China’s Historic Preservation Challenges
Beijing’s hutongs are disappearing quickly. Is there a way create safe housing, preserve historic buildings, and meet the city's financial needs?
How Los Angeles Started Its Sprawl
Victorian values and Anglo(phile) aesthetics shaped the city’s infrastructure and architecture in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
Bangalore’s Green Belt Fifty Years On
Or, why the best laid plans of urban design sometimes go awry.
A Short History of the Public Restroom
How come it's so hard to go in sweet privacy when you're out and about?
How to Plant Trees in the City: It’s Complicated
Trees in cities have the ability to sequester carbon, provide shade, and mitigate flooding. But no one tree fits all environments.
The Permanent Crisis of Infrastructure
Ever since it entered public consciousness in the 1980s, infrastructure has been synonymous with decline.
Uplifting the Masses with Public Parks
Created in Victorian England, the earliest public parks were on a civilizing mission.
How Trees Can Save Lakes From Algae Blooms
In addition to cleaning air pollution, trees absorb excess nutrients from soil, preventing algae blooms in waterways.
When Did We Start Paying to Park Our Cars?
A Curious Reader asks: When and why did parking become monetized?