Madrid
Madrid to Expand Non-Residential Vehicle Restrictions
Madrid, Spain is taking the next steps in restricting vehicular access to its urban core in the hopes of completely pedestrianizing central Madrid by 2020.
Madrid To Charge Polluting Cars More for Parking
To deal with its high pollution levels, which rank worse than the EU average, Madrid will implement a new parking fee system that charges more for the most polluting cars. Electric cars will park for free.
Spain's Colossal Casino Project Dealt a Bad Hand
Las Vegas Sands and its billionaire owner Sheldon G. Adelson have cancelled outlandish plans to build a $30 billion megacasino near Madrid.
Madrid Master Plan Prioritizes People over Cars and Development over Regulation
Completed about every 15 years, Madrid's General Urban Plan sets out a long-term vision for the city's development. The newest iteration replaces a "dud" from 1997 that has "dogged the city for years," reports Feargus O'Sullivan.
'Tradition and Stability' Win as Tokyo Selected to Host 2020 Olympics
With the selection of Tokyo over Istanbul and Madrid as the host of the 2020 Summer Olympics, continuing concerns over radioactivity trumped social instability and a deep economic recession as the least dangerous alternative.
How Spain’s Building Bust Can Inform the Future of Urbanization
"The City That Never Was" is the title of an upcoming symposium, and series of essays, organized by the Architectural League of NY to explore two decades of growth and decline in Spain through the prism of unrealized architectural ambitions.
Will Visions of a Vegas on the Manzanares Materialize?
Late last week, billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson announced that Madrid had won the competition to become the future location of Europe's "largest gambling mecca," reports Giles Tremlett. Questions regarding the project's viability remain.
Why Does Transit Cost So Much to Build in the U.S.?
With Manhattan's new Second Avenue subway expected to cost five times as much as comparable projects in Europe and Asia, Stephen Smith looks to transit-construction practices from abroad for lessons on how to contain costs in America.
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.
Excuse Me, the Sidewalk is Trying to Tell You Something
Boyd Cohen reports on iPavement, an invention out of Spain that may be ominous or promising, depending on whether you see a benefit in every surface of a city becoming "intelligent."
Is Controversial Megacasino the Best Cure for a Spanish City's Economic Woes?
As leaders in Madrid and Barcelona slug it out to lure a new megacasino to their cities, some are questioning the economic, environmental, legal, and moral compromises being offered.
Using Public Art to Highlight Government Misdeeds
John Metcalfe profiles the work of Spanish art collective luzinterruptus, who have used public art pieces to highlight the failings of Spanish authorities, such as Madrid's dysfunctional drinking fountains.
Madrid Park Reconnects Once Divided Neighborhoods
Madrid Río, a six-mile long park in the heart of Madrid, replaces the blight left over from a highway that once disconnected neighborhoods and reclaims a neglected waterfront.
Spain's Six-Mile Madrid Rio Park Replaces Freeway
The NYT chief art critic, Michael Kimmelman, reviews Madrid's almost complete six-mile long park, Madrid Rio, that is having a transformative effect on the city. The park was made possible by the under-grounding of the M-30 ring road.
Public Trees: Landscaping, or Food Source?
An art group called Fallen Fruit promotes the idea of public fruit trees for general consumption by all. But on a trip to Madrid to plant trees, the government refused their intervention, saying that trees were architecture for the city, not food.
Sprawling Madrid
While Madrid's urban core is highly dense, the city has sprawled out over the last two decades much further than its growing population requires, says Madrid resident and planning consultant Marco Adelfio.
HSR to Link London to Madrid
A high-speed rail line is planned for 2012 between London and Madrid. France and Spain will team up to build it.
Olympic Impact on Chicago Likely Modest
High hopes for city change are attached to Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Even if the city wins the bid this Friday, the impact is likely to be modest, according to Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin.
Room for Improvement in Prospective Olympic Host Cities
A new report from the International Olympic Committee has evaluated the four host candidates for the 2016 Summer Olympics and found many places for improvement ahead of its October 2 decision.
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.
City of Albany
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
