@urbiumetorbi.bsky.social
The city as the greatest of human artefacts/creations - for the love of urbanism & associated human amplifying culture, technology and thinking.
Currently living and working in Hobart, Tasmania.
Currently living and working in Hobart, Tasmania.
Pinned
The duty to jaywalk
Contemplating the walkability of cities and the patient obedience of pedestrians, Elizabeth Farrelly contends that viewing "walkability as a simple practical trait is such an error," and one that many...
architectureau.com
What a 'delicious' article about walkability and the form of our cities, and the nature of what it is to be human (spoiler alert: bipedal curious creatures) - definitely one the best I have read on the subject:
architectureau.com/articles/the...
architectureau.com/articles/the...
#Walkability, #green space and lively food and beverage offerings are now a tempting offering even in car-centric cities like #Riyadh, where business parks like Laysen Valley have attracted top companies HQ like PwC and BlackRock - this is still limited and elite but it shows the tide is changing:
December 23, 2025 at 11:02 PM
#Walkability, #green space and lively food and beverage offerings are now a tempting offering even in car-centric cities like #Riyadh, where business parks like Laysen Valley have attracted top companies HQ like PwC and BlackRock - this is still limited and elite but it shows the tide is changing:
Since the 1st time I saw the #Nakagin Capsule #Tower in 2021 ( #Tokyo ) I was entranced with a vision of an alternate future that never came to pass, and you could also tell back then that the capsules represented both its zenith and nadir - its pros and cons:
www.admiddleeast.com/story/nakagi...
www.admiddleeast.com/story/nakagi...
Nakagin Capsule Tower: Living in a 10 m² Tokyo Apartment
From the heart of Tokyo to starring in an exhibition at MoMA in New York, the legendary Nakagin Capsule Tower is being resurrected after its tragic demolition in 2022
www.admiddleeast.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Since the 1st time I saw the #Nakagin Capsule #Tower in 2021 ( #Tokyo ) I was entranced with a vision of an alternate future that never came to pass, and you could also tell back then that the capsules represented both its zenith and nadir - its pros and cons:
www.admiddleeast.com/story/nakagi...
www.admiddleeast.com/story/nakagi...
How long should a #building last?
In an era of waste minimisation and circular economy maybe as long as it is useful? Maybe also as long as it is loved? As long as it stands and can accommodate other uses?
What do you think?
share.google/eCUsNDfBnKoO...
In an era of waste minimisation and circular economy maybe as long as it is useful? Maybe also as long as it is loved? As long as it stands and can accommodate other uses?
What do you think?
share.google/eCUsNDfBnKoO...
How long should a building last?
Concerns about embodied carbon are increasing the impetus to design architecture that stands the test of time. But just how long should we expect a building to last? Nat Barker reports.
share.google
December 17, 2025 at 8:28 PM
How long should a #building last?
In an era of waste minimisation and circular economy maybe as long as it is useful? Maybe also as long as it is loved? As long as it stands and can accommodate other uses?
What do you think?
share.google/eCUsNDfBnKoO...
In an era of waste minimisation and circular economy maybe as long as it is useful? Maybe also as long as it is loved? As long as it stands and can accommodate other uses?
What do you think?
share.google/eCUsNDfBnKoO...
The Canadian-American #architect Frank #Gehry was 1st the artisan of the found everyday materials and the broken forms, to then evolve into the sculptor of metal waves and parametric forms of #Bilbao #Guggenheim Museum stardom.
Thank for the inspiration RIP.
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Thank for the inspiration RIP.
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Frank Gehry: maximalist master who created instant icons like the Bilbao Guggenheim
He made buildings that looked like slouching drunks and quarrelling couples but it was the Spanish museum that secured his ‘starchitect’ status – a creation that became something of a curse
www.theguardian.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:02 PM
The Canadian-American #architect Frank #Gehry was 1st the artisan of the found everyday materials and the broken forms, to then evolve into the sculptor of metal waves and parametric forms of #Bilbao #Guggenheim Museum stardom.
Thank for the inspiration RIP.
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Thank for the inspiration RIP.
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
"The clusters of European #expats that form 'parallel societies' along #Spain's sought-after coasts"
In some towns expats represent 70% of the local population, so are they still the places full of character that attracted the expats in the 1st place?
share.google/u1kV4QLFZ9Ab...
