Architecture + Urbanism recommends 'THE CITY THAT NEVER WAS'

The City That Never Was
Reconsidering the Speculative Nature of Contemporary Urbanization

Christopher Marcinkoski
(assistant professor of landscape architecture, University of Pennsylvania)


Published in December 2015 by Princeton Architectural Press this new book presents a comprehensive account of a contemporary urban phenomenon. The publishers write

'One of the most troubling consequences of the 2008 global financial collapse was the midstream abandonment of several large-scale speculative urban and suburban projects.The resulting scars on the landscape, large subdivisions with only marked-out plots and half-finished roads, are the subject of The City That NeverWas, an eye-opening look at what happens when development, particularly what the author calls "speculative urbanism," is out-of-sync with financial reality. Presenting historical and recent examples from around the world from the sprawl of the US Sun Belt and the unoccupied towns of western China, to the "ghost estates" of Ireland and focusing on case studies in Spain, Marcinkoski proposes an ecologically based model in place of the capricious economic and political factors that typically drive development today.
In addition to an in-depth theoretical investigation, the author includes a history of speculative development, as well as numerous design examples for more responsible urban growth.'

Architecture + Urbanism recommends 'James Corner: Intimate Immensity - Public Space in the City'

A Landscape Architecture Open Lecture at Manchester School of Architecture

Tuesday 17 November 2015
5.30pm—7.30pm

Lecture Theatre BZ403
Benzie Building
Boundary St West / Higher Ormond St
Manchester
M15 6BR


James Corner is a leading-edge landscape architect and founder of James Corner Field Operations, based in New York City. He is also professor of landscape and urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design. His work has been recognized with the National Design Award, the Architecture Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the D&AD Black Pencil Award.

As an alumnus of the MMU landscape department, James returns to Manchester to discuss current ideas about the design of vibrant urban public spaces, the importance of seeing cities as landscapes, and the capacity for landscape to create new forms of city-making. He will present his designs for New York’s High Line, Santa Monica’s Tongva Park and London’s South Park at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, among other innovative public realm projects around the world.

His new book, THE HIGH LINE, published by Phaidon, will be available for signing after the talk and can be ordered at a 35% discount on registration.


Tickets

Please book your ticket online using the links on the msa.ac.uk website

Manchester School of Architecture Students only
Free Admission — Get your ticket on Eventbrite

Other Students and External Visitors
£10 Admission — Please pay using BuyOnline

Architecture + Urbanism recommends 'Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture'

LOUIS KAHN: THE POWER OF ARCHITECTURE

Design Museum, London

09 July 2014 – 12 October 2014

The American architect LOUIS KAHN (1901-1974) is regarded as one of the great master builders of the Twentieth Century. Kahn created buildings of monumental beauty with powerful universal symbolism.

This exhibition encompasses an unprecedented and diverse range of architectural models, original drawings, travel sketches, photographs and films. Highlights of the exhibition include a four-metre-high model of the spectacular City Tower designed for Philadelphia (1952-57). Each project is fully represented in this timely exhibition, which seeks to bring one of the twentieth century’s greatest master builders to a new audience.

Architecture + Urbanism recommends 'After Growth: Designing the Environmental Settlement'

2011 MA A+U graduate and current Thouron Scholar Luke Butcher sends news from Philadelphia of an exciting forthcoming event at Penn Design, flatteringly modelled on our own symposium format. Naturally we strongly recommend attendance.

After Growth: Designing the Environmental Settlement

An MEBD Chautauqua

What will our settlements look like in an era where “growth” may no longer be the norm? The industrialized era led our cities towards patterns of perpetual growth, upwards and outwards, but in our post-industrial state, is bigger always better? Global populations are forecast to plateau in the not-so-distant future and our once cheap fuels are becoming more expensive. Reimagining the future of our settlements demands radical changes across society that will shape how we move, work, and play. Existing narratives of environmental design fail to tackle the complex, interconnected social, economic and environmental realities of the present, let alone the future. As a species we are collectively striving to increase our power and prosperity, while reducing ecological risk; this should be the starting point for new narratives.

Instigated by students of the Master in Environmental Building Design (MEBD) program at PennDesign, this Chautauqua will speculate on the future of our settlements, after growth. On April 11th 2014 a wide spectrum of ideas, theories and practices, will be debated. A range of invited speakers, from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and historic preservation, will explore what shape environmental settlement could take in a post-growth world, what can be achieved to progress positively to this condition, and what challenges lie in wait.


REGISTRATION

The Philadelphia Story

We are pleased to announce that 2011 MA A+U graduate Luke Butcher has received a prestigious Thouron Award to pursue further graduate study at the University of Pennsylvania. Luke, who currently works at MACE, will enroll on the Master in Environmental Building Design programme in the Fall.