Urban planning expert Space Syntax is launching a range of specialised training courses to teach architecture industry professionals how to use and apply its longstanding approach in their own work. The Space Syntax Academy is being set up to share the same theories and methodologies that Space Syntax provides to its clients, who include Arup, Aedas, Wilkinson Eyre, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Foster + Partners, Rogers Stirk Harbour, Richard Rogers

Disney is considering a US$1bn (€892m, £635m) investment into its Disneyland Resort in California, with the investment dependent on the city of Anaheim waiving tax on park admission tickets for a further 30-year period. The ticket-tax ban could again be extended a further 15 years after that if Disney embarks on a separate US$500m (€446m, £317m) expansion. Disneyland California currently holds tax exempt status from an agreement made with the

The City of Miami has approved US$9m (€7.8m, £6m) in tax subsidies for the upcoming US$430m (€371m, £283m) SkyRise tower – an entertainment complex topped by a 1,000ft (304m) observation tower. Located next to the American Airline Arena and Miami’s Bayside Marketplace, the tower itself is expected to be the second-tallest observation tower in the US, after Las Vegas’ 1,148ft (350m) Stratosphere Tower. Also set to be included is a

Operators of public saunas in Germany say they will struggle to make ends meet if the rate of value added tax they pay is increased from seven per cent to the full value of 19 per cent. Access to saunas is soon to be classified a luxury by the German government, and will therefore taxable at a higher rate. Key players in the pool, sauna, spa and heat experience manufacturing

A US county authority has put its support behind proposed bed tax increases and rebates on goods and services taxes to partially fund $400m (296.93m euro, £254.17m) worth of improvements to Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners heard an upgrade of the 25-year-old stadium would contribute $2bn (1.48bn euro, £1.27bn) in economic benefit over 15 years, and passed a resolution at their 23 January meeting urging

London mayor Boris Johnson has admitted that private funding sources may not be able to cover the £56.9m cost of the proposed new River Thames Cable Car service. In April, Johnson revealed that Mace is to lead a consortium of contractors to build the new Wilkinson Eyre-designed link between Greenwich and the Royal Docks. However, the mayor said at the London Assembly's Question Time on 15 June that there is