The horrors of urban renewal and freeway building and the obsession with replacing “slums” with towers and “grass, grass, grass” are discussed in Jane Jacobs’ famous book The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” writes Alan Davies.
Town planning
How can public transport work better in Australia’s cities?
Around 90% of all travel in Australia is by car. While public transport usually serves CBDs well, it’s quite ineffective at travelling across suburbs, writes Alan Davies.
Take a (virtual) stroll along Manhattan’s High Line
Fancy taking a stroll along a great urban wonder? Google’s cameras have soaked up Manhattan’s High Line and it’s well worth the virtual walk, writes Alan Davies.
Constructing aesthetics: buildings that jar with their surroundings
The IAC building in Manhattan is visually interesting, but it’s one of many examples of buildings that don’t relate well to their context. What is it with architects? asks The Urbanist’s Alan Davies.
Get off the bloody road: the roads aren’t safe for bikes
No one would suggest it is safe for pedestrians to be on the roadway, so why should it be any different if a pedestrian gets on a bike? Ex NSW Roads Minister Carl Scully says cyclists should get off the road.
Over-crowded and under-planned: Australian cities in crisis
Don’t believe state governments’ glossy planning documents promising of “strong communities” and “smart growth”, says Peter Spearritt: Australia’s cities are a mess of urban sprawl, inadequate transport, congested roads, dwindling water supplies and energy-guzzling buildings.
Bulldozing the burbs
Razing declining neighborhoods doesn’t seem to be a priority right now for the Obama administration, but Harvard urban economist Edward Glaeser thinks it should be. In fact, Professor Glaeser argues that some cities just aren’t going to come back.
How modernism changed the facade of London
In very basic terms, Modernism opened up the closed Victorian city of London, but objectors, from HRH downwards, believe it would be far better to have a bit of opened-up-neo-Victoriana-Georgiana rather than a ‘brutalist’ and ‘communist’ piece of contemporary design.
Got landfill? Turn it into an eco park!
A landfill isn’t normally the kind of place where residents have picnics and take nature walks. But Singapore’s Semakau landfill is far from ordinary.
Welcome to NSW — the efficient and transparent State
Frank Sartor’s proposed reforms to the NSW Planning system continue to amaze those who have enough time to understand them, writes NSW planning insider “James Jacobs”.
Sartor’s NSW: The developer led state
The developer funded NSW Labor Government is about to deliver the final chapters in the developer inspired rewrite of the NSW planning system, writes NSW planning insider “James Jacobs”.
