Cities & Urban Design

Creating a Destination for Pride, Diversity, and Inclusion in San Jose
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Creating a Destination for Pride, Diversity, and Inclusion in San Jose

With the city's first LGBTQIA+ district, the city of San Jose has created a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming new place that showcases the history...

Will Remote Work Trends Benefit Smaller, More Affordable Cities?
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Will Remote Work Trends Benefit Smaller, More Affordable Cities?

How can cities function as an attractive extension of the office in the age of “anywhere work?”

What Gensler’s Latest Pulse Survey Uncovers About the Post-Pandemic City
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What Gensler’s Latest Pulse Survey Uncovers About the Post-Pandemic City

As urban residents around the world consider relocating, our City Pulse findings offer a snapshot of their views, providing real-time research into...

Rethinking the Ways Cities Can Invest in Vital Neighborhoods
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Rethinking the Ways Cities Can Invest in Vital Neighborhoods

As we emerge from the pandemic, racial and socioeconomic disparities are more apparent than ever in our urban environments — and we must recenter our...

Can the 20-Minute City Encourage Gender Parity?
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Can the 20-Minute City Encourage Gender Parity?

The 20-minute city framework can help us think about what steps we can take to make the zones that are set aside mostly for work more livable and the...

Transforming Our Streets and the Public Realm Through Art and Programming
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Transforming Our Streets and the Public Realm Through Art and Programming

In 2020, we saw public space and art bring local and global communities together in new ways. How might we reimagine our streets and the public realm...

Converting a Parking Garage Roof Into a “People Deck” in San Jose
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Converting a Parking Garage Roof Into a “People Deck” in San Jose

A proposal to convert the roof of a parking garage into a "people deck" in downtown San Jose offers a place where people can gather, relax...

Creating Resilient Urbanism With Streetscape Design
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Creating Resilient Urbanism With Streetscape Design

Our streetscape spaces have the potential to be vital agents in the fight against climate change and in creating livable cities.

Towards Justice, Equity, and Design
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Towards Justice, Equity, and Design

To bring diverse voices together around issues related to race and diversity, Gensler's Justice, Equity & Design Dialogue series aims to ignite a...

Cities & Urban Design: Design Strategies for a Post-COVID World
INSIGHT

Cities & Urban Design: Design Strategies for a Post-COVID World

Gensler’s Cities & Urban Design leaders discuss how they are tackling challenges impacting cities, including climate change, urban revitalization...

Why Human Experience Is Critical to Las Vegas’ Reinvention
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Why Human Experience Is Critical to Las Vegas’ Reinvention

In a post-COVID age, how will a city that thrived on getting such a wide variety of people together now survive? Las Vegas has an opportunity to...

The Mental and Physical Benefits of Our Plazas, Parks, and Sidewalks
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The Mental and Physical Benefits of Our Plazas, Parks, and Sidewalks

Scientific studies back up what many already feel is true: our mental and physical health is inextricably linked to the connections between ourselves...

Why People-First Design Is Key to San Jose’s Future
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Why People-First Design Is Key to San Jose’s Future

In order to realize this future for San Jose and other cities, we need to act with design solutions that support our humanity.

Why Investing in Public Space Matters for Cities and Real Estate Developers
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Why Investing in Public Space Matters for Cities and Real Estate Developers

Right now, perhaps no other location or space type is in higher demand than pedestrian-friendly, outdoor public space.

Design Forecast: Cities & Urban Design
INSIGHT

Design Forecast: Cities & Urban Design

To address today’s challenges, the interplay between urban designers, public policy makers, and community voices will take on new meaning, as they...

The Rise of Second-Tier Cities
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The Rise of Second-Tier Cities

Gensler's City Pulse Survey confirms that people are looking to leave global cities for more affordable, less dense cities that still offer culture...

Real Estate Must Offer Human Experiences, as We Escape Virtual Lockdown Living
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Real Estate Must Offer Human Experiences, as We Escape Virtual Lockdown Living

The recovery is an opportunity to realign real estate value with human experience.

