The government of Catalonia wants to ban housing speculation. It is currently studying the constitutional legality of banning the ownership … More
Category: Rants
Down with High-Rise, Up with Mid-Rise
From 2005 to 2013, I taught a seminar in the Metropolis Masters Program in Architecture and Urban Culture titled “LandSpec” … More
Stuff
George Carlin once said: “A house is just a place to keep your stuff, while you go out and get … More
Tax the Rich
All those who voted for and signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” just lowered taxes for the USA’s wealthiest. What sense … More
Happy 4th of July to my US Readers
Having grown up in Canada, I have visited the USA on countless occasions. I loved visiting your country as it … More
Pseudo-Vanguardism
When I was an architecture student in 1980s Southern Ontario, Canada, I was taught that the “good” architects were the … More
The Mediterranean Corridor
Spain’s much-lauded high-speed rail network is based on a hub-and-spoke model with Madrid, the Spanish capital, at its very centre. … More
Airport versus Penis Enlargement
Barcelona airport is going to be enlarged, it’s finally been decided. What for? So even more tourists can come and … More
Shady Initiative
Barcelona City Council has initiated a city-wide program to shade public spaces. The reason: it is getting hotter every year. … More
Climate Change? Here it is:
The floods that hit Valencia on 29 October were unprecedented. In the space of only eight hours, a year’s worth … More
It’s the Economy (that’s) Stupid
Spain’s economy is thriving this year, with the highest growth rate in the EU and one of the top rankings … More
Tabula Gaza
As is well-known, Benjamin Netanyahu studied architecture in his youth, a profession tasked with making the world a better place … More
Which Way, Barcelona?
Gaudí must be rolling over in his grave. A Formula 1 race car burning rubber and making noise before one … More
A Moving Structure
It has won the 2022 City of Barcelona award, the Best Public Library of 2023 Award, the 2023 FAD Architecture … More
The Pointlessness of The Line
The Line, that gigastructure for Saudi Arabia that has recently been reduced to only a tiny fraction of its initially … More
Bike Lanes and Politicians
This is Christians Brygge, a central Copenhagen traffic thoroughfare. It varies between one and two lanes for motor vehicles in … More
Failing the Test of Time
The famed Sant Antoni Library by RCR Arquitectes, Catalonia’s only Pritzker Prize-winner, has been undergoing a complete renovation since September … More
A Highly Contested Urban Space in Barcelona
It’s finally happening. A commercial thoroughfare in my neighborhood that is much too narrow, traffic-laden, and overcrowded with shoppers is … More
Life in a Gated Community
When my parents retired around 20 years ago, they decided to move to Seville, my father’s hometown. Since they were … More
Gaudí, Ecologist
Antoni Gaudí is often cited as an architect who was “in tune with nature.” His complex, curvilinear forms, it is … More
Criticalista 