topos

THE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN.

topos - The International Review of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design - focuses on landscape architecture as well as increasingly on architecture and urban planning. It sees itself as an interdisciplinary think tank aimed at addressing the challenges urban areas will face in future. The professional magazine strives to inspire planning practitioners, urban experts and professionals who shape the cities of tomorrow. Every issue of the periodical, that is published quarterly, is dedicated to a different topic and deals with a broad array of projects and planning work in countries all over the world.

LATEST ISSUE

TOPOS 128: Biophilic Cities

The cities of the future are nature-based – or at least they should be if we want to live in them tomorrow. While the building of cities was once a symbol of humanity’s victory over wild nature, today more and more metropolises are trying to bring nature back. Greater resilience, sustainability, quality of life and biodiversity are just a few of the many good arguments for doing so. In issue 128 of topos magazine, we take a look at the concept of the biophilic city, its pros and cons, and we discuss hand-picked examples of cities (including San Francisco (USA), Edmonton (CA) and Wellington (NZ)), that have successfully integrated fauna and flora into their urban structures.

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TOPICS OF TOPOS

URBAN DESIGN & LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

When it comes to urban planning and urban design it’s all about the cities we live in, the city as a polis, the city as a place to encounter, to work, to move, to recreate. It is about on how we design and shape the physical appearance of urban realms in future. So, how shall we plan and design the built environment in a sustainable way? How do we create green spaces and livable, human centered public spaces? How do we ensure that the city is a place of diversity and equality? What measures do we as planners take to mitigate the effects of climate change in the cities all over the world? And: how do we adapt to climate change and to stressors and risks?

ARCHITECTURE & URBAN PLANNING
Architecture affects society as a whole and has vital impacts on the individual person, too. Architects shape the places we live in. So, what is the role of architecture when it comes to shaping future cities and facing urban challenges? How and in what surroundings do we want to live? What is the social role of architecture? How to ensure a sustainable building process? What kind of material is future-proof and sustainable? What skills do planners need to create sustainable, human-centered architecture? What role does urban green play in the field of architecture? And: What happens with the spaces between the buildings, the spaces we share as urbanites?

URBAN GOVERNANCE & SOCIETY
Who creates the cities of today and tomorrow? It should be the people. When it comes to developing urban areas, it is crucial to include all necessary stakeholders into the planning process, not only the politics. So, how to manage, plan and initiate city development, design and plan urban realms? Urban governance involves a constant process of negotiation and compromising – and it should be established in the most possible transparent way. It is a matter of balancing out legal requirements, financial resources and the expectations and needs of the citizenship. How to design a city for all, a city that includes the marginalized? How to ensure green spaces for all citizens?

MOBILITY / TRANSPORTATION
Cities all over the world need intelligent mobility and transportation concepts to stay livable places to their inhabitants. How to design urban and rural realms that come face to face with a new kind of mobility in an increasingly urbanised, digitalised and exploited world. What are the challenges and trends when it comes to urban mobility and the sustainable and efficient transportation of goods? How to transform cityscapes and landscapes to be open to both, slow and fast traffic?

TECH
By what ideas, methods, projects and research approaches do we address major urban issues such as climate change, air and environmental pollution, digitalisation, migration, urbanisation, resource and energy consumption, land consumption and poverty? What strategies of resilience can be established in urban development, urban design, urban planning, infrastructure planning and landscape architecture? What design solutions are at our disposal to make our cities more resilient and more future-proof? How do we plan and design greener, healthier, human-centered, sustainable and resilient urban spaces and architecture?

LAST ISSUES

TOPOS 127

60,000 – according to the WHO, this was the number of heat-related deaths in Europe in 2022 alone. The heat island effect causes temperatures in metropolitan areas to rise to extreme levels. Not only does this heat have a negative impact on the well-being and health of city dwellers, it also effects energy consumption and of air and water quality. From green roofs to sponge cities to misting, in the 127th issue of topos magazine we explore how cities around the world are tackling the heat and bring you the latest approaches, innovations and projects in this battle against urban climate change. Read more...

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TOPOS 126

This topos is all about public mobility. How can cities solve their individual mobility problems and which innovations will provide the solutions in the field of public transportation we all are so desperately waiting for. In this issue, we take a look at cities with pioneering concepts and examine what it takes for an excellent public transport system. Mobility is an essential human need and a basis for economic growth. Public transport can be a solution, but for it to be well received, it must not only be fast and reliable, but also socially acceptable.