Michael Sorkin is opinionated to the point, and passionate about protecting architecture from the politics that too often smother innovation. A well-known architectural critic, author of several hundred articles, professor, and principal of the Michael Sorkin Studio, Sorkin lives, eats — “architectural flesh has always proved tasty to me”, and breathes architecture and urban [...]
Montreal is transformed by the seasons. During our hot summers, bars and terraces overflow with people, festivals bring crowds to the streets, and public spaces brim with locals and tourists. Winter is a different story. Large public spaces that are vibrant in the warmer months, like Place-des-Arts and Place Jacques-Cartier, are virtually abandoned when the [...]
All too often, urban planners spend months, even years, doing all of the work necessary to complete a comprehensive plan, only to see that plan sit on the shelf after it is completed. The problem is that we often direct the vast majority of our energy towards the research, writing, and community outreach portions of [...]
“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk.” – Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher Danish architect, Jan Gehl’s, latest book, Cities for People (Island Press, 2010), explores the better designs of cities through designs for the people to live and work simultaneously. In this follow-up to Life Between Buildings (1971), Gehl explores the shifting [...]
What does ‘Fairtrade’ mean? Can an entire town really become fair in all senses of trade? The basis of the Fairtrade movement is simple: help alleviate poverty in developing countries by paying premium for the goods we (‘developed’ countries) import. It’s the monitoring the ‘fairness’ within international business that is difficult to police. According to [...]
Brighton – a small, tightly woven community of artists and art galleries, is located Northwest of Over the Rhine and downtown Cincinnati. It retains a ghostly atmosphere – a quiet neighborhood, where age-old nineteenth century Italianate buildings sit dormant against a backdrop of a modern city, now beginning to regain its former prominence. Walking these [...]
In recent years we have begun to feel the effects of climate change the world over. In America, hurricanes like Superstorm Sandy and Katrina brought urban areas to their knees, killing people, destroying communities, and causing untold billions in damage. In this context, urban analyst and historian James S. Russell’s book The Agile City calls [...]
Why is the Village of Pinehurst Important? Pinehurst was and is: A convalescent resort built for New Englanders in Moore County by American Soda Fountain Company magnate James W. Tufts; A New-England-style village and recreational resort, planned and landscaped by landscape architecture pioneers Fredrick Law Olmsted and Warren H. Manning, that would court those in [...]
Our mobility is bound by the linkages available to us and the built environment that surrounds us. But how does our transportation choices in our city affect our health and well being ? This is a question that is gaining prevalence as cities grow, densify and complicate the daily journey of urban dwellers. A report [...]
What was supposed to have been a perfect model of eco-design has come up rather short as plans for Dongtan, an eco-city on Chongming Island, have since disappeared. Located just 25km from Shanghai, the sustainably designed city was to have been partially completed by 2010, with the majority of the city finished by 2020. Instead, [...]
Seeking urban planning, geography, mapping, and/or transportation students who are interested in mapping dolmus and minibus data across Istanbul. There are sixteen available positions, eight for the European side and eight for the Asian side of Istanbul. Key responsibilities: Report to the Dolmus and Minibus Route Development Manager Interview dolmus and minibus coordinators to ensure [...]
Technology, education, and sustainability are the driving forces behind Orlando’s upcoming Creative Village, a 68-acre infill project in downtown Orlando. Craig Ustler, 50 Most Powerful People in Orlando mainstay and co-developer of the site with the City of Orlando, sat down with me to talk about the carefully chosen, innovative urban planning practices he plans to [...]
Apart from the economic crisis that they have been facing for the past five years, Athenians also have to re-think the city center of Athens. More precisely, they have to re-think one of the most prominent axes that unifies Sintagma (Constitution) and Omonia (Concord) central Squares, which are also attached to the famous neoclassical trilogy [...]
Thessaloniki, Greece is a city with numerous beautiful spots, great architecture, and a long history. However, many current problems in the city have occurred due to modern style of life. For example, there is a significant lack of green spaces. The ideal average share of green space is estimated at 20 m²∕capita to 10 m²∕capita [...]
In the summer of 2012 I was a fresh graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, trying to make my way into the working world. Having been an Urban Studies student minoring in Architecture, I was hopeful I would be able to find work in which I could apply my passion for urban development, [...]
Miami 21, meant to encourage walkable development and non car-dependent lifestyles, brings new idea testing to places like Midtown Miami. As the economy recovers, this form-based zoning code creates redevelopment opportunities that previously have been unimaginable. Now is the perfect time to assess these principles and redevelop properties in forgotten high-value locations. Below is a [...]
Besides infrastructure and built urban form, one of the most important aspects for cities is its physical green space. Nature can be aesthetic or functional, but it always serves the same purpose: to remind us that cities are living places bound to the laws of nature. While built space represents the structured evolution of our [...]
In 1989, the Loma Prieta Earthquake shook the Bay Area at a 6.9 magnitude, breaking a segment of the East Bay Span of the Bay Bridge. Further analysis revealed extensive damage along the 75-year old bridge, and a recommendation was made to build a new East Bay Span. However, East Bay residents didn’t want just [...]
Last month, I was able to share some information with you about an exciting transit project that I have had the pleasure of working on in Kane County, IL – the Randall/Orchard Road Bus Rapid Transit Study. As I stated then, “Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a high quality transit service that integrates a variety [...]
I started writing for Global Site Plans and The Grid in October 2012 and I can’t believe how fast time has passed by. I was reading The Grid posts on social media and I always thought that it was a very well organised initiative from people interested in environmental and urban design – for anyone [...]
