Design is considered one of the most important parts of an architectural education.  Much emphasis is placed upon the Design Studio within a School of Architecture, yet in the traditional tutor/student model how much opportunity is there for the student to understand the process of designing when emulation forms…

UN-Habitat’s biennial World Urban Forum (WUF9) took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this year from 7-13 February.  Following 18 months after Habitat III, its theme appropriately focused on “Cities 2030, Cities for All”.I participated as the co-chair of the General Assembly of Partners (GAP) official civil societ…

“La Dolce vita” is a view of Italy which has little to do with Milan, yet the way in which the new Apple Store Liberty has managed to adapt it to the city is a perfect example of its austere spirit. There are those who know how to revel in luxury in these parts, of course, but they steer clear of exhibitionism. In this…

With a population of close to 13 million, and an annual growth rate of 2.86 percent, Rwanda plans to position itself as a climate resilient, low carbon, low unemployment, reduced poverty country, with a strong services sector by 2050. Its projected increase in its urbanization rate from a current value of 18.4 p…

In Mumbai, land for development is at a premium, comprising flat, large, uniformly shaped parcels above sea level. This skews priorities, as open spaces with irregular boundaries or topography get neglected, despite demand. Coastal areas in particular fall prey, deemed unbuildable and left to degrade. The template of e…

Towards the conceptualisation of wellbeing through urban surfaces An increasing amount of sub-Arctic population is living in cities and settlements. Despite the urbanisation, seasonality still affects the rhythm of life and willingness to spend time outside of home, which, in turn, affects health and wellbeing of…