Tag: urban
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Elevated Trains
I am coming to the end of my cell phone contract and have been going through the data stored on my phone. In the course of this rather banal task it became apparent that I have taken a large number of photos of two things: my dog and elevated train stations (or views from…
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Are we closer to utopia?
Last century, architects and urban planners had to deal with the fact that vehicles were rapidly increasing their presence in cities. To solve the relationship between cars and pedestrians, some proposed to separate them. A relevant example of these urban planners was Clarence Perry, who developed a concept in the early 1900’s called the “Neighborhood Unit”…
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Taksim Square: Istanbul Residents vs Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
This is our second post about Taksim Square. For city planners and architects looking in from the outside there are two issues; 1) what are the merits of the development proposals for Taksim Square; and 2) did Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality consult civic groups and organizations representing business owners and residents of the area before commencing construction? The answer to both questions is a…
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Taksim Square: To whom does this public space belong?
Taksim Square is a central public space and transit hub located in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is a major tourist attraction with hotels, shops, restaurants, and cultural landmarks. It is also a place where public events, parades, and New Year celebrations take place. Also, one of the largest and most visited pedestrian commercial corridors…
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More on Mumbai Floor Area Regulations
The post from September 2nd on Mumbai’s floor area regulations which was largely based on Alain Bertaud’s (AB) report very succinctly identified major issues that limit supply of housing in Mumbai. A contrasting viewpoint was recently presented by Shirish B. Patel in a national daily newspaper in India. This post complements the earlier post and…
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What Makes Paris Look Like Paris?
Recently on this blog we have talked about the cognitive mapping of a city, exploring how individuals see and record their own neighborhoods. As I write this I can’t help but recall Kevin Lynch’s The Image of the City. He analyzed the organization of cities and subsequently pointed out the way we navigate through these spaces.…