2020 Reminds Us That Leadership Matters
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2020 Reminds Us That Leadership Matters

With leadership based on shared values, empathy, respectful consideration, and vision, we can reimagine a new future — not only for our industry...

Rebuilding Community in the Post-Pandemic World
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Rebuilding Community in the Post-Pandemic World

When we can return to the office and resume other in-person activities, creating places for people to spend time together and rebuild community — not...

The Future of the Central Business District: Resetting Our Downtown Cores
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The Future of the Central Business District: Resetting Our Downtown Cores

We believe that we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a reset of the central business district and its relationship to the city at large.

What Gensler's City Pulse Survey Reveals About the Changing Urban Experience
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What Gensler's City Pulse Survey Reveals About the Changing Urban Experience

Gensler’s City Pulse Survey 2020 findings provide developers, urban designers, and clients with real-time research into how the pandemic is impacting...

Reimagining San Antonio as a 20-Minute City
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Reimagining San Antonio as a 20-Minute City

The idea of a “20-minute city,” in which residents’ needs can all be found within a 20-minute walk or short bike ride from their homes, can be...

The Slow Streets Movement Needs More Black Voices
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The Slow Streets Movement Needs More Black Voices

Even before the pandemic and recent civil unrest, it was clear that communities of color were struggling with urban health, safety, and wellness...

City Pulse Survey 2020
RESEARCH

City Pulse Survey 2020

The Gensler Research Institute's City Pulse Survey explores how the pandemic is impacting the urban experience in global cities including New York...

Webinar: The Evolving City
INSIGHT

Webinar: The Evolving City

Gensler Cities & Urban Design and Research Leaders discuss urban revitalization, with a focus on rethinking the "20-minute neighborhood" through the...

Amenities at the Edge: Where the Workplace Meets the Street
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Amenities at the Edge: Where the Workplace Meets the Street

We have an opportunity to reimagine the ground floor of our cities — reinventing sidewalk-facing storefronts to serve the community, not just the...

A Q&A with a Costa Rican Mayor about the Future of City Design
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A Q&A with a Costa Rican Mayor about the Future of City Design

If there’s one area Costa Rica could improve upon, it’s the coexistence of its largest city San José with the surrounding natural ecology. At least...

Empowering Citizens to Transform Their Cities
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Empowering Citizens to Transform Their Cities

Here are seven tips for creating successful community outreach and connecting with your constituents during the pandemic and beyond.

Designing More Inclusive, Accessible Transit Systems for All
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Designing More Inclusive, Accessible Transit Systems for All

To create healthier, more inclusive cities, we must promote more equitable mobility services and make transit more accessible to all users.

Learning from the Pandemic to Create More Equitable Community Engagement
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Learning from the Pandemic to Create More Equitable Community Engagement

The current crisis has turned many long held community engagement best practices and expectations on their head. At this critical inflection point...

From Environmental Racism to Climate Justice
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From Environmental Racism to Climate Justice

Here's how architects and designers can deliberately shape the built environment to further climate justice, combat environmental racism, and promote...

Reimagining a Safer, More Equitable Daily Commute
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Reimagining a Safer, More Equitable Daily Commute

Here are four strategies to create a public transit commute that prioritizes people’s safety and equity.

Reimagining the Future of Cities as Healthy Cities
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Reimagining the Future of Cities as Healthy Cities

Epidemics have shaped our cities for a long time. The key question in this moment is, how can we use what we’re learning to improve the quality of...

7 Questions About Equity and the Design Profession for the Incoming President of NOMA
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7 Questions About Equity and the Design Profession for the Incoming President of NOMA

Jason Pugh, the incoming president of the National Organization of Minority Architects and a practitioner at Gensler's Chicago office, answers 7...

Developing Open Space as the Public’s Living Room
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Developing Open Space as the Public’s Living Room

Outdoor public gathering spaces fulfill a basic human need to be around people. With the pandemic keeping us confined, public space can also be a...

How the Pandemic Could Reshape the World’s Cities
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How the Pandemic Could Reshape the World’s Cities

We have an opportunity to provide a more fulfilling urban experience and to design for health, equity, and accessibility.

