Welcome to
My Urban Curious Blog:
Authoritative, Affectionate, and Occasionally Absurd
I have been writing about cities, urban design, and the quirks of how people live together for more than twenty-five years. Some of that writing has been technical, or professional. Some has been quirky, or heartfelt. Some has been—let’s be honest here—slightly absurd, usually after an unusually strong espresso.
Top Learnings from Manila, Philippines: A Photo Essay
I spent the past week in Manila with a copy of Women Changing Cities in my bag—and a head full of optimism.
I’ve shared my top learnings (and photos) from Manila in this photo-essay.
The Bold, the Brilliant, and the Bonkers: Wacky Ideas That Shaped Urban Planning
Progress in city-building has often come from people willing to imagine something radically different from the status quo.
Planning has never been a profession for those who simply accept cities as they are.
The Bright Side of Bias
Inspired by a BBC Sideways podcast episode on why mega-projects so often run over budget and over time, I reflect on “optimism bias” — our tendency to imagine the smooth path rather than the muddy detour.
Which Planning Acronym Are You?
Urban planners speak in alphabet soup.
Here’s just a few of our creations:
There’s the smooth operator: TOD.
The defensive neighbour: NIMBY.
And the glamorous overachiever: LEED-ND.