In some towns expats represent 70% of the local population, so are they still the places full of character that attracted the expats in the 1st place?
share.google/u1kV4QLFZ9Ab...
VISUALISED: The startling clusters of European expats that form 'parallel societies' along Spain's sought-after coasts - Olive Press News Spain
EUROPEAN residents far outnumber Spaniards across entire swathes of Spain’s southern coastline, new data has revealed, as expats appear to be clustering
share.google
December 5, 2025 at 10:44 AM
"The clusters of European #expats that form 'parallel societies' along #Spain's sought-after coasts"
In some towns expats represent 70% of the local population, so are they still the places full of character that attracted the expats in the 1st place?
share.google/u1kV4QLFZ9Ab...
In some towns expats represent 70% of the local population, so are they still the places full of character that attracted the expats in the 1st place?
share.google/u1kV4QLFZ9Ab...
Well this feels slightly anti-climatic: #Tokyo has lost the crown as the largest city in the world to #Yakarta and moved to 3rd place after #Dhaka because of a change in how the UN defines cities. Yakarta, with 42M people becomes the most populous in the world 🌍:
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Jakarta overtakes Tokyo as world’s most populous city, according to UN
The rankings were changed after the UN used new criteria to give a more accurate picture of the rapid urbanisation driving the growth of megacities
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Well this feels slightly anti-climatic: #Tokyo has lost the crown as the largest city in the world to #Yakarta and moved to 3rd place after #Dhaka because of a change in how the UN defines cities. Yakarta, with 42M people becomes the most populous in the world 🌍:
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Ranked: G20 Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita (1990-2024) share.google/TJte1sxk5Lk7...
This graph proves just how shockingly high the per capita green house gases are per person where in #Australia in 1990 (1st) and, more shockingly, how high they still remain (only down to spot 2)
This graph proves just how shockingly high the per capita green house gases are per person where in #Australia in 1990 (1st) and, more shockingly, how high they still remain (only down to spot 2)
Ranked: G20 Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita (1990-2024)
Saudi Arabia emits several times more per person than major European economies.
share.google
December 2, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Ranked: G20 Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita (1990-2024) share.google/TJte1sxk5Lk7...
This graph proves just how shockingly high the per capita green house gases are per person where in #Australia in 1990 (1st) and, more shockingly, how high they still remain (only down to spot 2)
This graph proves just how shockingly high the per capita green house gases are per person where in #Australia in 1990 (1st) and, more shockingly, how high they still remain (only down to spot 2)
Top 30 #Countries according to the Numbeo #Quality of Life, in 2015 and 2025, based on user-reported data on 8 factors:
💰Purchasing Power
🏭 Pollution
🏠 House Price to Income Ratio
🛒 Cost of Living
🛡️ Safety
🏥 Health Care
🚗 Traffic Commute Time
🌤️ Climate
share.google/3SxV1ObMKE7W...
💰Purchasing Power
🏭 Pollution
🏠 House Price to Income Ratio
🛒 Cost of Living
🛡️ Safety
🏥 Health Care
🚗 Traffic Commute Time
🌤️ Climate
share.google/3SxV1ObMKE7W...
Ranked: The Top 30 Countries by Quality of Life
Where are living standards improving? We compare the countries with the best quality of life in 2015 and 2025.
share.google
November 2, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Top 30 #Countries according to the Numbeo #Quality of Life, in 2015 and 2025, based on user-reported data on 8 factors:
💰Purchasing Power
🏭 Pollution
🏠 House Price to Income Ratio
🛒 Cost of Living
🛡️ Safety
🏥 Health Care
🚗 Traffic Commute Time
🌤️ Climate
share.google/3SxV1ObMKE7W...
💰Purchasing Power
🏭 Pollution
🏠 House Price to Income Ratio
🛒 Cost of Living
🛡️ Safety
🏥 Health Care
🚗 Traffic Commute Time
🌤️ Climate
share.google/3SxV1ObMKE7W...
October 20 1973 saw the opening of the world famous #Sydney Opera House. This beloved landmark, designed by Danish #architect Jørn Utzon, could have looked very different if one of the runner up designs had won the competition:
share.google/VtZcbMwRXv48...
share.google/VtZcbMwRXv48...
