Population density in Amman (Source: Metropolitan Amman: Comprehensive Climate Plans, November 2020) I am a big fan of the work of the urban geographer Myriam Ababsa. Her spatial analysis of Amman has changed the way I view the city. Her work is an excellent example of the power of data analysis in laying out facts […]
Lessons from Amman Read More »
I can’t remember the last time I was at a conference that was this much fun! Four days of listening, discussing, drawing, learning, meeting, laughing, observing, eating, walking… all things related to ‘green’ in the city. What is the impact of trees on air quality? Are green walls worth the hassle? How can we finance
The Nature of Cities Summit – what a week! Read More »
I had the pleasure of attending the Cities of the Arab World conference at Michigan State University last week. I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect, given it was the first academic conference I’ve attended in a long time. What I found particularly valuable was the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, with
Cities of the Arab World – thoughts on an interdisciplinary conference Read More »
It was a real treat to read Farah Al Nakib’s book: Kuwait Transformed: A History of Oil and Urban Life. I’ve captured some of my thoughts in a recently published review piece, excerpts are below: Al-Nakib vividly depicts the economic, social, and political interactions occurring in the port, the suq (market), the mixed-class firjan (neighborhoods), and the homes of pre-oil
Kuwait Transformed: linking urban development to social change Read More »
Provocation In his recent book, The Well-Tempered City, Jonathan Rose describes the development of cities from 3100 BC to the present day. I was struck by his description of the “Islamic City”: “Islam offered the cities it captured a coherent, integrating vision, accompanied by economic and religious freedom that encouraged diversity and contributed to prosperity.” (p.80) Rose
Planning the ‘Islamic City’ Read More »
My latest article on The Nature of Cities highlights and explores some of the questions raised by Marwa al-Sabouni’s thought-provoking book, The Battle for Home: The Vision of a Young Architect in Syria. The article does not do justice to Marwa’s book, which is packed with brave questions, observations, and challenges to current thinking and
The Battle for Home: exploring questions of identity and architecture Read More »