Europe
Jan Gehl's Ten Principals For Liveability
Kaid Benfield introduces Jan Gehl and Walter Hook's principals to promote "environmentally sustainable and socially equitable transportation worldwide."
Battle Over Closure of Paris Expressways
A political battle is brewing in Paris, where the city's mayor wants to close off sections of roadway along the River Seine, a move that President Nicholas Sarkozy is against.
Architectural Cleansing
Architect Christos Floros of Athens, Greece says that the city is constantly facing "architectural cleansing" as war, rapid population growth, and greed sweep away historic buildings.
Buildings Alone Do Not Constitute Regeneration
The "Bilbao Effect" is the apotheosis of the notion that a struggling post industrial city can be regenerated through set-piece art and design. But Frank Gehry, the architect of the Guggenheim, suspects the gallery was only part of a larger gestalt.
Designing Embassies in an Era of Terror
Embassies are a critical diplomatic tool, but their original emphasis on representing a state has given way to defending the diplomats inside.
Art and Mystery in a Public Space
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has created a magical zen landscape in a plaza at the University of Milan, using stones, fabric, and light.
The Potato (Oh Wait, Planning) Famine Rises Again
With a new rural planning policy, thousands of backlogged development applications, and severe job cuts, Northern Ireland's planning industry could be facing a grim future ahead.
Bringing Bookshops Back to the Latin Quarter
Seeing a marked decline in the amount of bookstores in the traditional cultural center of Paris, the city began a program to actively lure them back.
Automakers Working to Improve MPG Through Traffic Signals
BMW and Audi are studying ways to improve fuel efficiency using strategies that outside of the vehicle.
Free Courses to Improve Russia's Cities
To help change the pattern of development in Russian cities, free courses are being offered to local architects about solving the problems facing the countries growing urban areas.
Shrinking and Aging Population Poses Problems for Germany
Emigration is up and the birth rate is dropping in Germany, where people are starting to worry about what a shrinking and aging population will mean for the country's future.
Tear Down the Corviale! New Urbanism Comes to Rome
Nikos Salingaros presents the case for demolishing a modernist eyesore in Rome and replacing it with a high-density, mixed-use New Urbanist neighborhood.
Reconquering the Banks of Paris
Paris plans to eventually phase out automobiles in the city center in order to create a pedestrian friendly riverbank.
Considering "Eneropa"
Rem Koolhaas and his practice have released a vision of Europe 50 years from now, connected by an extensive smart grid and utilizing solar, wind and other green technologies to power the continent.
"Rezoning Madness" in Ireland
Local authorities throughout Ireland have rezoned ag land into residential at a ridiculous rate, according to a recent study that shows a demand for fewer than 300,000 units where 800,000 units are now allowed.
Kids in Train-ing
Trains across the former Soviet Union have peculiar staff: kids. Wired's Autopia blog explains.
A Precarious Playground
A new Parisian park would cause American parents to go apoplectic, with a precarious slopes and a lack of rubber bumpers. It is the latest incarnation of the "adventure playground, says Alexander Trevi of Pruned.
Redesigning a Plaza in Paris
The City of Paris is looking to update the historic Place de la Republique, and is running a closed competition to find the right design. Barcelona-based Mateo Arquitectura gives us a glimpse at their ideas for the space.
Spinning for Dinner
A hotel in Copenhagen offers $40 meal vouchers for anyone who produces 10 watt hours of electricity using their wired-up stationery bicycles.
Small Towns Seek to Buy Back Energy Infrastructure
Small German towns that had sold off their energy utilities to large corporations in the 1990s are trying to buy them back. They want to be back in on the lucrative energy market, but have large and formidable opponents.
Pagination
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.
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