"One cannot make architecture without studying the condition of life in the city"

Aldo Rossi

The city of Chicago will have a new public park on an elevated railway, thanks to a community lead initiative with some planning help from ARUP, Ross Barney Architects, and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. The park is 3 miles (5 km), making it  twice as long as the High Line Prokject. The park is mainly being funded by  Federal transportation funds; the first phase is scheduled to open in 2014, 

The city of Chicago will have a new public park on an elevated railway, thanks to a community lead initiative with some planning help from ARUP, Ross Barney Architects, and Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. The park is 3 miles (5 km), making it  twice as long as the High Line Prokject. The park is mainly being funded by  Federal transportation funds; the first phase is scheduled to open in 2014, 

Conceptual Devices  are a design firm in Zurich started by Antonio Scarponi. “ Design should not be based on formal principles – but always on an idea of society.” GLOBE / HEDRON is a bamboo greenhouse designed to organically grow fish and vegetables on top of generic flat roofs.

Conceptual Devices  are a design firm in Zurich started by Antonio Scarponi. “ Design should not be based on formal principles – but always on an idea of society.” GLOBE / HEDRON is a bamboo greenhouse designed to organically grow fish and vegetables on top of generic flat roofs.

The Edge is a remediation site design project in the SF Bay. It aims to combine public infrastructure with ecosystem rehabilitation. The work is from the design team Interstice  and a winner of the Green Dot Award contest in 2011.

The Edge is a remediation site design project in the SF Bay. It aims to combine public infrastructure with ecosystem rehabilitation. The work is from the design team Interstice  and a winner of the Green Dot Award contest in 2011.

Streetfilms latest production explores  the innovations that earned San Francisco a 2012 recognition from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. 

Earlier this month, UPenn held a screen of the documentary Urbanized, and held a panel discussion with two of the films participants, which can be viewed here on vimeo. Enjoy!


There are a few recent projects which redesign the banal landscapes of airfields into new urban components. Aspern is an example in Austria, attempting to create a research, development, and education center. The Tempelhofer Freiheit  in Berlin took a different approach, and kept the historical identity of the site. Valentin Schipfer’s article gives some insight behind the master plan branding that goes into a development such as Aspern;s urban lakeside.

There are a few recent projects which redesign the banal landscapes of airfields into new urban components. Aspern is an example in Austria, attempting to create a research, development, and education center. The Tempelhofer Freiheit  in Berlin took a different approach, and kept the historical identity of the site.

Valentin Schipfer’s article gives some insight behind the master plan branding that goes into a development such as Aspern;s urban lakeside.

Civitas has announced the winners of the competition to re imagine the East River Waterfront of NYC. The selected designs address crucial aspects of re imaging  the waterfront canals, to below-water ecosystems, and community led design. A full recap can be found here at the architects newspaper.

Civitas has announced the winners of the competition to re imagine the East River Waterfront of NYC. The selected designs address crucial aspects of re imaging  the waterfront canals, to below-water ecosystems, and community led design. A full recap can be found here at the architects newspaper.

Sky Network, is a proposal by architect Tiago Barros to vertical grow NYC’s public space, The concept aims to provide a lightweight structure, which is a vehicle free zone, and feature a “studio lighting” LED panels. Certainly a futuristic concept recognized from sci-fi landscapes, and hopefully its progressive motive can overcome the several bureaucratic hurdles, especially within the landmarks commission. 

Sky Network, is a proposal by architect Tiago Barros to vertical grow NYC’s public space, The concept aims to provide a lightweight structure, which is a vehicle free zone, and feature a “studio lighting” LED panels. Certainly a futuristic concept recognized from sci-fi landscapes, and hopefully its progressive motive can overcome the several bureaucratic hurdles, especially within the landmarks commission. 

The Plant is an ambitious example of the mixture between farm and urban living. The building was an old meat packing facility in the heart the  industrial landscape, now an off grid food production and processing facility incorporating aquaponics and underground farming; a brewery; a local food business incubator and outdoor growing spaces too.

The Plant is an ambitious example of the mixture between farm and urban living. The building was an old meat packing facility in the heart the  industrial landscape, now an off grid food production and processing facility incorporating aquaponics and underground farming; a brewery; a local food business incubator and outdoor growing spaces too.

Bjarke Ingles of BIG discusses his approach of hedonistic sustainability. Here at urbalize we see it as a necessary paradox or phase phase in design and a trend that we must pass through.  To accept a negotiated compromise of technology’s pace rather than hoping to just leap-frog to Utopia. Ecological achievement must be behavioural before it can become substantial.