In this final episode on transit and public space, the New York Times’ Vivian Nereim tells us about the accelerated transformation of Riyadh as Saudi Arabia attempts to make its capital more livable and attractive to investors and visitors. Sarah David, a Kenyan domestic worker, talks about getting around the city, and transport expert Benjamin de …

When Johannesburg was awarded the 2010 World Cup, the race was on—literally—for the city’s leadership to figure out how to transport large numbers of international fans all across the city. They even took part in an ‘Amazing Race’ style challenge. But, did the investment pay off? Dhashen Moodley finds out.…

When Alejandro Echeverri Restrepo became Medellin’s Director of Urban Projects in 2004, the city was trying to recover from years of violence visited upon it by cartels and militias whose near-unchecked reign of terror had torn it apart. Echeverri and his team quickly realised that a better, more integrated and accessible transport system would be …

In 2009, Mexican architect Raul Cardenas Osuna enlisted a team of scientists, programmers and artists and to work for his organisation. At Torolab, he wanted them to tackle the biggest problem in the country: violent crime. After months of research, his complex team came up with a simple plan: Start a cookbook. In the town of Camino Verde in Tijuan…

Eko Atlantic, a private estate modelled on Dubai and built in Lagos, was called a "game changer" for Africa's real estate market. The multibillion-dollar project was meant to project Lagos's progress to the world, reviving its economic prospects. Even former US president Bill Clinton said so. But urban expert Olamide Udoma-Ejoh says Eko Atlantic fe…

Fashion designer George Azzi and Urbanist Mona Harb love Beirut. They have lived through the city's multiple crises and survived its tragedies. Both are optimistic and willing to fight for its survival. It's worth it; hope lives in Beirut, they say.

Brazilian architect Pedro Henrique de Cristo moved into a Rio favela called Vidigal, determined to do work with impact. After years running a celebrated project in the neighbourhood, things went awry. But in the process of working in Vidigal, Pedro learnt that even good ideas have their limits.

What do the world's second most expensive private home, a spate of serial bombings, and a seemingly innocuous statute titled “Floor Space Index Regulations” (also known as Air Rights) have in common? Anthropologist Vyjyanthi Rao, who has spent twenty years immersed in a fast-changing Mumbai’s urban politics, helps us make the connection.…

Bo Kaap, a once close-knit community in the heart of Cape Town’s city centre survived South Africa’s draconian apartheid-era laws. Now, its residents feel under threat from an influx of newcomers and commercial development. They also have to fess up to the community’s complicated history...