urbanism posts, articles, and infographics | Sustainable Cities Collective

My Memories of MLK's Speech

January 16, 2012 by Kaid Benfield
with 41 views

I am old enough and was lucky enough to have heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak in person. It was not long before his death, at a mountain retreat facility owned by the Baptist church, not far from my North Carolina home. My friend Simon and I went. We were young, impressionable, and impressed. I wish I... [read more]

6 Trending Urbanist Themes for 2012

December 30, 2011 by Chuck Wolfe
with 1,295 views

The Urbanist calendar published on Monday was, admittedly, a visual provocation, setting a stage for thought about important urban issues for 2012. I see great merit in such urban exploration with a descriptive, rather than prescriptive approach. But there is another provocation—from 2011 professional experiences and featured articles—... [read more]

India’s Urban Future

December 21, 2011 by TheCityFix - produced by EMBARQ
with 256 views

India is one of the few remaining large countries of the world yet to experience the urbanisation of its population. In most regions – from the US, to Europe and Latin America – more than 75% of people live in urban areas. By contrast, only 31% of India’s people live in cities. This, however, is set to change dramatically in the coming decades. By one estimate an additional 250 million people – equivalent to 80% of current population of the United States – will call India’s cities home by 2030. The number of cities with more than 1 million people will increase from 42 today to 68. [read more]

Tactical Urbanists Brighten Cities With Renegade Art

December 19, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
with 236 views

A group of friends in Miami have had enough of overgrown weeds on vacant lots and public property – particularly sidewalks – in their neighborhood, chronically neglected by city maintenance crews. Their solution? Spraypaint those babies. Not that they haven’t been artistic about it, on their stealth midnight missions to draw... [read more]

Hillbilly Urbanism

December 16, 2011 by Jim Russell
with 494 views

Despite Brian O'Neill's best efforts, Pittsburgh isn't part of Appalachia. However, Pittsburgh is located in Appalachia. Confused? Don't be:Hardly any part of the U.S. typifies the concept of rural like Appalachia. Even the most outdated historical stereotypes persist: hillside shacks, impoverished children with no shoes, moonshine.... [read more]

Apple Stores for Healthy Urban Economies?

December 15, 2011 by Ben Schulman
with 143 views

By Robert Gibbs.The opening of Apple’s newest store in New York’s Grand Central Terminal prompted Brian Caulfield of Forbes Magazine to write an article about the often underestimated economic kick an Apple Store can bring to surrounding shops. Retail development guru and author of Principles of Urban Retail Planning and... [read more]

Imagining an Elastic City

November 18, 2011 by polis blog
with 245 views

Planters and urban gardening tools at Kennedy Greenway in central Boston, the site of the Occupy Boston encampment.Last spring, after attending a panel about urbanism in Mumbai, I wrote a blog post about what I called the "entropic city" — one that is constantly changing and re-imagining itself. “Entropy,” I argued, “is a... [read more]

Is There a New American City?

November 4, 2011 by The Dirt ASLA
with 225 views

Are there any new ideas on cities? This was one of the provocative questions asked by San Francisco Chronicle design critic John King, Hon. ASLA, at the 2011 ASLA annual meeting general session. For the two master landscape architects on the panel, Martha Schwartz, FASLA, and Laurie Olin, FASLA; Charles Waldheim, Affiliate... [read more]

Retrofuturism, Renewables, Colonisation and Endless Cities – Four Visions of the Future

November 1, 2011 by This Big City
with 131 views

What are the fundamental trends of our age? In central London on November the 25th and 26th, thirty forward-thinking minds will attempt to address this topic at the iq2 if conference. This Big City contributor Rachel Armstrong will be one of the speakers, all 30 of whom will also be exploring this (massive) question: how will our homes, lives and cities be transformed by an urbanised, environmentally conscious and technologically empowered humanity? [read more]

A City Authentic: Lancaster, PA and New Urbanism

October 29, 2011 by Ben Schulman
with 121 views

Back in 2008, Lancaster, PA mayor Rick Gray bluntly stated "get ready for a sea change," when discussing plans to transform the city's downtown into a walkable, vibrant destination. "Walkability is what the new urbanism is all about," Gray told the Lancaster New Era at the time. "Will people want to walk for blocks around the convention center? Yeah, people will walk." [read more]

Creating Balanced Cities – An Interview with Tia Kansara

September 14, 2011 by This Big City
with 178 views

Sustainability activist Tia Kansara hopes for a future made up of cities that prioritise people and support nature. Along with Melissa Sterry, Tia is part of Earth 2.0, a movement which aims to re-establish a harmonious relationship between humanity and nature. I was recently lucky enough to interview Tia and her Earth 2.0 colleague Melissa on future urbanism, and how African cities can thrive, despite challenging natural conditions. [read more]

WWII Urbanism in North America: 1940-1949

August 24, 2011 by Yuri Artibise
with 302 views

After a longer than expected hiatus, my series on the history of urbanism is back! I can’t promise a return to a weekly posting schedule, but I hope to post at least on installment a month until the series is complete. The 1940s The 1940’s saw rise of the first American planned communities. It also saw the... [read more]