Yes, Ban Housing Speculation!

The government of Catalonia wants to ban housing speculation. It is currently studying the constitutional legality of banning the ownership … More

Digitization and its Discontents

Is it just me, or is the digital universe getting worse by the day? I find many apps and web … More

United We Stand

Demonstrations are a weekly occurence in Barcelona. Usually, they are organized well in advance, as permits must be issued by … More

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

Mountain Hut Essentials

Mountain huts, when situated far from any infrastructure such as a road or a ski lift, cannot afford to be … 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

Power Dependency

Yesterday, in the middle of the day, the electricity went out on the entire Iberian peninsula. From one minute to … More

Dear Readers of Criticalista:

As you may have noticed, the world is undergoing a sea-change right now. The recent swearing-in of the 47th president … 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

Forensic Architecture’s Cartography of Genocide

Forensic Architecture recently completed an exhaustive, highly detailled investigation titled “A Cartography of Genocide: Israel’s Conduct in Gaza Since October … More

The Barcelona Pavilion-Crematorium

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can give to greatness.” -Oscar Wilde. From the outside, the Crematorium … 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