#46: Office-to-Residential Conversions, Nairobi Renewal, and Children's Book Influences

Welcome to the 46th issue of Urbanism Now, our weekly newsletter curated with brief and insightful urban ideas from around the world to inspire action where you (c)are.

This newsletter is curated by Maria Paula Moreno Vivas and Ray Berger. Learn more on our About page.

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Let’s get started:

• Peter Füssy for the Urban Cycling Institute, explores how children’s books reinforce car-oriented thinking from an early age and argues that radical children’s literature can help reimagine urban futures by challenging motonormativity and opening space for alternative mobility imaginaries.

• An article from the International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development finds that 29% of building area in Nairobi was replaced, renewed, or removed between 2010 and 2021, showing cities change internally through slum formalization, rezoning, and urban renewal, not just by expanding outward.

• New York City is the epicenter of a boom in office-to-residential conversions. Over the past two decades, developers have converted nearly 30 million square feet of office space into residential living.

• Jakarta is now the world’s largest megacity with nearly 42 million residents, surpassing Tokyo, according to the U.N. “World Urbanization Prospects 2025” report.

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Jobs:

• The Institute for Urban Excellence is seeking a Junior Project Assistant to support research on soil-inclusive planning and communication activities in The Hague. €2,399.92 gross salary. Apply by December 14.

• The University of Stavanger is hiring a PhD fellow to research urban morphology, accessibility and mobility cultures in Norway. ~$50k salary. Apply by January 4.

• Applications for the NYC Urban Fellows Program are now open. The program offers a nine-month fellowship combining hands-on work in mayoral offices and city agencies with seminars led by public and private sector leaders. $36,184 stipend. Apply by January 12.

• London School of Economics is seeking an Assistant Professor in Economic Geography and Urban Planning to teach local economic development and regional planning at undergraduate and master’s levels. £68,087.

• The City of Boston is hiring a Research and Evaluation Manager ($80,859 - $116,704.85) and a Senior Manager of Performance and Innovation ($97,132 - $135,471) for its Research & Data team.

• The Marie Curie Doctoral Network MITIME is recruiting 15 phd researchers for fully funded projects on European urban migration. Positions are available at

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