Urban Language

Since early September 2011 Urban Language is involved in several international projects commissioned by different professionals that are affiliated to Tongji University in Shanghai

Area development in rural Henan

2011
Urban Language has been consulted by a local developer for an area development in rural Henan

Exhibition in Almere

Chinese Triptych

Almere (Nl.) 8 April - 18 June 2011.
Three Dutch offices are invited for the exhibition 'Chinese Triptych'. Urban Language is one of them.

From Almere to Qingpu

May 2010
From May 13 till May 19 Urban Language provided an excursion for the International New Town Institute (INTI) with as central theme the new towns and new cities around Shanghai.

Local Global

Published in: Architectuur Lokaal
2010
Serie of columns for the Dutch magazine Architectuur Lokaal on architecture and commissioning in China.

Rural Kitchen

2009
Lecture and jury during workshop on the Chinese countryside

BNSP workshop discussion

2009
Urban Language organized a workshop discussion on the urbanization of the Dutch countryside during a BNSP Congress on Thursday, October 22 in Amsterdam.

Shanghai Dialogues

2009
On October 17 Urban Language organized a Chinese-Dutch conference during the Shanghai International Creative Industry Week.

Shanghai Globalism

2009
Organisation of a study tour to the 'One City - Nine Towns' development around Shanghai commissioned by New York University

Urban Galleries

2009
Organization of a study trip through Germany and the Netherlands for a group of young Chinese designers and critics with a special interest in museums

Are cities more important than countries?

2008-2009
Publication commissioned by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) on the occasion of its 50th anniversary

October 2008
Urban Language made a series of reports and an essay, commissioned by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), meant to explore the outlines of an 'Urban Agenda' for the 21st century.

A Wider View

2008
Reporting on 'Living landscapes in Europe'

Vreewijk Rotterdam

2008
Design study on urban renewal and restructuring of a monumental neighborhood

The power of small scale

2007
Design study for urban renewal in the Dutch newtown Almere.

NL2040 - Hints for later

2007
Harry den Hartog wrote a number of columns, reports and an extensive essay as input for a series of meetings and debates with the aim to give an 'alternative' vision on future spatial tasks for The Netherlands.

Living farmyards

2006
Study on the transformation of old farmyards in the Dutch province Overijssel

Private territory

Published in: NAi Publishers
2005-2006
Study on private controlled outdoor spaces

Articles

Nanjing Perspectives

Interview with Steven Holl

Published in: MARK magazine #32
Nanjing, June/July 2011

Horticultural Exposition Xi'an

Published in: de Architect
Xi'an, May 2011
Report on the International Horticultural Exposition 2011 Xi'an.

Haphazard growth in a land of plenty

Published in: DAMn°28
Shanghai, April 2011
Essay on fast urban developments in Shanghai

Creación de comunidad e identidad en los pueblos nuevos de Shanghai

Published in: Materia Arquitectura #2
Shanghai, November 2010
Essay on urban development in Shanghai for a Chilean magazine

Better City, Better Life begins with a good street

Published in: ArchiNed
Shanghai, 31 May 2010
A visit to 'Happy Street' with John Körmeling.

Bubbles in Shanghai

Decentralization, speculation and the housing shortage

Published in: SR+O
Shanghai, February 2010
Essay on the effects of spatial and administrative decentralization, increasing speculation and huge housing shortage

Dear MARK

Letter from Sichuan

Published in: MARK magazine #23
Chengdu, December 2009 - January 2010
Report about reconstruction activities in the earthquake devastated area

Reading the American Landscape

Green Fields, Orange Clouds

Published in: NAi Publishers
Chicago, September 2009
Essay on urban - rural relations in American cities, notably Chicago

Museum as billboard

Integrate Art and Living

Published in: MARK magazine #21
Guangzhou, August-September 2009
Visiting 'Times Museum' in Guangzhou.

