Development
What Makes Amsterdam Neighborhoods Vibrant? An Afternoon in De Pijp
by Holly Hixson
Everyone, at one point or another has stumbled into a neighborhood that for reasons beyond their control, immediately intrigued, energized, and compelled them to stay awhile; the best neighborhoods in the world have dist...
Sea-Change Ahead for Boston: Private Property Rights May Be Forfeited
by Alyssa Curran
Boston grew from the sea by way of man-made land. Now, the city is facing a return to the sea by way of man-made emissions. Climate resilience and adaptation are emerging in fields spanning urban planning, architecture, ...
Reichstag Exemplifies Germany’s Energy Transition Commitment
by Brittany Garcia
Germany has been in the vanguard of going green. It has implemented a myriad of environmental policies, such as the Climate Action Plan 2050 to ensure a greener tomorrow. The plan’s objective is to eliminate nuclear ener...
Planting the City: Reclaiming Precious Space for Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam
by Holly Hixson
When you imagine living in a densely populated city, what is the first image that pops in your head? Maybe it’s that of a concrete jungle; busy streets where individuals dance around each other trying to get to work, col...
Amsterdam-Noord’s Experimentation with Circular Development
by Holly Hixson
It’s no secret that increasing sustainability is of utmost importance for every sector involved in operating and maintaining life in cities. While cities occupy only three percent of the world’s total land mass, they con...
Book Review of “Infinite Suburbia” by Alan Berger, Joel Kotkin, and Celina Balderas Guzman
by Lynn Coppedge
“Infinite Suburbia,” a collection of essays edited by Alan Berger, Joel Kotkin, and Celina Balderas Guzman, challenges the suburban notion that Lewis Mumford once described as “a multitude of uniform unidentifiable house...
Amsterdam’s Dam Square: Maintaining Vibrant Public Space in a Time of Terrorism
by Holly Hixson
“Leisure is the ideal of life.” This alluring ideology promoted by the municipality of Amsterdam as central to the lifestyle of the ‘Dam city dwellers, draws nearly 16 million tourists to the Netherlands each year. While...
Two Local Water Solutions from Boston on World Water Day
by Alyssa Curran
“How can we reduce floods, droughts and water pollution?” The United Nations’ World Water Day works to create awareness on the importance of water. Held on March 22nd each year, the United Nations (UN) selects a theme to...
Since The Wall: Berlin's Transformation to a Cultural Capital
by Brittany Garcia
On August 13, 1961, during the height of the Cold War, the East German government built a wall to keep residents of East Berlin from defecting to West Berlin. This so-called ‘antifascist protection wall,’ as it was calle...
Safety through Environmental Design | #TheGlobalGrid Pre-Chat Post
by Sarah Essbai
Safety is one of the defining elements of a city’s quality of life. It is often measured by metrics of crime rate, number of reported homicides, acts of vandalism and other violent incidents which objectively quantify an...
Tiergarten: Berlin’s Central Park Becomes A Home for the Homeless
by Brittany Garcia
Tiergarten literally translates to “animal garden” from German to English. The parliamentary, government and diplomatic district in the German capital is named after this so-called animal garden. Tiergarten is considered...
Book Review of “A $500 House in Detroit” by Drew Philp
by Sean Glowacz
“A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City,” by Drew Philp, is the story of Philp’s exploration for significance and purpose, and an expansive assessment of life in urban America. Drew Ph...