The publishing house ACTAR was founded in 1993 in Barcelona with the objective of publishing titles that are a representative demonstration of the most influential practice and theory of established and emerging architects, designers and thinkers of contemporary culture. Consequently, ACTAR’S publishing program has become known internationally for disseminating the most innovative and risky works in the ambit of architecture, landscape architecture and urbanism.

In 2015 ACTAR founded and launched URBANNEXT.NET, a digital platform that allows for the creation and diffusion of architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, and related technologies linked to the urbanized environment content. For this purpose, URBANNEXT uses digital media tools such as audiovisuals, hypertext, animations, and interactive platforms, enlarging its audience globally. All these tools have enabled URBANNEXT to become a recognized platform which is accessible to disciplines other than only architecture and building. URBANNEXT thus emerges as the logical evolution of publishers who are committed to the challenges that the urbanized environment needs to address on a global scale.

The URBANNEXT project arises as the logical evolution of the classical publishing business accomplished to date by the company ACTAR D, Inc. — a publishing house and distributor of architecture and design books in New York and Barcelona. Besides the website urbanNext.net, part of URBANNEXT’s business consists on the organization of public events such as cycles of conferences, congresses, expositions, documentaries and the edition of printed and digital publications.