Designing Cities That Are Open and Equitable
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Designing Cities That Are Open and Equitable

In the face of the complex system of racial injustice, it can feel daunting to try to make a difference, but as designers, we have the unique power...

Resilient Cities Rely on Resilient Food Systems
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Resilient Cities Rely on Resilient Food Systems

The pandemic is disrupting already fragile food supply chains. To ensure resilience and food security for the world’s population, we can put...

Defining the Future of Our Cities: Five Areas of Opportunity for a Post-Pandemic World
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Defining the Future of Our Cities: Five Areas of Opportunity for a Post-Pandemic World

We are witnessing global disruption at an unprecedented scale. But if we can live though disruptions as a new normal, then we may emerge even...

An Architecture of Optimism for a Post-Pandemic Society
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An Architecture of Optimism for a Post-Pandemic Society

Whether it’s new buildings that are about to be designed or existing architecture that now needs to be re-imagined, in many ways this is a time for...

New Opportunities for Mobility Amid COVID-19
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New Opportunities for Mobility Amid COVID-19

Our wholesale shift in live-work-play behaviors as a result of COVID-19 have provided us an opportunity to rebalance public rights-of-way.

Cities and the Public Health: Our New Challenge in Urban Planning
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Cities and the Public Health: Our New Challenge in Urban Planning

Dense cities remain our best bet for providing opportunities and connections — if they’re designed to support residents’ wellness.

Using This Moment to Improve City Life
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Using This Moment to Improve City Life

The current crisis raises serious questions that we’ll need to address before we get back to anything resembling normal: How well-suited are cities...

The Future of USPS Real Estate: Part 2
RESEARCH

The Future of USPS Real Estate: Part 2

Reimagining the USPS mission of connecting people to evolve with an aging real estate paradigm.

Redefining Wellness in the Face of Pandemic
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Redefining Wellness in the Face of Pandemic

The COVID-19 crisis is causing us to redefine all our work around the concept of wellness and re-examine the importance of resilience.

Design Forecast Denver: Shaping the Future of Our City
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Design Forecast Denver: Shaping the Future of Our City

Gensler Denver hosted a discussion about challenges facing cities such as affordable housing, mobility, and climate change.

Design Forecast Charlotte: Designing for the Displaced
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Design Forecast Charlotte: Designing for the Displaced

Gensler Charlotte hosted a discussion about critical issues of affordable housing and homelessness facing our community.

Dialogue 35: TRANSFORMING THE URBAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH DESIGN
DIALOGUE ISSUE

Dialogue 35:
TRANSFORMING
THE URBAN EXPERIENCE
THROUGH DESIGN

TRANSFORMING THE URBAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH DESIGN As cities continue to grow, designers are stepping in to create experiences that connect people to...

Design Forecast Washington, D.C.: Resilience in Our Region
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Design Forecast Washington, D.C.: Resilience in Our Region

Gensler’s Washington, D.C. office hosted a hyperlocal conversation focused on what the resilience challenge means for the community, and possible...

Bus Transformation: How Cities are Grooming the"Workhorse" of Public Transportation for the Future
PODCAST

Bus Transformation: How Cities are Grooming the"Workhorse" of Public Transportation for the Future

In today’s episode of the podcast, Gensler’s Transportation & Infrastructure Practice Area Leader David Zaidain speaks with experts from the District...

How We're Innovating to Create Housing for All
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

How We're Innovating to Create Housing for All

To respond to the global need for more housing — and more affordable housing — we’re exploring ideas that include co-living spaces, senior living...

Designing Intergenerational Communities
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Designing Intergenerational Communities

In partnership with the Milken Institute's Center for the Future of Aging, Gensler teams from Los Angeles and Washington, DC created speculative...

Building an Interconnected Future in Downtown Dallas
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Building an Interconnected Future in Downtown Dallas

To shape people’s experience of a city, we have to start by shaping one block, one intersection, or one individual building. At 400 Record Street in...

Doubling Down on Our Commitment to Resilience
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Doubling Down on Our Commitment to Resilience

With hundreds of millions of square feet of buildings and interior design projects in the pipeline annually, we believe our impact and role in...

