The Wall Street Journal reviews two new books about developer James Rouse -- possibly the individual with the greatest effect on America's 20th-century built environment.
"A visionary developer with boundless energy but no formal training, Rouse (1914-96) had a greater effect on America's 20th-century built environment than almost anyone short of Henry Ford and Alfred P. Sloan. He was an early advocate of "urban renewal" -- that is, bulldozing old buildings. Like the architect Victor Gruen, he pioneered the shopping mall, both as a business and as a gathering point in suburbs dominated by cars and far-flung neighborhoods. To help revive older cities, he created the 'festival marketplace,' most famously with Boston's Quincy Market and Baltimore's Harborplace... Unfortunately, Rouse's career points in the other direction, too -- highlighting much that is wrong with postwar development."
[Editor's note: The link below is availble to non-subscribers for a period of six days.]
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: He Built It and They Came
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.