"49 Cities" is a touring exhibition that looks at the relationship between urban design and the success or failure of cities, from Levittown to ancient Rome to Le Corbusier's Radiant City.
On display at the SPUR Urban Center in San Francisco, "49 Cities" is a dramatic collection of model cities. From the Roman gridiron walls, to the mass produced Massachusetts 'burbs, to the UAE's new zero carbon space, this special exhibition breathes new life into urban history.
According to San Francisco Chronicle reviewer John King, the "intellectually immense and immersive exhibition" captures the dynamic and spontaneous nature of the city. The long term evolution of the city, he gathers from the very spatial exhibit, comes not from its pre-planned models but rather from what happens to it over time.
"Instead of photographs or illustrations, the exhibition tattoos the gallery walls with comparative data on each scheme and, more telling, same-scaled spatial maps of each city showing the relation of solid to void," he reports.
FULL STORY: '49 Cities' In S.F.: Insight Into City Building
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research