Urban Planning Blog

Robyn at Cities of Theory asks a pertinent and oft-raised question - “are we training people for a profession crying out for candidates but with candidates not fitting the requirements and unable to get a job?”

Using music to sell condos? And I’m not talking about iPod giveaways [via therevitalist]. Interesting idea though. The impact of cultural homogeneity on residential location is steadily growing.

The strength of an urban area lies in its infrastructure; often hidden from our eyes. Take a look at the sewer flood control system of Tokyo. Amazing scale.

DNA11 creates personalized and original abstract art from a sample of your DNA or fingerprints. Tad pricey but don’t get involved with a crime in your home otherwise your prints will be all over. Literally.

A practical approach for developing economies - Design for Sustainability.

Britain’s Ten Ugliest buildings? I partly agree because I don’t understand the over-indulgence of glass facades.

Ten areas that offer both affordable housing and rapidly rising home values in some of the country’s largest cities. Also, check out the list of biggest Metro areas with the lowest rent. All four Texas metros make the cut.

147 Tiny Tips to Live Healthier, Happier, Greener and Better.

Remodeling your home and can’t afford a decorator? Try out Floorplanner. The online software runs in Flash and lets your drag-and-drop objects to your layout. A free account should suffice although premium options are available too.

Talking of camouflage, wouldn’t our highways look much better if billboards blended into the background? [via]

Sudhir Venkatesh, one of the foremost contemporary researchers in sociology has a book coming out in 2008, called Gang Leader for a Day. He is famously known to have hobnobbed with gang members in Chicago at much risk to his life for research purposes. Freakonomics has a fine interview with him.

Amazing pictures of the Minami-Nagano Dental Clinic and Residence. I simply love simplistic modern Japanese architecture [via].

In spite of the perceived purist architecture tradition in Paris, it has seen innovative designs like the Pompidou Centre, Fondation Quartier, and of course, the Louvre Pyramid. And now, the design for “Phare” Tower (Lighthouse) part of the redevelopment of the business district, La Défense has been revealed. Quite dramatic. Should I mention that this design beat design entries by Norman Foster and Rem Koolhaas?

Fancy living in a camouflaged home? You might want to check out this home’s tree-lined walls. Literally.

Social Explorer presents census data from 1940 to the present in an interesting interactive manner [zoomable maps too]. Check out the easy-to-use report maker that lets you list essential data in selected tracts and compare it to broader geographical regions [via Cyburbia].