United Kingdom
The Tallest Skyscraper In Western Europe
Known as 'The Shard', the new skyscraper being built in London will have 72 floors, and stand 1,017 feet. Both opponents and critics agree: The building will "change London -- for centuries."
Shopping Center Tracking System Raises Privacy Concerns
A new technology enables pedestrian behavior and flow to be monitored continuously using mobile phone technology. Its use in US and UK shopping centers has consumer rights activists worried.
IKEA to Build A Neighborhood
International company IKEA, known for their low-cost design furniture, will develop a 26-acre complete London neighborhood.
London's "Pop-Up" Shopping Mall To Be One of a Kind
British entrepreneur Roger Wade has built "[t]he most environmentally friendly shopping mall ever built." 'Boxpark,' which recently opened, is composed of 60 standard size shipping containers stacked two stories high by five rows wide.
Defending Modernism and Ignoring Preservation
A new book called The Lure of the City argues that planners today have "a lack of ambition" and argues against the "[Jane] Jacobs-influenced orthodoxy."
London Experiments With Shared Streets
It may seem counter-intuitive, but "shared space" advocates say cars and bikes will get in fewer accidents if barriers and traffic lane markets are removed. London's Exhibition Road will open next month using this design concept.
Colossal Airport Master Plan "Transcends Appearance"
Foster + Partners reveal a utopian transit master plan so massive that it requires us to consider it "on a level that transcends appearance." The design seeks to streamline connections to the rest of the world through subterranean engineering.
Mixed Feelings About Proposed Private-Public Space in London
The plan to create a floating public space along the Thames is a great idea, writes critic Rowan Moore, but the proposed London River Park will suffer from its private ownership and management.
"Reverse Graffiti" Artist Illustrates How Dirty Our Cities Really Are
Grist profiles a British street artist who specializes in creating images on dirty urban spaces (like tunnel walls) by simply washing away the grime.
Prince Charles Wields Great Power - And Wealth
The Prince of Wales, as covered here and elsewhere, has gotten a reputation for using his position to meddle in architecture and planning decisions in the U.K. The report now is he extends that power far deeper into U.K. politics.
No New Skyscrapers, Says Planning Chief
London's chief planning officer says that after the current sequence of skyscrapers is built, it is likely that "...we will not see new ones planned."
Planners Working to Avoiding Transportation Disaster at Olympic Games
Olympic Planners have just ten months left to prepare for an anticipated 15 million trips a day during the event in an already congested city. So far, about 6.5 billion pounds ($10.2 billion) has been invested.
Rewarding Bikes and Peds for Leaving Their Cars at Home
How is the City of London incentivizing bike and ped commuters for helping improve the air? There's an App for that.
UK Launches Green Infrastructure Partnership
On Tuesday, the UK announced the creation of a green infrastructure program, intended to press planners and deveopers to infuse spaces with greenery. Writes Peter Walker, the benefits are beyond aesthetic--they're economic as well.
Nine Ideas to Boost Cycling in London
This Big City readers offer their ideas, from infrastructure-related to marketing, to encourage cycling among more casual riders in London.
"The Golden Age of Motoring is Over"
According to this article in The Guardian U.K., fewer and fewer young adults age 17-20 are seeking a driver's license and car ownership, signalling "peak car".
London's "Lego" Olympics
In order to lighten the footprint of the 2012 Olympics, Britain's architects and event planners are aiming to "reduce, reuse and recycle" venues so that they can be repurposed or taken down when the games are over.
Turning Old Gas Stations into Good Urbanism
Aurash Khawarzad looks at three projects that turned crude into gold, as old gas stations are quickly updated into a movie theater, a cafe and a restaurant.
London's Buses Hauls Twice as Many Riders Than The Tube
Surprisingly, London's bus network carries 6 million passengers to the Underground's 3 million. Facing serious cutbacks and fuel costs, Transport for London is working to reinvent the bus system.
Historic Preservation Group Throws Wrench in U.K.'s Streamlining
The U.K. government is determined to "simplify and speed up" the planning process at all levels, but the National Trust is staking ground against the measures, saying they would result in "Los Angeles-style" development patterns.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
