than brutalism. Its monolithic concrete buildings are unloved features of cities around the world. Is it time to reappraise this maligned style? Here are 20 buildings that don't deserve your barbs.

October 4, 2013 - Future Cities

Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, who helped develop the world's most popular hybrid-electric vehicle, questioned the ability of pure electric vehicles to supplant petroleum-fueled vehicles because of battery and charging challenges.

October 4, 2013 - The Washington Post

A new exhibition on Greco-Roman mapmaking at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in New York examines the relationship between geographic and metaphysical world views.

October 3, 2013 - The New York Times

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) announced the winners of its 2013 Professional Awards and Student Awards today. 33 projects were selected for recognition out of more than 534 entries.

October 1, 2013 - ASLA

Thanks to the efforts of donors, aid groups, and the economic development of countries like India and China, the number of people living in extreme poverty around the world has dropped significantly since 1980.

September 30, 2013 - The New York Times