urbanNext

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urbanNext

urbanNext is a multiplatform aimed at expanding architecture to rethink cities.

urbanNext is promoted by Actar Publishers, a publishing house based in New York and Barcelona, with more than 25 years of experience publishing books on architecture, photography and design. This project emerged as the logical next step for a group of editors engaged in redefining the task of disseminating, and generating content, by harnessing the capacities of the digital medium: its multiple fo

rmats, and the interaction with readers. For more than 4,000 years, human beings have been organizing collectively in different urban conditions. Information technologies, advances in engineering, social participation, ecological challenges, and new cultural references all add dimensions to this urban framework, making its discussion and conceptualization a much more complex task. Expanding on traditional categories like the megalopolis or the rural village, the small town or the city, we believe it is more relevant to talk about urbanization processes and how density and complexity are forces for differentiation. This expanded urban condition plays an active role in shaping and rethinking architecture and design practices as a whole: that is the focus of urbanNext. urbanNext’s main goal is to generate a global network to produce content focused on rethinking architecture through the contemporary urban milieu —urbanity that is conditioned by the specificities of the information society, sustainable awareness, globalized knowledge and leisure. urbanNext is designed to establish a working structure and a multidisciplinary authorial platform for collaborations between people who have an interest in working, thinking and reflecting on design practices and their future. Finally, urbanNext is dedicated to distributing content through multiple channels, formats and media (print, digital, audiovisual, and even exhibitions or events). This convergence of resources, teams and media allows for a new collective narrative, which we call transmedia.

29/07/2025

Tailoring futures with purpose 🌿
In a peri-urban district of Islamabad, DB Studios designs a transformative space for Vision Pakistan—a school that empowers young men through tailoring, education, and peace-building. At its core, a 10m-high atrium nurtures calm, light, and ventilation. Jaali screens in vivid colors root the space in local tradition while protecting it from the sun. Architecture here doesn’t just shelter—it heals, uplifts, and empowers.

28/07/2025

How do streets and alleys shape the pulse of a city?
This deep-dive into Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s neighborhoods maps urban evolution using Multiple Centrality Assessment—an approach that values real distance and geometry over abstract topologies. With digitized alleyways and GIS layers fed into Rhino’s UNA toolbox, this study uncovers the spatial logic behind density, efficiency, and centrality.

Data analysis taken from the book Rethinking Suburbs by .publishers

25/07/2025

From ruins to refuge.
topoScape transforms Warsaw’s war debris into a rewilded park where moss-covered concrete and salvaged fragments honor the past while nurturing new life.
A living monument shaped by memory, biodiversity, and circular design.

22/07/2025

Casa Umbral by ARQUID redefines urban living with a ceramic façade that filters light and softens city noise. Volumes open to a garden, linking calm interiors with nature. Geothermal energy, vegetation, and solar-ready systems make the house quietly sustainable.

19/07/2025

Tokyo, compressed.
Jim Bingham’s square shots reveal a city where closeness is constant but connection is elusive. Cropped for intimacy, framed for distance—urban life under pressure.

18/07/2025

A space to learn, imagine, and remember.
In the Ecuadorian Amazon, Al Borde designs Yuyarina Pacha—a library built with native Chonta palm and community spirit. Books, workshops, digital archives, and shared stories unfold under a roof shaped by rain and resilience.
This is more than architecture—it’s a living system rooted in tradition and guided by the future.

16/07/2025

🔁 From sprawl to vitality — Paisaje Transversal & Landlab .land propose a bold, regenerative model for Santander.
Strategy 1 builds 15-minute neighborhoods—active, inclusive, and local.
Strategy 2 reshapes mobility: fewer cars, better connection. Think clean travel, walkable streets, and shared public space.

A city for citizens. 🌱

15/07/2025

Saving steel, preserving soul.
A bold, civic-led plan restores Prague’s Vyšehrad Bridge—keeping 85% of its structure, avoiding demolition, and proving heritage and innovation can share the same track. With boosted rail capacity, active public spaces, and zero service interruption, it’s a model for future cities.

14/07/2025

Cooling the city, one breeze at a time 🌬️🌳
This design turns temperature shifts into wind, clearing heat and pollution. Between a mineral square and forested park, the district unfolds in strips—from hot to cool, stone to shade—guiding wind, people, and atmosphere through a living climate gradient.

12/07/2025

Skyscrapers rise, street kitchens vanish — Saigon rewrites itself at full speed.
Through Robert Herrmann’s lens, we see a city caught between memory and momentum. Can Saigon grow without losing its soul?

11/07/2025

Kengo Kuma & Associates shape Yixing’s clay legacy into a striking new form. Inspired by dragon kilns and local mountains, the UCCA Clay Museum blends exhibition, craft, and heritage. Ceramic skin and timber lattice fire the imagination.

09/07/2025

From abandonment to anchor: KRONOS, Elefsina’s former alcohol factory, is reimagined by Gkouma & Petsinis as a cultural and communal hub. The proposal blends squares, artist housing, and social residences—stitched together by a raised promenade that links city, coast, and memory.
From terra incognita to civic life.

Full essay on urbanNext.net

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Barcelona

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+34933282183

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http://urbannext.net/

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urbanNext is promoted by Actar Publishers, a publishing house based in New York and Barcelona, with more than 20 years of experience publishing books on architecture, photography and design. This project emerged as the logical next step for a group of editors engaged in redefining the task of disseminating, and generating content, by harnessing the capacities of the digital medium: its multiple formats, and the interaction with readers. Introduction For more than 4,000 years, human beings have been organizing collectively in different urban conditions. Information technologies, advances in engineering, social participation, ecological challenges, and new cultural references all add dimensions to this urban framework, making its discussion and conceptualization a much more complex task. Expanding on traditional categories like the megalopolis or the rural village, the small town or the city, we believe it is more relevant to talk about urbanization processes and how density and complexity are forces for differentiation. This expanded urban condition plays an active role in shaping and rethinking architecture and design practices as a whole: that is the focus of urbanNext.

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