Today in History - October 20: How beloved Aussie landmark could have looked very different
The Sydney Opera House - one of the most recognisable buildings in the world - was opened by Queen Elizabe...
share.google
October 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
October 20 1973 saw the opening of the world famous #Sydney Opera House. This beloved landmark, designed by Danish #architect Jørn Utzon, could have looked very different if one of the runner up designs had won the competition:
share.google/VtZcbMwRXv48...
share.google/VtZcbMwRXv48...
#Sunrise in #Melbourne - soft, warm, spring morning light reflected upon the relief of the Melbourne Connect building from The University of Melbourne, designed by #architecture firm Woods Bagot.
October 15, 2025 at 7:46 PM
#Sunrise in #Melbourne - soft, warm, spring morning light reflected upon the relief of the Melbourne Connect building from The University of Melbourne, designed by #architecture firm Woods Bagot.
"Japan wraps up unexpectedly successful World Expo" | The Straits Times
Tonight is the last night of the 2025 #Osaka #Expo. With 27 million visitors it exceeded its break even target, and I was one of them two weeks ago - very glad to have been there.
share.google/GLJ8RVrDhl9a...
Tonight is the last night of the 2025 #Osaka #Expo. With 27 million visitors it exceeded its break even target, and I was one of them two weeks ago - very glad to have been there.
share.google/GLJ8RVrDhl9a...
October 13, 2025 at 9:56 AM
"Japan wraps up unexpectedly successful World Expo" | The Straits Times
Tonight is the last night of the 2025 #Osaka #Expo. With 27 million visitors it exceeded its break even target, and I was one of them two weeks ago - very glad to have been there.
share.google/GLJ8RVrDhl9a...
Tonight is the last night of the 2025 #Osaka #Expo. With 27 million visitors it exceeded its break even target, and I was one of them two weeks ago - very glad to have been there.
share.google/GLJ8RVrDhl9a...
You have to take these surveys, this one from TimeOut, with a large 'pinch of salt' but it is interesting that #people from different #cities value different aspects. #1 is Abu Dhabi where heat can be extreme, where as #2 Medellín has spring like weather year round:
www.timeout.com/news/the-20-...
www.timeout.com/news/the-20-...
The 20 happiest cities in the world in 2025, according to locals
More than 18,000 urbanites told us how happy their city makes them
www.timeout.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:52 AM
You have to take these surveys, this one from TimeOut, with a large 'pinch of salt' but it is interesting that #people from different #cities value different aspects. #1 is Abu Dhabi where heat can be extreme, where as #2 Medellín has spring like weather year round:
www.timeout.com/news/the-20-...
www.timeout.com/news/the-20-...
Generative #AI is changing the landscape of the open web we have all been part for ~3 decades. A key player is #Google, as it transforms from a 'search engine' into an 'answer engine' - what does this mean for news and content publishers?
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
A tiny new button in your search bar could kill the open web
The launch of 'AI Mode' ushers in a future where news sites are kept alive to train AI chatbots for a US tech company.
www.abc.net.au
October 10, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Generative #AI is changing the landscape of the open web we have all been part for ~3 decades. A key player is #Google, as it transforms from a 'search engine' into an 'answer engine' - what does this mean for news and content publishers?
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
#Kolkata (formerly Calcutta when it was the capital of the British Raj) is bringing its #architectural #heritage back, one building at a time, and showcasing it at night, and all started as a WhatsApp group led by Mudar Patherya and funded by the community:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Kolkata: The Indian city that sparkles like Paris at night
In 21 months, citizens have lit up 92 Kolkata landmarks with a simple model: your property, their lights.
www.bbc.com
September 14, 2025 at 10:06 AM
#Kolkata (formerly Calcutta when it was the capital of the British Raj) is bringing its #architectural #heritage back, one building at a time, and showcasing it at night, and all started as a WhatsApp group led by Mudar Patherya and funded by the community:
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
#Japanese #architecture firm Vuild has designed a 5,000 seat football stadium in #Fukushima with rippled timber roof and circular economy principles:
share.google/Wojzqluyf6NC...
share.google/Wojzqluyf6NC...
