We have thousands of years of wisdom on building cities.
It is time to do what works. The answer is on our doorstep.
Why we are different, and why it matters
Affordably
changing cities
We have made mistakes planning our cities and towns. Sometimes these problems seem insurmountable. With our pragmatic, feasible and cost-effective approach, hope is here. If every place adopted our methods, the difference would be transformative.
Environmental champions
Climate change poses a terrible threat, but consumer movements and renewable energy fail to address the root cause of environmental harm: our reckless built environment. We can address this without undue privation — indeed, with a classical approach, we are poised to flourish.
Justice through beauty
Our philosophy and practice repairs the damage done to civic life and the social fabric by failed urban planning and poor-quality building. We believe that a good community starts with a good built environment and that everyone in the street deserves beauty.
Giving people what they want
Research shows that most people prefer traditional architecture and walkable, compact cities. It is in the interests of city administrators to recognize the preferences of citizens, while a commercial opportunity awaits for open-minded developers.
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Wisdom refined over centuries
Urban planners seek to innovate, but often struggle to achieve holistic change at scale. Instead of small interventions, buzzwords and theory, we offer pragmatic, wise and beautifully simple solutions that are possible to implement at scale in the world’s biggest cities.
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Local traditional beauty
Many architecture schools do not teach traditional design techniques from non-Western countries in adequate depth. Whilst typical university courses are focused on global architectural styles instead of local traditions, ours is focused on reclaiming their wisdom.
The science behind our work
You likely have a gut feeling about what ’feels right’ and good when you walk down the street. This feeling is backed up by science. Research demonstrates that we are healthier and happier in compact towns and cities with traditional architecture and planning — in fact, exquisite architecture and successful urbanism measurably reduce stress and increase human wellbeing.
Our mission is fundamentally about beauty and authenticity in the built environment as a means to human wellbeing.
Read more about the research for an empirical basis of beauty.
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Buy the book
The Art of Classic Planning by Classic Planning Institute Founder Dr. Nir Haim Buras, Harvard University Press, 2019
“Truly the mother of all urban planning books.”
— Léon Krier, author of The Architecture of Community
“We urgently need to relearn the art of building beautiful and enduring communities, as set out [here].”
— Ben Bolgar, The Prince’s Foundation
4.5 stars on Amazon
