Urban Transformation

Migration from the countryside to cities is a global phenomenon, placing increased population and transport pressures on cities around the world. And yet there are precious few great transit developments, little variety in the ones we do have, only rare examples of development profitability, and consequently, minimal motivation for our industry and our communities.

Urban Transformation is really about providing the critical inspiration to change this situation. It is about restocking our weak architectural portfolio of transit facilities with dynamic new models. It is about recognizing the potential value and longevity of these projects, and making them exceptional rather than forgettable.

The powerful cases in this book remove the excuses for mediocrity and mundane functionality, and show us how to excel. The text introduces an understandable typology of development around transit, and uses that to illustrate different strategies and design techniques. There is a broad range and scale of projects represented—large and small, domestic and global, big markets and modest communities—and each an excellent example of what can be realized.