Best Of 2012

Here at Pop-Up City it has become an end-of-the-year tradition to bring you a selection of the most interesting, thought-provoking and appealing articles that have been published over the last 12 months.

2012 was a wonderful year for us in which we had the chance to work with some great people. Last October we launched our brand-new website that was designed by the talented people of Studio Vruchtvlees. That same month we hosted Blogging the City, a conference where a selection of Europe’s finest city bloggers shared their ideas and inspiration live on stage in Amsterdam. In the first weeks of 2013 we’ll publish a new series of 10 trends that will change our cities in the coming years. Furthermore, we’ve started working on a special e-book that’s both a reflection on 5 years Pop-Up City and a series of Pop-Up City-inspired urban strategies. But there will be much more in 2013… For now, enjoy our Best of 2012. Happy New Year!

Tokyo Metro Book ShareA Free Library In The Tokyo Subway
If you go to Nezu station on the Chiyoda subway line of the Tokyo Metro, you will find these unusual bookcases. In the shape of an old fashioned metro train, this public book-sharing installation enables travelers to read whilst sitting in the driver’s compartment of the fist carriage. You can also take a book with you to read while commuting in the ever busy Tokyo subway. As soon as you have finished it, you can return it. READ MORE →

HK Farm, Hong KongTop 5 Of The Greatest Urban Rooftop Farms
All over the world, people feel the need to start producing their food locally again. Urban farming has become one of the major international urban trends — a good reason for us to make a Top 5 of the greatest rooftop farms we’ve come across over the last years. Which rooftop farms do really produce food? How are they innovative and do they make the city a better place? READ MORE →

Klek shop, SofiaSofia’s Basement Shops
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bulgaria was one of the many countries that moved away from communism. The legalization of private ownership of production enabled the Bulgarians to start their own businesses, but rents of store spaces were too high for them. As a result, loads of fascinating, little basement shops popped up along the sidewalks of Sofia. READ MORE →

Guerrilla crosswalkUrban Hacktivist Launches Guerrilla Crosswalks
Urban hacktivist Florian Rivière came up with this guerrilla crosswalk in his home town Strasbourg. Made from old carpet, the light-weight pop-up crosswalks are easy to carry and can be placed on the street “so you can cross wherever pleases you”. You can buy yourself a guerrilla crosswalk for €10. READ MORE →

KantoKanto: A Pop-Up Sauna In Public Space
During our trip to World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, we stumbled upon this wooden sauna right in the middle of Munkkisaari, a raw urban harbor area in the South-Western part of the city. Surrounded by construction sites, asphalt and concrete, this sauna by designer Florian Ganter looks to be completely lost. It belongs here somehow, and shows the Finnish passion for saunas in general as well as the good stuff that’s happening as part of the World Design Capital festivities. Kanto is part of the MoA 2012 Year Show. READ MORE →

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Plenty for All: Urban Agriculture Gets a Rebrand

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Rice Terrace Rooftop

Asia’s Largest Rooftop Farm Is a Rice Terrace on Top of a University

A building of Bangkok's Thammasat University is now home to Asia's largest rooftop farm. Drawing inspiration from traditional rice-farming practices, the farm mimics a local rice terrace landscape.

Funan Mall

Urban Farming in Singapore Is Reaching New Heights

At the newly renovated Funan Mall in the centre of Singapore, you can visit an urban rooftop farm that is part of the city's efforts in addressing its food insecurity issues.