1. ArchDaily
  2. Urban Design

Urban Design: The Latest Architecture and News

How Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam Have Generated Public Space Where It Seemed Impossible

CityMakers, The Global Community of Architects Learning from Model Cities and Their Makers is working with Archdaily to publish a series of articles about Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam. The authors are the architects, urban planners, and/or strategists behind the projects that have transformed these three cities and are known in the "Schools of Cities" and "Documentary Courses" made by CityMakers.

There is currently a broad consensus on the importance of public space in the city. Although it may seem quite logical, its significance is not as old as human settlements, which have existed for millennia. The Athens Charter, written just 91 years ago, did not speak so much about the city as a place to live but as a functional machine. Almost a century later, the paradigm has shifted: the city is, above all, its public space. But what happens when public space is threatened by car proliferation, insecurity, or even water?

How Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam Have Generated Public Space Where It Seemed Impossible - Image 1 of 4How Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam Have Generated Public Space Where It Seemed Impossible - Image 2 of 4How Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam Have Generated Public Space Where It Seemed Impossible - Image 3 of 4How Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam Have Generated Public Space Where It Seemed Impossible - Image 4 of 4How Barcelona, Medellin, and Rotterdam Have Generated Public Space Where It Seemed Impossible - More Images+ 3

American Architect and Educator Antoine Predock Passes Away at 87

Internationally recognized architect, writer, and professor Antoine Predock passed away in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 2, 2024, at the age of 87. Throughout his career, Predock developed a unique style, working outside of urban centers and seeking to find a connection between the landscapes and the human experience of space. In addition to serving as a long-term faculty member at the University of New Mexico, he is also the architect behind some well-known projects, including the Nelson Fine Arts Center, the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

American Architect and Educator Antoine Predock Passes Away at 87 - Image 1 of 4American Architect and Educator Antoine Predock Passes Away at 87 - Image 2 of 4American Architect and Educator Antoine Predock Passes Away at 87 - Image 3 of 4American Architect and Educator Antoine Predock Passes Away at 87 - Image 4 of 4American Architect and Educator Antoine Predock Passes Away at 87 - More Images+ 7

BIG Designs Cantilevered Towers Surrounding the Freedom Plaza on Manhattan’s Waterfront

Located along Manhattan’s East River waterfront, the Freedom Plaza sets out to create a new civic and cultural hub, introducing a new open and green space in the crowded area, with plans to add an in-park Museum of Freedom and Democracy. Additionally, the scheme designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group includes affordable housing units, two hotels, retail, and restaurants. Developed by Soloviev Group and Mohegan, the Freedom Plaza development reimagines one of the largest undeveloped plots in Manhattan, measuring 6.7 acres located south of the United Nations headquarters in the Midtown East neighborhood.

BIG Designs Cantilevered Towers Surrounding the Freedom Plaza on Manhattan’s Waterfront - Image 1 of 4BIG Designs Cantilevered Towers Surrounding the Freedom Plaza on Manhattan’s Waterfront - Image 2 of 4BIG Designs Cantilevered Towers Surrounding the Freedom Plaza on Manhattan’s Waterfront - Image 3 of 4BIG Designs Cantilevered Towers Surrounding the Freedom Plaza on Manhattan’s Waterfront - Image 4 of 4BIG Designs Cantilevered Towers Surrounding the Freedom Plaza on Manhattan’s Waterfront - More Images+ 5

UN-Habitat Launches “My Neighborhood,” a Practical Guide for Achieving Sustainable Urban Spaces

The UN-Habitat Urban Lab has published “My Neighborhood,” a publication that offers a checklist of urban design principles aimed at creating more sustainable and resilient cities. Containing actions that are applicable at the neighborhood scale, the guide strives to present an integrated approach that responds to key sectors such as transportation, local urban initiatives, housing, public spaces, utilities, and more.