Greener City, Better Life

Public Park as medicine

Published in: Urban China #37
Shanghai, August 2009
Essay for the magazine Urban China on the meaning of parks as public space, in east and west

Urbanus reinvents the wheel

Hakka Tulou in the 21st century

Published in: MARK magazine #20
Guangzhou, June-July 2009
An experiment with social housing by Urbanus.

City in a city

Linked Hybrid in Beijing

Published in: de Architect
Beijing, May 2009
That it is possible to combine climatic, economic and social sustainability in an overall concept has been demonstrated by Steven Holl Architects with Linked Hybrid.

Dutch architects building global architecture in China?

Work and experiences of Dutch architects in China

Published in: Urban Flux #7
Shanghai, May 2009
Essay for the Chinese magazine Urban Flux #7 on the experiences of Dutch architects in China

Architecture as afterimage

Ben van Berkel interviewed

Published in: id+c
Shanghai, May 2009

Sidewalk versus Mall

Public space under threat

Published in: Urban Flux #6
Shanghai, April 2009
Essay on the similarities and differences between the Netherlands and China, regarding the use of public space.

Building your own house

Published in: id+c
Shanghai, April 2009
Column on private commissioned housing in the Netherlands for the Chinese magazine id+c

Report from China

Published in: ArchiNed
Hangzhou, 19 February 2009
The volume of reporting on the rampant growth of Chinese cities is causing a sense of China fatigue in The Netherlands. But China remains a very country fascinating nonetheless.

Crystal Island

Symbol of Economic Growth and Socio-Cultural Development

Published in: 'Scape 02/2009
Shenzhen, February 2009
Report on a new project by OMA.

Architecture in the Netherlands

Published in: id+c
Nanjing, January 2009
Essay on recent developments in the field of architecture in the Netherlands. This essay is also an introduction for an extended special on Dutch Design.

Greenery & Community

Community gardens in New York

Published in: Club Donny #1
Rotterdam, Spring/Summer 2008
Essay for Club Donny, a new biennial magazine on the personal experience of nature in the urban environment.

Beijing 080808

The meaning of the Olympic Games for Beijing

Published in: de Architect
Beijing, August 2008
Host country China intends to use the Olympic Games that will take place this year in Beijing to show off what it has achieved. What is the impact of the Olympic Games on this city?

The Limits to Growth?

How Beijing is preparing for the future

Published in: de Architect
Beijing, August 2008
Beijing, like Shanghai, wants to present itself as a model city for the future. How will Beijing continue to develop itself after the Games?

Architecture without Building?

Published in: ArchiNed
Venice, 29 September 2008
Entitled 'Out There: Architecture Beyond Building', the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale aims to give new meaning to what we call architecture. "Architecture is not building," writes director Aaron Betsky in an essay, "Buildings are objects and the act of building leads to such objects, but architecture is something else."

Olympic Games, a motor for urban renewal

Kees Christiaanse interviewed

Published in: NAi Publishers
Rotterdam (NL), May 2008

Architecture and Happiness

Revolving House by John Körmeling

Published in: ArchiNed
Tilburg (NL), 7 April 2008
Revolving House starts turning on the Hasselt roundabout in Tilburg.

Tamed 'wild living'

Municipal management versus freedom of building

Published in: de Architect
Almere (NL), June 2007
Over the coming years the municipality of Almere will make 30,000 sites available to private individuals so that they can build homes as they want to. A new balance has to be found between municipal management and this new freedom.

Urban pretentions of a smalltown

Plan for Ridderkerk Center

Published in: de Architect
Ridderkerk (NL), March 2007
To create a new identity and to retain its inhabitants, smalltown Ridderkerk is tackling the restructuring of its districts and center step by step. The municipality now has to decide whether or not to maintain its village character.

Architecture and Power

Building for Dubai

Published in: ArchiNed
Rotterdam (NL), 2 April 2007
'Instant City: The Rise of Dubai’ was the title of the first lecture at the Berlage Institute on Tuesday March 13 in a series that focuses on the relation between architecture, power and political correctness.

