Urban Planning: The Latest Architecture and News

India recently overtook its sub-continental neighbor, China, to become the most populous country in the world with a demography of over 1.4286 billion people. As data from the United Nations also estimates an annual population growth rate of 0.7%, the country’s built environment is set to interact with a new discourse of demography and present its own perspective on how to build for billions. It is set to engage with new challenges of infrastructure, transportation, and adequate housing, which on the surface will force cities to constantly expand as a response to these dynamic needs. However, a critical look at the population distribution within the country reveals that the majority of Indians still live in rural areas as it caters to 65% of the population despite increasing rural-urban migration. This suggests a nudge in a different direction. One where the design and development of the rural areas take precedence over the cities. One that explores architecture in rural areas, its relationship with the cities, and its future as a primary framework to house the exploding population.

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This article was originally published on Common Edge.

One of the principles of comedy is that you “punch up.” If you have to make fun of someone or something, make sure it’s more prominent than you, and deserving. You can’t get much higher than Santa Clara, California, and you can’t get much more deserving. Santa Clara is, arguably, the city at the heart of Silicon Valley, a globally famous urban region that is so ill-defined as to deny its own existence. Those ranch houses and corporate headquarters represent a distinctly 21st-century brand of power. And a distinctly 20th-century brand of urbanism.

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Atrium Ljungberg has just revealed Stockholm Wood City – the world's largest urban construction project in wood. Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2025, and the first buildings are expected to be completed in 2027. The initiative is a demonstration of Swedish sustainability.

The largest wood-building project in the world is now in progress, covering an impressive 250,000 square meters. The project sets a sustainable example for the real estate market, which is essential because built structures contribute a sizeable 40% of the world's CO2 emissions. Furthermore, Stockholm Wood City is set to become a turning point in sustainable architecture and urban planning. Situated in Sickla, southern Stockholm, this innovative neighborhood will offer an additional 2,000 houses and 7,000 business spaces. By merging workplaces, homes, neighborhoods, dining establishments, and retail spaces, it aims to create a vibrant and dynamic urban environment.

In the center of Cairo, The Nile River, one of the world's most iconic waterways, has shaped the course of civilization for thousands of years. Serving as a vibrant lifeline, connecting neighborhoods, and providing a bustling hub for transportation, the Nile River is an essential natural resource for arid Cairo. Throughout the country’s history, it has often been regarded as the source of life in fertility in its annual flooding, bringing richness to the surrounding lands. Interestingly, this year's edition of La Biennale di Venezia, the Pavilion of Egypt "NiLab" focused on exploring this layered water source and unfolding its effects on the built environment.

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The city of Paris has officially reinstated a rule that limits the height of new buildings in the French capital to 37 meters, or 12 storeys. Among the factors for the decision was the controversy surrounding the construction of the 180-meter-tall Tour Triangle, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, which began in 2021 after more than a decade of legal battles and backlash. The new urban planning regulation is introduced as part of Mayor Anne Hidalgo's Local Bioclimatic Urban Plan, which aims to reduce Paris' carbon emissions.

Danish architecture office CEBRA has won an international competition for the design of the new Skenderbeu Stadium in Korça, Albania. The winning proposal sets the 10,000-seat stadium in a lively neighborhood to create an engaging environment for fans, active citizens, businesses, and visitors of the Albanian city. The masterplan proposes buildings and alleys inspired by the Korça typologies to create a familiar cultural experience both in and around the stadium.

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URB has revealed 'Dubai Reefs,' a floating living lab designed to restore marine ecosystems and promote ecotourism. The project's primary objective is to generate over 30,000 employment opportunities within a green economy in the city. Dubai Reefs encompasses a sustainable floating community dedicated to marine research, regeneration, and ecotourism, comprising residential, hospitality, retail, educational, and research facilities.

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

As its full title somewhat implies, Nicholas Dagen Bloom’s new book, The Great American Transit Disaster: A Century of Austerity, Auto-Centric Planning, and White Flight (University of Chicago Press), tells the whole grisly story of how, in less than a century, the U.S. changed from a rail-connected nation of cities and towns to a sprawling network of increasingly congested roads. A historian and a professor of urban policy and planning at Hunter College, Bloom rejects the sort of conspiracy-driven narratives around transit’s demise and comes to an uneasy conclusion: America essentially chose the car for a variety of reasons, only one of which was automobile company collusion. I talked with Bloom about why transit in the U.S. collapsed, why it turned out differently in European cities, and the hopes for a transit renaissance.

Bez+Kock Architekten and Koeber Landschaftsarchitektur have won the competition for the Requalification of the Acropole of Byrsa and Rehabilitation of the National Museum of Carthage in Tunis project. An international jury, led by Alberto Veiga of Barozzi Veiga in Barcelona, has awarded the first prize to the studios based in Stuttgart, Germany, out of 94 design submissions for the competition.

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National Museums Liverpool (NML) has revealed a revised version of the redevelopment of the city’s waterfront, led by architect Asif Khan and artist Theaster Gates. The plans include the redesign of the public spaces at Canning Dock, a historical area central to the Liverpool docks. As part of the Waterfront Transformation Project, the interventions aim to create accessible public spaces to better serve the community and to create a link between the surrounding museums. The preliminary proposal is now open for public consultation.

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“Economic shocks, climate change, and COVID-19 have changed transportation systems in a fundamental way. We can’t waste a crisis. We can increase access to transportation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We can achieve more mobility with fewer impacts,” argued Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute (WRI), at the 20th annual Transforming Transportation conference. For two days, global leaders reflected on the state of transportation systems worldwide at the hybrid event in Washington, D.C., which was also watched by tens of thousands online. The event was co-organized by WRI and the World Bank.

Transportation still accounts for 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and up to 30 percent of emissions in developed countries. Transportation is a diverse sector that includes sidewalks, bikes, cars, buses, trains, subways, ships, and planes.

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Cities need to prepare for a wave of declining houses of worship. While faith institutions, at least the Christian ones, have been asking WWJD (What would Jesus do?), municipalities need to get them to ask another question: WWJJD (What would Jane Jacobs do?). Doing so might lead to a new model for true community houses of worship.