Whether they are independent works or part of larger events like festivals, street murals have the potential of completely changing the face of a neighborhood. Sometimes they are fun, lighthearted and simply improve our moods. At other times they can be a heavy critique of society or a deep reflection on life. Here are some of …
The New Urban Agenda is the defining document of the Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador, where urbanists from around the world gathered to discuss solutions for future urban development. It has been intensely negotiated over the last months and has gone through many changes, but the final version, found here, was ratified at the …
Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, is an event that takes place once every 20 years, and 2016 is the year of its third edition. Around 50.000 people were present in Quito, Ecuador to attend various discussions within Habitat III, including world leaders, mayors, businesses, innovators, researchers and experts. During …
Urban Innovative Action (UIA) is an Initiative of the European Commission that aims to provide resources for European urban areas in order to allow them to test creative, innovative solutions to the principal urban challenges of our time. They highlight the fact that 72% of the EU population lives in urban environments, and that authorities …
Between the 10th and the 13th of October 2016, UrbanizeHub was present at the European Week of Regions and Cities (EUWRC) in Brussels, where we heard proposals and discussions about the challenges and opportunities for growth in regions and cities throughout the Union. The aim of the event was ‘to give cities and regions a …
Until recently, tech firms were setting up headquarters outside major metropolitan areas, sprawling out of cities to create business ‘villages’ where everyone was working in the same industry. One of the best examples is Silicon Valley, a well-known center that brought together major tech players and start-ups. However, these businesses have started to move their offices …
We’ve written about the debate around urban density and urban sprawl before, and found that there isn’t a definitive answer as to which is better for building sustainable, smart and friendly cities. However, Vishaan Chakrabarti from Columbia University offers a point of view strongly in favor of urban density, and even for a more advanced concept which …
Los Angeles is a great place to observe the reduction in car ownership, even though it is known for its unreliable public transport and its unstoppable sprawl. Many residents have started relying on other forms of transportation, from bikes to ridesharing services, and the movement is starting to reshape the city. In LA, traffic is the biggest …
Owning a car used to be a status symbol or an expression of personal identity, but younger generations today are much less interested in cars. They see mobility as a service, and themselves as its users. And as cars are becoming less popular, so is the act of driving. There are more and more attempts …
Great landscape architecture has the potential to modernize and revitalize urban environments, getting people to reconsider their relationship with long-forgotten areas in their cities. The best urban design projects are the ones that take nature as the main character of the story, emphasizing the fact that it is an essential part of life, even in urban …