A 'What If?' Manifesto: Improving the Bus Experience
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A 'What If?' Manifesto: Improving the Bus Experience

In the United States, it’s almost a point of faith that the bus riding experience will be subpar. While that may not be everyone’s daily bus reality...

2019
DESIGN FORECAST

2019

Design Forecast presents a comprehensive look at design around the globe, with over 100 pages of insights, research and industry trends. Register...

A Case for Imperfect Cities: Greater Impact with Purposeful Chaos 非理性城市开发：寻求效率和影响力的平衡
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A Case for Imperfect Cities: Greater Impact with Purposeful Chaos
非理性城市开发：寻求效率和影响力的平衡

As we consider the future of cities, we must also be cognizant of the forces of change that will impact how we design and plan for connectivity...

Community Engagement in Motion
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Community Engagement in Motion

For projects big and small, cracking the code of community outreach and public engagement has been a longstanding challenge. But the projects that...

Investigating Japan’s Unique Transportation Retail Hubs
RESEARCH

Investigating Japan’s Unique Transportation Retail Hubs

An in-depth assessment of Japan's railway retail system to improve the user experience.

Urbanism and the Pursuit of Happiness
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Urbanism and the Pursuit of Happiness

Cities are magnets for those who seek better jobs, opportunities, and more diverse communities. But does city life make us happy? We look at some of...

A Path Toward Net Zero Energy Buildings
RESEARCH

A Path Toward Net Zero Energy Buildings

Creating a roadmap for 80% reduction in predicted energy performance by 2030.

Urban Strategies for Coastal Resilience
RESEARCH

Urban Strategies for Coastal Resilience

Addressing sea level rise and major storms threats in vulnerable cities.

Investigating Downtown Neighborhood Resurgence
RESEARCH

Investigating Downtown Neighborhood Resurgence

Analyzing what drives downtown resurgence and its surrounding areas.

Micromobility, Third Lanes, and Tomorrow’s Streetscapes
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

Micromobility, Third Lanes, and Tomorrow’s Streetscapes

From scooters to e-bikes, new modes of mobility are starting to reshape our streets.

Focus On: Affordable Housing
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

Focus On: Affordable Housing

As cities grow, there’s an urgent need to provide residents with housing they can afford.  

Building a Bridge for L.A.'s Homeless Population
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

Building a Bridge for L.A.'s Homeless Population

An emergency housing program provides critical interim housing for Los Angeles’ homeless.

Smart Cities Should Be Human Cities
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

Smart Cities Should Be Human Cities

A layer of technology isn’t what makes a city “smart.” The tech must be used for purpose — seeking to bring the living, breathing, urban citizen a...

The Third Lane: Rethinking Street Design for the 21st Century
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The Third Lane: Rethinking Street Design for the 21st Century

What does the explosive growth of shared electric scooters tell us about the changing dynamics of city life? And how can we better shape the city of...

From Smart Buildings to Intelligent Placemaking
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From Smart Buildings to Intelligent Placemaking

Data and AI are being invisibly woven into everything around us. As we move towards an intelligence economy where data is a raw material, we have an...

Polycentric Cities: The Future of Sustainable Urban Growth
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Polycentric Cities: The Future of Sustainable Urban Growth

As we approach a new normal for urban density, the cities that are best positioned for the future are evolving along a decentralized, multi-nodal...

Battle for the Right of Way | An interview with Maggie Gendron, Lime, & Dan Emerine, DC Dept. of Transportation
PODCAST

Battle for the Right of Way | An interview with Maggie Gendron, Lime, & Dan Emerine, DC Dept. of Transportation

Growing up, our parents would tell us never to get into cars with strangers or take what isn’t ours. Today, that’s all the norm thanks to rideshare...

If A City Isn’t Smart, Does That Mean It’s Stupid?
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If A City Isn’t Smart, Does That Mean It’s Stupid?

The concept of smart cities might be shrewd marketing on the part of tech companies, so what does it mean for a city to truly be “smart”?

Designing the Cities of the Future
DESIGN UPDATE

Designing the Cities of the Future

Modern cities can be built on time-honored principles and shaped by regional culture and local values, as demonstrated at Msheireb Downtown Doha.

