Category Archives: infrastructure & design

Paranoid But Pretty

By John Thackara | Published: May 10, 2013

In his new show at the German Architecture Center (DAZ) Matthias Megyeri has developed a design language for the artefacts of protection and security in public space. Megyeri poses the question: does protection have to be inconsistent with harmony and beauty? His answer is a family of padlocks, chains, fences, and razor wire that he [...]

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The Ecozoic City

By John Thackara | Published: March 19, 2013

This story is available in Japanese and in Spanish. For an exhibition that has opened in The Hague called Yes Naturally  I was asked to contribute a text for the book about what nature might mean for cities, and vice versa, in the near future. Here is an extract.  The writer Thomas Berry described as the ecozoic the [...]

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Healing The Metabolic Rift

By John Thackara | Published: January 13, 2013

The term metabolic rift describes the alienation between humans and nature that opened up with the growth of the the modern economy. Could the growth of bioregionalism, and research into ‘social-ecological systems’, be signs that the rift may be healing? And if so, what are the opportunities for design to contribute?  [Picture: The Stockholm Resilience [...]

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Top Down Nature

By John Thackara | Published: August 21, 2012

A huge urban master plan in southen France gets serious about nature as a project. In Bordeaux 55,000 (above) the city of Bordeaux (CUB) has invited five multidisciplinary teams to develop projects, during a a six month “competitive dialogue”, that will explore ‘how best to transform 55,000 hectares (136,000 acres) into natural areas’. Tweet

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Blood Minerals and Cellphones

By John Thackara | Published: March 18, 2012

“Increasing pressure on electronics companies to ensure that their products do not contain illicit minerals from the killing fields in eastern Congo is beginning to have a significant impact. With bills on conflict minerals moving through Congress, the electronics industry has spent about $2 million per month lobbying Senate offices to relax the legislation” The [...]

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A Reading List for Mr Monti

By John Thackara | Published: February 10, 2012

As an exercise, I thought I’d share with you (and Mr Monti) the best writers on my reading list – in the order I’ve read them, not in chronological order. 1. TOM MURPHY – DO THE MATH If you suspect, but cannot prove, that modern life simply does not add up, you’ll love Tom Murphy’s [...]

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Evolving into the Ice Age

By John Thackara | Published: January 28, 2012

This, I kid you not, is the “control” panel in my room at the Inn at Penn here in Philadelphia. I’m sorry the pictures here are a bit blurred, but I’m not in tip top shape. What happened is that I woke up at 3am gasping for air – only to discover Tweet

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Virtual Boring Agent

By John Thackara | Published: January 18, 2012

I’ve seen this Virtual Boarding Agent a couple of times now at Orly Airport in Paris. A It’s a life-sized, life-like, two dimensional human figure that talks pleasantly about liquids and gels. It’s spooky, clever, and very well executed – and most people seem to ignore it after a first casual glance. I therefore feel [...]

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