If Jay Z thought 99 problems was difficult, imagine what he’d do with 100 million. For modern architects, that staggering number haunts their designs old and new–each year Earth’s population gains approximately 100 million people. By 2050, the United Nations projects population will reach 9.7 billion.
Add those billions of people to existing issues like pollution, overcrowding, urban sprawl, and income disparity and the world we hope to build seems far from ever becoming reality.
Luckily, we humans are a pretty resilient bunch. Among all the billions of us in the world are a few great minds honing the concept of “resilient architecture.” The movement isn’t just a design trend, it’s a necessity. Through functional design, repurposed materials, and big-picture design plans, these experts shed light on how modern architecture’s role in saving humanity.
7 Principles for Building Better Cities
Peter Calthrope’s TED Conference talks takes a deeper look at how the way we build our cities impacts the Earth as well as the society populating it. With more than half of the world’s population living in cities, and another 2.5 billion projected to join them by 2050, Calthrope advocates for sustainable community design that combats urban sprawl.
What a Driverless World Could Look Like
If a great city is the heart of a community, traffic flow is what keeps it beating. Why then, does every city have gridlock? It’s not necessarily the drivers, but the cars themselves that are causing some of our greatest cities to clog with cars, accidents, and smog. Wanis Kabbaj offers his take on smarter city planning that gives way for more innovative transportation methods.
Creative Houses From Reclaimed Stuff
Waste is a terrible thing to waste. At least that’s what Texas builder Dan Phillips thinks. His upcycled homes aren’t just beautiful, they’re addressing larger issues at hand.