UN-Habitat Launches “My Neighborhood,” a Practical Guide for Achieving Sustainable Urban Spaces - Image 1 of 4UN-Habitat Launches “My Neighborhood,” a Practical Guide for Achieving Sustainable Urban Spaces - Image 2 of 4UN-Habitat Launches “My Neighborhood,” a Practical Guide for Achieving Sustainable Urban Spaces - Image 3 of 4UN-Habitat Launches “My Neighborhood,” a Practical Guide for Achieving Sustainable Urban Spaces - Image 4 of 4UN-Habitat Launches “My Neighborhood,” a Practical Guide for Achieving Sustainable Urban Spaces - More Images+ 3

Designing Spaces That Are Good for Women and Everybody Else

"We are focused on creating a just public realm," said Chelina Odbert, Hon. ASLA, CEO and founding principal of Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. And by just, "we mean free, inclusive, accessible, unbiased, and equitable". A "just public realm is open to everyone.” There is unlimited access to streets and public spaces so people can travel to school and work and be full members of their communities.

Unfortunately, the public realm is instead often “intimidating, exclusionary, inaccessible, unjust, and inequitable” for many women, LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, and people of color. Landscape architects, planners, and others need to understand who feels safe and comfortable in public spaces or there is a risk of perpetuating inequalities, Odbert argued.

OODA Reveals Design for Mixed-Use Vertical Village in Tirana, Albania

OODA has released images of Hora Vertikale, a new project planned for the Albanian capital city incorporating residential units arranged vertically surrounded by a new park and featuring a diverse range of amenities. The design stacks seven types of cubes, each measuring seven stories in height and defined by a distinct visual identity inspired by both urban and rural elements. The project, developed in collaboration with local architects Artech, has received planning permission, and construction is expected to begin in early spring.

OODA Reveals Design for Mixed-Use Vertical Village in Tirana, Albania - Image 1 of 4OODA Reveals Design for Mixed-Use Vertical Village in Tirana, Albania - Image 2 of 4OODA Reveals Design for Mixed-Use Vertical Village in Tirana, Albania - Image 3 of 4OODA Reveals Design for Mixed-Use Vertical Village in Tirana, Albania - Image 4 of 4OODA Reveals Design for Mixed-Use Vertical Village in Tirana, Albania - More Images+ 8

First-Ever +POOL to Open in New York City This Summer, with Plans to Expand Swimming Access across the State

New York Governor Hochul has announced a partnership with the nonprofit Friends of + POOL to open the first urban river-sourced swimming facility in the United States. Utilizing + POOL’s design and technology, the 2,000-square-foot plus-shaped swimming pool is set to open in New York City’s East River in the summer of 2024. In 2010, four young designers, Archie Lee Coates IV, Dong-Ping Wong, Jeffrey Franklin, and Oana Stanescu, established + POOL with the goal of providing New Yorkers with access to free and safe river swimming. Now the state promised to invest $16 million to pilot and scale the system, hoping to expand it across the state of New York.

First-Ever +POOL to Open in New York City This Summer, with Plans to Expand Swimming Access across the State - Image 1 of 4First-Ever +POOL to Open in New York City This Summer, with Plans to Expand Swimming Access across the State - Image 2 of 4First-Ever +POOL to Open in New York City This Summer, with Plans to Expand Swimming Access across the State - Image 3 of 4First-Ever +POOL to Open in New York City This Summer, with Plans to Expand Swimming Access across the State - Image 4 of 4First-Ever +POOL to Open in New York City This Summer, with Plans to Expand Swimming Access across the State - More Images+ 8

Adaptive Urban Regulations: Navigating Change in Affordable Housing, Infrastructure, and Sustainability in the U.S.

In the ever-evolving landscape of urban development, cities are faced with an array of challenges that demand quick and innovative solutions, ranging from the critical issue of affordable housing to the pressing need for efficient and decongested infrastructure and sustainable energy practices. As the demands of the built environment expand, local authorities worldwide are redefining policies and regulations to shape their cities. These innovative regulations can drive sustainable and consistent progress as cities stand at the intersection between their present challenges and future aspirations.

Adaptive Urban Regulations: Navigating Change in Affordable Housing, Infrastructure, and Sustainability in the U.S.  - Image 1 of 4Adaptive Urban Regulations: Navigating Change in Affordable Housing, Infrastructure, and Sustainability in the U.S.  - Image 2 of 4Adaptive Urban Regulations: Navigating Change in Affordable Housing, Infrastructure, and Sustainability in the U.S.  - Image 3 of 4Adaptive Urban Regulations: Navigating Change in Affordable Housing, Infrastructure, and Sustainability in the U.S.  - Image 4 of 4Adaptive Urban Regulations: Navigating Change in Affordable Housing, Infrastructure, and Sustainability in the U.S.  - More Images