Hosting a collection of dozens of historic colonial buildings originally built more than 200 years ago, the city of St. Augustine, Florida, is having trouble taking care of all of them. The University of Florida has volunteered preservation services.
"31 historic buildings have become too costly for the local government to maintain and repair, so the University of Florida has taken over their management in the oldest continuously occupied city in the U.S."
"Some structures date to the 18th century, but about two-thirds are restorations built as late as the 1970s, mainly on the original foundations."
"For the past decade, the city has been leasing the buildings for $1 a year from the state, but the $1.5 million in rent from the shops and restaurants that occupy them is not enough to provide for upkeep. The city has been providing about $200,000 a year for maintenance."
"And crumbling history is a problem for a city whose main tourism draw is its colonial allure."
FULL STORY: University of Florida Takes Over Caretaking of Old City Sites
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie