Before Urban Omnibus went live, we co-hosted a weekend-long event that invited teams to design a project in the public interest and build it from found materials in two days. The event was led by Bryan Bell, on the occasion of the launch of his 2008 book Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism, which surveys the field of “creative design carried out in the service of the greater public and the greater good.” Bell, founder of Design Corps and co-founder of SEED, has been working towards a better understanding…
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Thaddeus Pawlowski reflects on his participation in a recent professional urban design exchange between São Paulo and New York. |
Last week, I found myself in an almost endless queue of people hopeful to see a panel of international urban dons assembled at the London School of Economics to celebrate the launch of the book Living in the Endless City…
A full house greeted Henry N. Cobb on April 23rd, at the Center for Architecture in honor of the prestigious AIA 25 year Award, this year presented to the John Hancock Tower, designed in 1976 by Cobb and his firm, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. The acclaimed architect made a rare appearance to discuss “The Skyscraper as Citizen: Reflections on the Public Life of Private Buildings.” The lecture began with the proposition that…
Last weekend, I weaved my way through the annual American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Conference in Boston, where over 5,000 urban and regional planners convened for four days of workshops, panel discussions and events. Major topics covered included cities, …
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In the final installment of a Country of Cities, Vishaan pens a love letter to Japan, a country that has shaped his beliefs in the importance of dense urban living. |
IDEO is a company that bills itself as a design and innovation consulting firm. The company initially found fame in the design of objects, particularly our physical interfaces with technology, like the design for Apple’s first mouse. But it is probably …
SXSWi: Living in an App City
After checking in at the Austin Convention Center using the location-based app Foursquare, it told me the place was “swarming.” I read a little more and discovered that I was there with 377 other …
Many New Yorkers know about Chashama, the arts organization Anita Durst founded in 1995 to help artists and curators find underused spaces to house temporary exhibitions, performance spaces and studios. The organization relies heavily on the Durst family’s history in New York City real estate, and acts as a diplomatic Robin Hood of real estate. Based on the idea that empty property does not always serve the interests of landlords and developers, some have been willing to donate their…
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In the ninth installment of A Country of Cities, Vishaan examines the protests unfolding across the Middle East in terms of how urban space can enhance or prohibit social change. |