Vuild to crown Fukushima football stadium with rippled timber roof
Japanese architecture studio Vuild has designed an entirely-wooden stadium to be the new home of Fukushima United FC in Fukushima, Japan.
share.google
September 13, 2025 at 8:40 AM
#Japanese #architecture firm Vuild has designed a 5,000 seat football stadium in #Fukushima with rippled timber roof and circular economy principles:
share.google/Wojzqluyf6NC...
share.google/Wojzqluyf6NC...
DNA identifies that #food condiment garum (the soy sauce or for some the 'ketchup' 🙂) used by the #RomanEmpire did indeed contain sardines - so somewhat similar to Thailand's nam pla. This matters because it was part of the massive trade in the empire:
Earth.com www.earth.com/news/dna-ide...
Earth.com www.earth.com/news/dna-ide...
Earth and Environmental News, Videos and Images
At Earth.com, our goal is to provide the internet with a homepage for anything and everything about our planet Earth and the environment.
Earth.com
September 9, 2025 at 10:13 PM
DNA identifies that #food condiment garum (the soy sauce or for some the 'ketchup' 🙂) used by the #RomanEmpire did indeed contain sardines - so somewhat similar to Thailand's nam pla. This matters because it was part of the massive trade in the empire:
Earth.com www.earth.com/news/dna-ide...
Earth.com www.earth.com/news/dna-ide...
Why doesn’t #Google #Maps work in #SouthKorea, one of Asia’s most developed, tourist-friendly countries? | CNN - this is a fascinating storey that shows how security, protectionism and privacy all intertwine:
share.google/KVpMkg0kmQ9M...
share.google/KVpMkg0kmQ9M...
Why doesn’t Google Maps work in one of Asia’s most developed, tourist-friendly countries? | CNN
Millions visit South Korea each year, a tech-friendly tourist haven. There’s just one problem: Google Maps doesn’t work there.
share.google
September 6, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Why doesn’t #Google #Maps work in #SouthKorea, one of Asia’s most developed, tourist-friendly countries? | CNN - this is a fascinating storey that shows how security, protectionism and privacy all intertwine:
share.google/KVpMkg0kmQ9M...
share.google/KVpMkg0kmQ9M...
#Vietnam's #architects are increasingly looking to vernacular techniques, such as deep eaves, open lattice walls together with traditional materials such as brick and bamboo 🎍 to respond to the ever increasing risk that climate change poses to local communities:
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/28/s...
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/28/s...
In one of world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, architects prepare for the worst | CNN
In Vietnam, architects are turning to local materials and time-honored building techniques as enduring tools of climate resilience.
edition.cnn.com
August 31, 2025 at 5:46 AM
#Vietnam's #architects are increasingly looking to vernacular techniques, such as deep eaves, open lattice walls together with traditional materials such as brick and bamboo 🎍 to respond to the ever increasing risk that climate change poses to local communities:
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/28/s...
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/28/s...
The NSW IPC has approved the public domain works for #Sydney's Harbourside redevelopment.
11,200sqm of open space, new apartments and office buildings, it's a reimagining of one the world's most iconic modern #waterfronts by #designers Snøhetta, Hassell and #developer Mirvac:
tinyurl.com/nxcw4j4t
11,200sqm of open space, new apartments and office buildings, it's a reimagining of one the world's most iconic modern #waterfronts by #designers Snøhetta, Hassell and #developer Mirvac:
tinyurl.com/nxcw4j4t
Snøhetta and Hassell’s Harbourside Redevelopment Moves Forward with Public Domain Approval in Sydney
Discover Sydney's Harbourside redevelopment, a vibrant public space designed by Snøhetta and Hassell for community and sustainability.
www.archdaily.com
August 30, 2025 at 12:01 AM
The NSW IPC has approved the public domain works for #Sydney's Harbourside redevelopment.
11,200sqm of open space, new apartments and office buildings, it's a reimagining of one the world's most iconic modern #waterfronts by #designers Snøhetta, Hassell and #developer Mirvac:
tinyurl.com/nxcw4j4t
11,200sqm of open space, new apartments and office buildings, it's a reimagining of one the world's most iconic modern #waterfronts by #designers Snøhetta, Hassell and #developer Mirvac:
tinyurl.com/nxcw4j4t
There appears to be a rise recently in eco-driven #city #masterplans in areas of high environmental importance and lower population density - and here is the latest by Snøhetta next to Kota Kinabalu's airport (in Malaysia):
www.archdaily.com/1033567/snoh...
www.archdaily.com/1033567/snoh...
