History / Preservation

Bolder Plans, Bigger Dreams

This year is the centennial of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago, a landmark in the world of urban planning. Martha Frish has had the pleasure of looking through Burnham's handwritten documents and shares some of his wisdom that didn't make it into the final plan.
12 November 2009 - 9:54am

The Remarkable Rezoning of NYC

Recently the NYC Planning Dept. announced its 100th rezoning since Bloomberg took office. This article takes a spin through the city's remarkable shift in the last 50 years away from industry to business and tourism and a sustainable approach.
16 November 2009 - 2:00pm
New York Observer

Prince Charles, Vancouverism, and the search for Sustainable Urbanism

Tue, 11/10/2009 - 16:01

This past Saturday, I had the honour of joining a group of invited urbanists and sustainability experts, in a special dialogue put on by The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, and Vancouver's Simon Fraser University. Among other things, the event was to launch a new partnership between these two innovative organizations around research and curriculum for sustainable urbanism.

The Art of Civic Engagement

In Starksboro, Vermont, planners are using storytelling and community art projects to get at the heart of what matters to residents.
9 November 2009 - 9:00am
Burlington Free Press

'We Can't Fight Blight With Blight'

That was the message of nonprofit San Francisco Beautiful in their successful campaign to stop Proposition D, which would have created a special sign district in the mid-Market area in hopes of revitalizing it.
9 November 2009 - 8:00am
PreservationNation

National Trust for Historic Preservation Head to Retire

Richard Moe, longtime president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has announced his retirement. His tenure brought about a major change in the way the group interacts with the federal government to preserve the nation's historic sites.
5 November 2009 - 11:00am
The Washington Post

Really Quiet Neighbors

Architect Bill Bickford would like to turn Chicago's historic Three Arts Club into a columbarium, or building to house cremated remains. The former dormitory for women artists is revered by preservationists, but hasn't been in use since 2003.
3 November 2009 - 1:00pm
Chicago Business

Olympics Lost, But Demolition of Gropius Building Goes Ahead

The Architect's Newspaper reports on the first demolition of a historic building on the Walter Gropius-designed Michael Reese hospital campus in Chicago, the proposed site of now-ditched plans for an Olympic Village.
3 November 2009 - 9:00am
The Architect's Newspaper

Gropius Buildings Slated for Demolition

The Friend Convalescent Hospital was the first of Walter Gropius' modernist buildings to be destroyed at Chicago's Michael Reese hospital. Bulldozing began on Wednesday with more still to go.
31 October 2009 - 7:00am
The Chicago Tribune

The Animated History of Midtown Manhattan

This animation from The New York Times examines the history of Midtown Manhattan -- from pristine island environment to bustling metropolis.
31 October 2009 - 5:00am
The New York Times

The Great Cities in History

A new book edited by John Julius Norwich with that title selects the 68 cities that have made the most impact on history. The Wall St. Journal has a review.
26 October 2009 - 1:00pm
The Wall St. Journal

From Contrast to Continuity: A New Preservation Philosophy

With the emergence of new traditional design patterns among contemporary architects, the standards and rules that have defined historic preservation are becoming obsolete. Steven W. Semes calls on planners and designers to create a new ethic of harmonious intervention into historic settings.
22 October 2009 - 5:00am

Beloved and Abandoned: A Platting Named Portland

For American planners, Portland, OR is held up as a shining example of urban planning, and credit is given to its compact grid. But is Portland's grid worthy of adulation? Perhaps not, say Fanis Grammenos and Douglas Pollard of Urban Pattern Associates.
19 October 2009 - 5:00am

From Memories to Master Plans

Maine mill town asks citizens to record their memories at downtown "Heart Spots" as part of the master planning process.
18 October 2009 - 5:00am
The Journal Tribune

Reclaiming Alleyways

Office workers in Seattle's Pioneer Square area are claiming their network of alleyways as social spaces.
8 October 2009 - 10:00am
Northwest Hub

Tear It Down, Says Speck

Planner and author Jeff Speck pays a visit to Lowell, Massachusetts, and tells an audience to tear down their civic center. "If you don't tear it down now, it will become protected in 10 years," says Speck. "Tear it down now."
7 October 2009 - 1:00pm
The Lowell Sun
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