Creating Transit-Oriented Communities in Los Angeles
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Creating Transit-Oriented Communities in Los Angeles

When Phil Washington took the helm of the LA Metro in 2015, he spoke about connecting transit-oriented communities — not transit-oriented developments...

From Railroads to Electric Scooters: How Mobility Shapes the City of Today and Tomorrow
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From Railroads to Electric Scooters: How Mobility Shapes the City of Today and Tomorrow

From GPS-enabled electric scooters, to driverless cars, and even aerial ride-share services, disruptive mobility is on the rise. With the explosion...

Harnessing the Power of Urban
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

Harnessing the Power of Urban

Cities are playing a larger role in the identity of downtown workplaces, and companies are embracing the urban rather than closing it off. When...

Designing Innovative Solutions for Homelessness
RESEARCH

Designing Innovative Solutions for Homelessness

Creating a plan to develop and implement Permanent Supportive Housing for the homeless quickly and inexpensively.

Developing a Design Approach for Sub-Saharan Africa
RESEARCH

Developing a Design Approach for Sub-Saharan Africa

We researched how to integrate design with local development in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve the human experience.

Forecasting Design Shifts Under Future Vehicle Technologies
RESEARCH

Forecasting Design Shifts Under Future Vehicle Technologies

Creating a spatial prediction model to respond to shared, electric, and autonomous vehicles and their impact on the built environment.

The Socio-Economic Ecological Performance Index
RESEARCH

The Socio-Economic Ecological Performance Index

Creating a tool to help urban planning projects address social and environmental impact without sacrificing financial returns.

Autonomous Vehicles and Their Impact on Real Estate
RESEARCH

Autonomous Vehicles and Their Impact on Real Estate

A deep dive into the impact of the increased use of autonomous vehicles on future real estate investments, specifically parking.

The Solutions to Climate Change Are Already at Our Fingertips
BLOG

The Solutions to Climate Change Are Already at Our Fingertips

Because every project we work on is either part of the problem or part of the solution, we made a commitment to measure the environmental impact of...

The Game-Changer for Cities: Driverless Cars
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

The Game-Changer for Cities: Driverless Cars

We can regain our city streets for people as the driverless car revolution takes hold. It's not too soon to get ready!

On Track for Livable Growth
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

On Track for Livable Growth

A survey of cities using transit-served urban centers to spark renewal.

Urban Farmification: Big Box Underground
RESEARCH

Urban Farmification: Big Box Underground

Exploring the opportunities and realities of submerging big box retail centers to support rooftop farming.

Human Experience Is the Future of Design
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Human Experience Is the Future of Design

We believe human experience is the future of design. People are the one constant in this era of dramatic technological change, demographic shifts...

The Prefab City
RESEARCH

The Prefab City

Exploring the potential impact of modern manufacturing techniques on construction processes.

Hack the City
RESEARCH

Hack the City

Redesigning our cities through active community engagement.

Manhattan’s Next Hot Neighborhood
RESEARCH

Manhattan’s Next Hot Neighborhood

An "up-zoning" proposal to encourage building renovation and neighborhood revitalization.

Measuring Urban Experience
RESEARCH

Measuring Urban Experience

A tool for gathering qualitative data about the urban realm.

Natural Urbanism
RESEARCH

Natural Urbanism

How can we gather and visualize data to better understand the impact of ecosystem services on our urban centers?

The State of Parking
RESEARCH

The State of Parking

How do we optimize parking in today’s and tomorrow’s cities?

Designing Vibrant Communities
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Designing Vibrant Communities

Vibrant communities are the building blocks of our fast-paced, increasingly urban world. To help cities thrive, these communities must be connected...

Planning Resilient Communities
DIALOGUE ARTICLE

Planning Resilient Communities

The word “resilience” sparks thoughts of natural disasters. Three current Gensler projects show that it’s really about reviving and sustaining the...

Vertical Urbanism and the Livable Cities of Tomorrow
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Vertical Urbanism and the Livable Cities of Tomorrow

Open spaces – the parks and piazzas that give cities a sense of character and community – are in short supply. To ensure cities remain livable in an...