Snøhetta Unveils Jesselton Docklands Master Plan in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Snøhetta unveils Jesselton Docklands, a waterfront development in Kota Kinabalu, enhancing connectivity and public life.
www.archdaily.com
August 29, 2025 at 11:48 PM
There appears to be a rise recently in eco-driven #city #masterplans in areas of high environmental importance and lower population density - and here is the latest by Snøhetta next to Kota Kinabalu's airport (in Malaysia):
www.archdaily.com/1033567/snoh...
www.archdaily.com/1033567/snoh...
Another funny, insightful & sharp article from Elizabeth Farrelly architectureau.com/articles/rew...
"Perhaps what we want is not less control by planners – which would only create a vacuum to be rapidly filled by developer-led decision making – but more sharing of that control with the citizenry"
"Perhaps what we want is not less control by planners – which would only create a vacuum to be rapidly filled by developer-led decision making – but more sharing of that control with the citizenry"
Rewilding the city
It’s easy to imagine that removing controls on pollution, littering, water quality or, indeed, building height might make things worse for everyone. But there are some rules that, despite their intent...
architectureau.com
August 26, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Another funny, insightful & sharp article from Elizabeth Farrelly architectureau.com/articles/rew...
"Perhaps what we want is not less control by planners – which would only create a vacuum to be rapidly filled by developer-led decision making – but more sharing of that control with the citizenry"
"Perhaps what we want is not less control by planners – which would only create a vacuum to be rapidly filled by developer-led decision making – but more sharing of that control with the citizenry"
The dream of #home ownership is also slipping out of the hands of the middle class in #Southeast #Asia. A study in 2020 showed that the average price-to-income ratio across 211 cities in 27 Asian countries was above 12.5 - are we are looking at the reshaping of the 'social contract'?
sc.mp/sqnxa
sc.mp/sqnxa
Priced out: Southeast Asia’s middle class abandons the dream of owning a home
Luxury flats are still being built, but a growing number of middle-class Southeast Asians are being squeezed out of the market.
sc.mp
August 16, 2025 at 11:34 PM
The dream of #home ownership is also slipping out of the hands of the middle class in #Southeast #Asia. A study in 2020 showed that the average price-to-income ratio across 211 cities in 27 Asian countries was above 12.5 - are we are looking at the reshaping of the 'social contract'?
sc.mp/sqnxa
sc.mp/sqnxa
This is a discovery for me in relation to #bicycle infrastructure; the 'bike lift' or 'CycloCable' in hilly and very cold Trondheim, #Norway. Built in 1993 as a prototype it was upgraded in 2013 and is used 1000s of people in summer:
momentummag.com/this-norwegi...
momentummag.com/this-norwegi...
This Norwegian Cyclist Lift Makes Riding Uphill Easy—North America, Take Note
The Trampe CycloCable is a pedal-powered lift embedded in the pavement that pushes cyclists uphill at around four miles per hour.
momentummag.com
August 12, 2025 at 4:43 AM
This is a discovery for me in relation to #bicycle infrastructure; the 'bike lift' or 'CycloCable' in hilly and very cold Trondheim, #Norway. Built in 1993 as a prototype it was upgraded in 2013 and is used 1000s of people in summer:
momentummag.com/this-norwegi...
momentummag.com/this-norwegi...
#NYC's iconic early 20th century skyscraper the #Flatiron has been reinventing itself from an office building to apartments and will also be lit up for the first time in 123 years:
share.google/tq0Y74IIGQWs...
share.google/tq0Y74IIGQWs...
The iconic Flatiron Building will light up for the first time
123 years later, NYC’s icon gets its glow-up
share.google
August 9, 2025 at 12:46 AM
#NYC's iconic early 20th century skyscraper the #Flatiron has been reinventing itself from an office building to apartments and will also be lit up for the first time in 123 years:
share.google/tq0Y74IIGQWs...
share.google/tq0Y74IIGQWs...