Eleven of the Best Urban Design Ideas in the World

From a penthouse dwelling above an air-raid bunker to an "inside-out" building where plants grow on the walls through rainwater irrigation, Wendy Goodman and Justin Davidson have asked design experts to compile their favorite urban ideas.

1 minute read

October 12, 2011, 6:00 AM PDT

By Judy Chang

While some projects have larger environmental impacts, some are just classic examples of interesting design. Take House N in Oita, Japan, for example:

"'The client, an elderly couple, didn't request anything specific, just a nice house,' says architect Sou Fujimoto. 'In that area, they have bigger plots than in the Tokyo city center, and I proposed to combine the garden and house. Usually people might think this bigger outer box could be a waste of money, just covering the garden. But fortunately they quickly understood. I think the house is like living in a cloud.'"

FULL STORY: Fall Design 2011

Sunday, October 9, 2011 in New York Magazine

Architecture Environment Housing Technology Urban Development World Urban Design Innovation View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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