Urbanism and urbanisation

Both faces of the city. We cannot talk about the city in general terms. Different parts of the world face different challenges in this increasingly urbanised society.

Whose city is it anyway? The harsh truth about urbanisation http://gu.com/p/3zahn

Sorkin on New York

A sustainable, convival and beautiful city. Michael Sorkin (an all time favourite) writes eloquently about the possibility of a self sufficient city. This could be applied to many other cities that are highly dependent on importation.

http://aeon.co/magazine/living-together/can-nyc-be-completely-self-reliant/

Hamburg 20 year plan

It is happening, and Hamburg will be a pioneer. Reducing car use might be the solution to congestion and CO2 emissions, whilr providing more liveable urban spaces.
http://www.archdaily.com/464394/hamburg-s-plan-to-eliminate-cars-in-20-years/#more-464394

Urbanising tha suburbs

Housing and park replace parking lot in suburban Seattle. I still wander wether the sidewalks are walkable. In any case it seems like a good example of densification and reduction of car use. Hoping to see more of such developments.

http://m.fastcoexist.com/3023360/how-a-giant-mall-parking-lot-turned-into-a-park-and-a-walkable-community?partner=rss

Urban vs suburban

Breaking the myth of the lower cost of suburban development. Worth a read. Even though it is only based in Canada, many of the observations are comparable to other European or American cases.
http://thecostofsprawl.com/

A matter of scale

How urban grids shape our everyday life. It is all about scale.
http://m.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2013/12/what-your-street-grid-reveals-about-your-city/7746/

Mexico city claims rights for pedestrians

Alejandro Hernandez comments on the minority (car drivers) that occupy the majority of public space in Mexico City. New plans for prioritising the pedestrian.
http://www.arquine.com/blog/la-ciudad-tomada/