urbanNext is a transmedia platform that develops, disseminates and distributes content on architecture and the contemporary urban environment. Promoted by Actar Publishers and edited by Ricardo Devesa, it operates from Barcelona, Spain, drawing contributors including architects, urban planners, sociologists and citizens worldwide. Content appears in 11 formats such as essays, lectures, projects and data visualizations.
Launched to expand architecture's role in global urbanization, the platform features discussions on housing challenges. One example examines Barcelona's "viviendas dotacionales," homes tailored for elderly residents to address the housing emergency through the city's municipal housing authority. These initiatives promote active aging and diversify the housing market amid population pressures.
urbanNext maintains an ongoing network for co-produced material, focusing on urban rethinking without fixed timelines, functioning as a media project rather than a traditional organization. Its scope covers urban evolution, sustainability and human-centered design, with ties to affordable housing models in dense cities like Barcelona.