Urban relocation is often used, whether justifiably or not, as a part of the urban renewal project of Istanbul in its endeavor to become a “world-city.” As the main actor to carry out urban renewal projects, Mass Housing Administration has the authority to relocate squatter communities whenever it’s deemed appropriate, and usually these communities are relocated to [...]
Urban design is the bridge between urban planning and architecture design. It connects the feelings inspired by the architecture of a building and how the building interacts with the fabric of the neighborhood, and that neighborhood’s future development. A rendering for the new Seneca Casino in downtown Buffalo, New York, shown left, is an example [...]
Taksim Square, in Istanbul, Turkey, is one of the liveliest public spaces in the city. It was a part of the modernization project of the newly-formed republic in the late 1930s. Like many other parts of the city, it was based on the plans of Henri Prost, the prominent representative of the French school of [...]
Being a current grad student at Arizona State and having an undergraduate history at Ohio State, I can say that I know both these university cities quite well. There are many differences between Tempe, Arizona and Columbus, Ohio. For one, the art and music scene in Columbus is far superior than Tempe. On the other [...]
We’ve all had the experience of peacefully strolling along a city street at night, enjoying the scene around us. We’ve also had the experience of walking somewhere after dark where we feel unsafe, and hurrying to reach our destination. But what is it exactly that creates this dichotomy of experience? The urban planning theory of [...]
A big Global Site Plans welcome to our newest blogger, Erman Eruz from Istanbul, Turkey. Erman Eruz is an undergraduate at Princeton University where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Civil Engineering, along with a certificate in Urban Studies. Having grown up in Istanbul, Turkey, he is interested in a wide [...]
The subway system in New York City is one of the most extensive public transit systems in the world. Nonetheless, the number of people living, working, and traveling through the East Side has been steadily increasing since the 1940’s and the Lexington Avenue Line (4, 5, and 6 trains) is now operating beyond its capacity. [...]
In February 2012, I wrote a post called Assessing the Damage: Preserving Detroit, Michigan’s Historical Places, describing the delicate balance between restoration and demolition. Incorporating preservation efforts into Detroit Michigan’s priorities is vital, but there will always be the reality of budget cuts, insufficient public services, community needs, and generally, too little, too late. Detroit [...]
Once again, a drought warning has been issued for those same parts of England, where ground water levels are lower than any time since 1976. Secretary Caroline Spelman said that without significant rainfall between now and the commencement of summer, residential customers will face severe restrictions including a hosepipe ban. According to Environmental Protection Agency [...]
In late 2012, BRE is adding a new national certification scheme for refurbishment “BREEAM domestic refurbishment” to its existing environmental rating system already widely used in the UK including the Code for Sustainable Homes for new build housing. There is growing emphasis on retrofitting existing homes in the UK, with the Green Deal and Retrofit [...]
