Weekly Roundup 144 – 25th November to 1st December

FEATURE REPORT/ ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

‘Two years on, India’s top five smart cities lagging in mission progress‘
By Navya P K

It’s been close to two years since the first 20 cities were selected under the much talked-about Smart Cities Mission (SCM) of the Government of India, but progress under the mission has been slow.

Read the whole piece here.

Published by Citizen Matters.

ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE WEEK

‘Post Expo 2015. Scenarios for a 4D Transformation‘
Published by ARUP, Planum – The Journal of Urbanism

After Expo 2015, Milan was left with an unprecedented legacy, both in its built environment and in the wider reputation of the city. Expo occupied a 100- hectare site, which is now fully equipped to provide services to a new community of 1000 individuals. Recently, the Italian government has committed to invest in the Expo site as part of a strategic initiative for the future of the national economy called the Human Tech-nopole. The aim is to develop a world-class research centre for the sciences, one that will act as an international beacon for the brightest minds. Arup designed an alternative methodology to address the transformation of the Expo area, one that introduces time as a fourth dimension and essential factor to enable a clear policy of progressive development. The scenarios illustrate four steps for a dynamic and progressive distribution of ingredients, vocations and functions that will populate the Expo area. The different options consider fluctuations in investment, which are driven by a range of inter-connected factors, including the desirability of the site, the health of the broader economy and the engagement of public and private stakeholders, both at a local and national scale.

You can download the entire report here.

 VIDEO / PODCAST OF THE WEEK

‘Starship Chicago: A Building on the Brink‘
Created by MAS Context

The film focuses on Helmut Jahn’s James R. Thompson Center, originally the State of Illinois Center, an iconic, provocative, and controversial landmark architectural statement that continues to provoke, enrage, and inspire despite the state of Illinois’ shameful neglect.

While the film chronicles the story of Chicago’s most provocative contribution to modern architecture it more importantly calls into question the very essence of the future of the democratic city—Who determines the future of the past?