English | Español The Dominican Republic… Has it all! is the official tourism slogan. As Europeans, what we immediately think about when it comes to the Dominican Republic are white beaches, palm trees, coconut rum and resort tourism. Last September—escaping the European winter—I arrived in a plane full of tourists from Vienna to the caribbean island. When I reached my … [Read more...] about Santiago de los Caballeros: Let’s return to the center!
Panama Urban Lab: Why working with universities makes sense for urban design
English | Español In April 2015, together with the University of Panama (UP) and the Institute of Urban Design of the University of Technology of Vienna, we organized a Summer School of Architecture in Panama City for approximately 50 students from Panama, Austria, Argentina and Italy. In only ten days, the young planners developed a number of urban strategies and design … [Read more...] about Panama Urban Lab: Why working with universities makes sense for urban design
Bridgetown 360: 5 ideas to revitalize the city
Many cities across Latin America and the Caribbean share a common issue: the existence of central areas or downtowns that are run down or underutilized. In most cases city centers are bustling with activity during the day, but become ghost towns during the night. This phenomenon is especially common in emerging cities where the inadequate use of tangible and intangible urban … [Read more...] about Bridgetown 360: 5 ideas to revitalize the city
Designing Cities for the Youth
Español | English In a world that is increasingly interconnected, answers to everyday problems not only come from traditional mechanisms, but also come from a growing number of tools and grassroots associations with great transformative potential. Empowered by social media and knowledge-sharing systems, young men and women have become key agents for decision-making in … [Read more...] about Designing Cities for the Youth
The Renaissance of Old Havana
Español | English Strolling through Havana’s historic city center during a recent vacation in Cuba, I was intrigued by the two contrasting worlds that coexist in this place. In the beautifully restored parts of Habana Vieja (Old Havana), tourists and street artists fill cobbled streets, and countless restaurants advertise Caribbean delicacies in bilingual menus. Only a couple … [Read more...] about The Renaissance of Old Havana