How Kids Learn to Navigate the City (and the World), in Five Designs
Critic Alexandra Lange talks about the objects and places that represent a-ha moments in child-centered design.
Can Silicon Valley Disrupt How We Build?
Flush with venture capital, the startup Katerra wants to revolutionize the construction industry. But as history shows, it’s harder than it looks.
Inside the Secret Cities That Created the Atomic Bomb
The Manhattan Project, the program that developed the first nuclear weapons during World War II, worked out of three purpose-built cities in Tennessee, New Mexico, and Washington state. A new exhibition considers their design and legacy.
The Suburb Wooing Millennials With Avocados, Kombucha, and Cheap Houses
In a new comic-strip ad campaign, Homewood, Illinois, bills itself as a hip, diverse, urban neighborhood that Millennials can afford. The only catch: It’s in the suburbs.
The Protest Town That Embodied MLK's Final Dream
Weeks after Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, thousands of demonstrators came to D.C. to create Resurrection City, a shantytown on the National Mall built to demand government action on poverty.
Climate Change Will Not Make Us Nicer
A recent study found that people who grow up in places with mild weather are more agreeable and outgoing. What does that mean in a world of climate extremes?
The Case for Putting Amazon's HQ2 in the Suburbs
If it’s built on the urban fringe, HQ2 doesn’t have to be an inward-looking campus marooned in sprawl. It could be the mother of all suburban retrofits.
The House of the Future Is Elevated
We can build homes to sit above flood waters so people can ride out the Harveys of the future, but it won’t be easy or cheap.
The Many Sides of Michael Graves
A new biography of the architect tells of his rise from small-town Indiana to partnerships with Disney and Target, and how disability shaped his outlook.
The Eco-Friendly Wooden Skyscrapers of the Future
This change to the urban skyline could make a big dent in carbon emissions.
7 Landmarks Saved by the Historic Tax Credit
The GOP’s tax reform bill has put the federal historic tax credit on the chopping block. Here are just a few of the buildings it helped revive since 1978.
Will a Postmodern Icon Be 'Glasswashed'?
A plan by the design firm Snøhetta to remake Philip Johnson’s AT&T Building has sparked anger in the architecture world.
Can Coloring Books Demystify Bike-Lane Design?
To share concepts from its “low-stress” bicycle master plan, Montgomery County, Maryland, chose the ultimate stress-busting medium of the coloring book.
Designing for a Better Democracy
From graphic explainers of government regulations to board-game-style community workshops, new MacArthur Fellow Damon Rich uses design to make cities more democratic.
A Look Back at the Suburbs of Toronto
A new exhibit explores postwar life in the suburbs of Canada’s largest city.
Octopuses Are Urbanists, Too
Scientists were surprised to find that this smart and solitary species had built a cephalopod city. Why?
The Deer in Your Yard Are Here to Stay
The deer population of the eastern U.S. has exploded and cities are trying to keep it in check. But the options available to them are limited, and fraught.
This Is Your Brain on Architecture
In her new book, Sarah Williams Goldhagen presents scientific evidence for why some buildings delight us and others—too many of them—disappoint.
Why Is the Alt-Right So Angry About Architecture?
Conservatives have long opposed Modernism, but in the video age, avant-garde buildings can become potent symbols in the hands of groups like Infowars and the NRA.
The Military Declares War on Sprawl
The Pentagon thinks better designed, more walkable bases can help curb obesity and improve troops’ fitness.
Undecorating Art Deco
A team of architects tried to understand the appeal of New York City’s most-loved buildings by recreating them for the 21st century.