Living on collective grounds

Veranda dwellings by Onix

Published in: de Architect
Almere (NL), November 2006

MVRDV's 3D Urban Design

Bookreview

Published in: ArchiNed
October 11, 2006

City and Countryside

Urbanisation in China

Published in: de Architect
Shanghai/Beijing, May 2006
The relation between the rural and urban economy have been changing ever since China became a World Trade Organization member in 2001. To overcome the dichotomy between city and countryside, farmers must find a way to join the world economy.

Rice with gravy

Holland Village in Shanghai

Published in: ArchiNed
Shanghai, 31 January 2005
Article on a 'Dutch' new town in Shanghai

Forbidden Cities?

'There is no such thing as society anymore, only families and individuals.' (Margaret Thatcher)

Published in: de Blauwe Kamer, de Architect, Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant
Rotterdam (NL), February 2004
Graduation project 'Forbidden Cities?' by Harry den Hartog at the Academy of Architecture and Urban Design in Rotterdam.

News

Shanghai Daily

Interviewed by Ni Tao

Shanghai, 25&26 October 2011

Lecture in Wuhan

Wuhan, 27 October 2011
Lecture at the invitation of Isocarp, during an international conference on livable cities

Sanghay ile Istanbul

Review in Arredemento magazine

September 11, 2011
Turkish-language review of our book 'Shanghai New Towns'

Beijing International Book Fair 2011

'Shanghai New Towns' exposed in China's capital

Beijing, 30 August - 5 September 2011
During this book fair, our book 'Shanghai New Towns - Searching for community and identity in a sprawling metropolis' was exposed in the Dutch Pavilion, as part of the Best Dutch Book Designs 2010.

Blue eyes looking at China

Beijing, 4 September 2011
Urban Language in debate during the Beijing International Book Fair 2011

Best Dutch Book Designs 2010

'Shanghai New Towns' in the Stedelijk Museum

Amsterdam, 11 June to 17 July 2011.
'Shanghai New Towns' is one of the winning Best Dutch Book Designs 2010. The winning books are shown in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Bookreview by Time + Architecture magazine

Shanghai, May/June 2011
Chinese-language review of our book 'Shanghai New Towns'

Interviewed by Urban China magazine

Shanghai, June 2011
...on sprawling cities and the edge between urban and rural.

Ontwerpen aan China

Interviewed by Arjen Oosterman (Dutch only)

Rotterdam, May 2011

Public lecture and debate in Shanghai

Shanghai, 7 March 2011
Public lecture and debate in Shanghai Study Center (Hong Kong University). Presentation of the main findings of the recently published book "Shanghai New Towns - Searching for community and identity in a sprawling metropolis".

Exported to China

Shanghai, February 2011
'Shanghai New Towns. Searching for community and identity in a sprawling metropolis' is also available now in Chinese bookstores.

Book Launch and debate in Trouw

Amsterdam, 30 November 2010
Presentation and debate following the book 'Shanghai New Towns' in Trouw Amsterdam / De Verdieping

Presentation in Tai Wu

20 September 2010
Presentation in Tai Wu for a group of architects on recent architectural developments in China

Local wisdom and globalization

Shanghai, 20 July 2010
Urban Language was member of the jury during the CUMULUS Shanghai Conference 2010 at the College of Design & Innovation.

First copy Shanghai New Towns

Shanghai, 14 May 2010
Today a first (preliminary) copy of the book 'Shanghai New Towns - searching for community and identity in a sprawling metropolis' was handed over to Sun Jiwei, the District Governor of Shanghai's Jiading district, during a conference organized in cooperation with INTI, in the VIP lounge of the Dutch Pavilion 'Happy Street' during the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

Presentation on urban developments in Shanghai

Delft, 28 November 2009
Presentation on turbulent urban developments in Shanghai during the international conference 'The New Urban Question - Urbanism beyond Neo-Liberalism' that took place from November 26th to 28th, 2009 at Zuiderkerk in Amsterdam and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)