Cities are responsible for accommodating most of the world population. Cities grow; big ones get even bigger; new satellite towns are supposed to ease the strain on city centres. Urban planners therefore face major tasks in creating liveable urban environments for millions of people. Topos presents examples of urban design strategies, in Sydney, Shanghai, Dubai, London, Madrid, Chicago, Vancouver and Bogotá.
Sydney – City of Landscapes
Since the 2000 Olympics, and in light of an ongoing explosion in population, the need for a drastic overhaul of Sydney's urban system has become clear. A series of new landscape projects provide physical models that respond to diverse planning challenges. Author: Hawken, Scott
Metropolitan Region Shanghai
The town planning history of Shanghai has taken many turns with political change in the past century. A consistent planning strategy could not be implemented until the 1990s when development really took off. The achievements will be presented to an international audience at the World Expo 2010. Author: Kögel, Eduard
Managing Urban Growth in Shanghai
The targeted urbanisation of Shanghai's suburbs leads to a decentralized growth that forms a polycentric regional network. New Towns take various Western urban developments as their models. Author: Ruff, Stefanie, Dong, Nannan
Livingstone's London
Mayor Ken Livingstone has already had considerable impact on London's built environment, but in the coming years his policies are set to transform the city to an unprecedented degree. Author: Woodman, Ellis
Spain's Growing Capital City
Large infrastructure projects represent a major step forward for Madrid's transport planning, preparing the city for the future – and the next Olympic bid. Author: Ng, Waikeen , Vegara, Alfonso
Fear and Money in Dubai
Some may consider Dubai the prototype of the 21st century metropolis. Mike Davis describes the luxury urban enclave as the apotheosis of neo-liberalism. Petrodollars are invested in fantasy worlds and architectural landmarks to establish the city as a brand on the world market. Author: Davis, Mike
Chicago's Green Strategies
Long since considered an industrial and economic workhorse within the United States, Chicago's approach to redefining its greenscape has changed its reputation from a city laden with underutilized and vacant manufacturing and industrial sites to a city striving to become a model for comprehensive green urbanism. Author: Lindke, Lybra
Chicago Central Area Plan
Subtitled "Preparing the Central City for the 21st Century", the Chicago Central Area Plan is nothing less than the next step in Chicago's hundred-year quest to build the world's greatest city, and build it according to a plan. Author: Chappell , Jim
Better City, Better Life
Developing over the next three years where steel mills, shipyards and chemical and metallurgical industries had been until now, the Expo grounds are to be new publicity for the city. Author: Ruff, Stefanie
Shanghai's New Urban Development Scheme
In early 2006 Shanghai designed a new urban development scheme called "1966". "New Cities" and "New Towns" play a major role in this new scheme. Author: Wang, Zhijun, Li , Zhenyu
Mirage Metropolis
Vancouver has become such a global model for urbanism that Vancouverism refers to the twin ideals of increased residential density and liveability in the city core. The article critically reflects on this approach which, despite its many failings, nevertheless creates new possibilities for landscape. Author: Burger, Don , Roehr, Daniel , Soules, Matthew
Bogotá Transformations
Implementation of a series of masterplans in recent years has turned Bogotá from a chaotic, unsafe city into a capital with a progressive transport system, public parks, pedestrian and cycle networks. Author: Fajardo, Martha Cecilia, Kawashima, Noboru
Safeguarding the Historic Urban Landscape
More and more historic cities adopt strategies and policies that assign an important role to heritage in the city's social and economic development. A well-managed historic urban landscape is a strong competitive tool as it attracts not only tourists, but capital and residents as well. It is essential to establish an active partnership between conservation and development. Author: van Oers, Ron
Landscape Architecture in Greece
Around 100 practicing landscape architects in Greece demonstrate the valuable contribution landscape architecture can make to the environment. However, the profession is still not as widely recognised here as in other countries. Author: Bargianni, Elissavet
