What is the green belt: First proposed as a vision in the 1930s, the first form of planning policy regarding the prevention of urban sprawl was the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Following from this, local authorities were encouraged to strategically designate an orbital […]
Author: fourfacades
A confluence of style: the architecture and urbanism of Ljubljana
Slovenia has a fascinating geographical location that has historically placed the country at a crossroads between the cultures and empires of years gone by. Through its borders with Italy and Austria, Slovenia holds political and cultural connections to Western Europe. But through Hungary, Croatia and […]
End of the Line: An exploration out West:
The idea for this post, and title, was inspired by the ‘End of the Line’ video series by transport expert and Youtuber Geoff Marshall. This journey out West sought to discover the local hidden gems of an area not often visited by tourists or Londoners. […]
The story of aerial transit in South America
Public transportation has long been a key area of concern for authorities in South American cities. Transit networks are often poorly constructed within a framework of unregulated urban planning (Vasallo and Bueno, 2019). Furthermore, noise pollution and emission levels are high due to traffic congestion […]
Can speculative housebuilders solve the UK’s housing crisis?
This article was originally used in submission for a module in the MPlan degree at the University of Sheffield. All uses of this work should be appropriately cited in line with the professional citation method used. Author Name : Kiran Henry Publication Date : 17/08/22 […]
A critical exploration into the socio-economic impact of Olympic megaprojects
A comparative analysis of the 2012 London Games and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games designed to determine whether the Olympic Megaproject model is conducive to long term sustainable development in cities. This article was originally used in submission for a module in the MPlan […]
The hidden significance of psychogeography on our urban landscapes
With reference to Baudelaire, Perec and Ellard Defined by the Tate Gallery as being “the effect of a geographical location on the emotions and behaviour of individuals”, psychogeography is a way of thinking which has grown on me with enormous fascination this past year. The […]
What’s gone wrong with New York’s ‘Billionaires’ Row’?
A product of New York City’s property boom in the recent years, the area along the southern end of Central Park dubbed ‘Billionaires’ Row’ is beginning to have its luxury and idyllic veneer removed. Many of the super slender skyscrapers in this area were designed […]
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Looking back on 2020: An architectural review
2020 review and a new direction for 2021 While for me 2020 was riddled with lockdowns, isolations and social restrictions, it did present some positives – namely this blog. I launched Four Facades back in May, uploading architectural and urban planning content for the world […]
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Urban hell: A look inside the cage homes of Hong Kong
This article was inspired by a YouTube video published by Vox media that provided an insight into a form of housing in Hong Kong called ‘Cage Homes’. The video raised some interesting points that led me to delve a little deeper into why people are […]
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