The Urban Design Lab is continuing its post-Maria initiative in Vieques, Puerto Rico studying options for resilient short-term development projects with longer-term implications for scaling-up economic development. The team is headed by UDL Director Richard Plunz, with Vilma Rivera Gallagher, Maria Paola Sutto and Urban Planner Douglas Woodward, faculty member of the Graduate School of… read more

Urban Design Lab Director Richard Plunz published “Coming of Age in the Age of Moses,” dedicated to the Urban Renewal in New York City from 1950 to 1980. The book New York Rising is a history of the city real estate development including speculation, innovation and risks that collectively shaped the city. The source for… read more

On October 10 the Urban Design Lab (UDL) was an important presence to the celebration of the 125th Street Business Improvement District 25th year anniversary. The work of the pilot Columbia SPS summer course on Sustainable Urbanization was displayed at the BID’s Annual Meeting. The projects included design proposals from Morningside Drive to the Hudson… read more

The Summer High School Pilot Program “Sustainable Urbanization: New Designs for the Future City” ended on July 13th with a final presentation to the CEO of Harlem’s 125th Street Business Improvement District, Barbara Askins; the Columbia VP for Communication Victoria Benitez; Community Board 9 representatives; local architects, and education professionals. The students researched bridges between… read more

In November 2016 Richard Plunz published the revised edition of his book, A History of Housing in New York City (A History of Housing in New York City, Columbia University Press, revised edition, 2016). The book traces New York’s housing development history from 1850 to the present through text and over 300 illustrations. Plunz examines the housing of all classes, the… read more

On December 8th the Urban Design Lab celebrated 10 years of research pushing the frontiers of urban innovation and interdisciplinary boundaries. There was acknowledgment of meaningful partnerships all over the world, and optimism about further collaborations. In a festive and warm atmosphere colleagues and partners from various professional backgrounds came together at Steelcase on Columbus… read more

The Urban Design Lab (UDL) at Columbia University’s Earth Institute is pleased to announce the release of “Spatial Strategies for Manyatta: Designing for Growth”, a collaboration between UDL, the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), and the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI). This publication proposes innovative solutions to some of the most complex and pressing… read more

This report projects future development scenarios for New Rochelle, New York, within the context of the New York City and Long Island Sound regions. Exploring a diversity of possibilities, the report’s overriding concern engages ecological considerations related to New Rochelle’s unique position as a transportation hub on the edge of the most urbanized estuary in… read more