The Global Urbanist

News and analysis of cities around the world

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Miranda Iossifidis and Geoffrey Payne •

Who inspires you? There are many celebrated ideas and personalities in the field of urban development, but how many survive the test of time? John Turner's argument that housing is most successful when produced through the autonomy of its residents remains popular, influential, but often misunderstood. Today two writers, representing very different generations, reflect on the legacy of a quiet hero of global urbanism.

Cities
Arequipa, London
Topics
Housing, Participatory governance, Community organisation, Informal settlements, International development

Popular Articles

  1. A harm reduction approach to homelessness
  2. 'Smart cities' slowly getting smarter
  3. It takes a village: building the Renaissance Project in Haiti
  4. Cape Town needs strategies to densify the centre

Regions

  • East Asia
  • South Asia
  • Southeast Asia and the Pacific
  • North America
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Africa and the Middle East
  • Europe and Central Asia

Recent Headlines

Tanya Gallo •

How can we reimagine a public space that has been divided by civil war, sectarianism, and capitalist redevelopment? Rather than sophisticated urban design, Tanya Gallo argues that allowing public space to retain its indeterminacy, as in the traditional maidans of Arabic and Persian cities, will keep it accessible for all citizens to express their differences democratically.

Kerwin Datu •

Slum neighbourhoods are teeming with industry and commerce, yet the policy sphere still tends to treat them as residential spaces alone. What are the consequences of this misconception, and is it time to invoke a right to space, not just of housing?

Tanya Gallo •

Martyrs' Square was the focal point for the 2005 demonstrations that saw Syria relinquish control of Lebanon. How do its citizens now regard this polarising space, and how should placemakers respond? Tanya Gallo investigates.

Tanya Gallo •

In the first of three articles, Tanya Gallo explores the capitalist redevelopment of downtown Beirut, and how it is threatening to create new segregations between the wealthy and the general public.

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Planning

Evaluating Foster's Thames Hub vision

Kerwin Datu •

There is much to be commended, and much to be weeded out, in Foster's vision for a new London airport in the Thames Estuary and the proposal for a new transport, utilities and data spine running the length of the country.

Governance

Economy

'Smart cities' slowly getting smarter

Zoe Green •

The 'smart city' concept has existed for several years, but only now, with some trial and error, are we seeing the real fruits of these efforts coming to light.

Communities

Thinking positively about housing for World AIDS Day

Noemi Reiner •

While most are aware of the need for education and prevention, Noemi Reiner of ARCHIVE highlights the need for stable housing for people living with HIV/AIDS to lower transmission rates and reduce the physical and emotional risks of disease and stress.

Environment

London Conferences on Food and Cities

Mike Duff •

Two conferences suggest a growing interest in the field, but more must be done to acknowledge and provide for the complexities of food systems within city planning.

International

The global urban agenda: dealing with complexity

Yusaf Samiullah •

Yusaf Samiullah OBE argues for the complexity of urban environments, stating that this is what international development organisations must apprehend and address if they are to improve the quality of urban livelihoods.

Most Discussed

  1. A harm reduction approach to homelessness
  2. Cape Town needs strategies to densify the centre
  3. Who sets the global urban agenda?
  4. Filling the gap in Cape Town's housing market
  5. Post-war reconstruction sowing new divisions in Beirut

Hot Topics

Housing
Inspiring urbanists: John F. C. Turner
Informal settlements
Has our focus on housing distracted us?
Poverty and inequality
Happiness and misery on five dollars, one dollar, or fifteen cents a day
Economic development
Evaluating Foster's Thames Hub vision

Hot Cities

London
Inspiring urbanists: John F. C. Turner
Mumbai
Has our focus on housing distracted us?
Manila
Happiness and misery on five dollars, one dollar, or fifteen cents a day
Delhi
NGOs and governments in India must learn to work together

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About

The Global Urbanist is an online magazine reviewing urban affairs and urban development issues in cities throughout the developed and developing world.

Its readers are drawn from the urban policy and international development sectors, and include urban planners, officers in local, national or international government agencies, civil society leaders, and researchers.

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