Madrid mourns the humble serviette
With a Covid-era ban now in place, this seemingly banal item has unexpectedly become one of Spain’s most notable and high-profile cultural victims of the pandemic to date.
Community / Culture
Culture
A Singaporean firm has become the go-to master planner for African cities
Surbana Jurong has signed contracts to do city master plans in ten African countries. Why is the continent relying on outside firms to map its future?
Manchester follows Asia’s lead in designing age-friendly cities
Perhaps no UK city is better equipped to respond to its changing demographics than Manchester, where one third of the population will be 50 or older by 2040.
A Brazilian favela is combating Covid through community
Distrustful of the government's pandemic response, residents took matters into their own hands.
What does the preservation of ‘neighbourhood character’ really protect?
Australia needs to build an extra 50,000 houses each year to meet demand. Current policy is making it awfully hard to do so.
What it’s been like living in one of the few places that never locked down
As an American expat living in Stockholm, I was initially angry at Sweden’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some days were extremely confusing.
In Medellín, a museum takes an essential role in the city’s pandemic response
Museo Casa de la Memoria is leaning into its ability to transmit complex information in a simple, factual way while also bearing witness to history.
The rare challenge of building a pandemic memorial
Unlike with wars, terrorism or other disasters, surprisingly little has been done to commemorate victims of pandemics.
Why you shouldn’t confuse 2020 for 1968
Author and historian Rick Perlstein discusses the current limits on law-and-order politics.
