Architecture

Washington, D.C.

The Sky's the Limit for Washington, D.C.-Area High Rises

With a new high-rise under construction and even taller high-rise working its way through planning approvals, the Washington, D.C. area's building envelope is reaching new heights.

May 23, 2017 - Greater Greater Washington

Empty Parking Lot

As a Driverless Future Dawns, Should We Still Build Parking?

No one is really sure how many parking spots the United States contains, but estimates stretch up to 2 billion.

May 23, 2017 - Doggerel

Design Library: African-American Perspectives on Architecture

Focusing on the often-overlooked contributions of people of color to the built environment, Dr. Craig Wilkins from the University of Michigan shares his list of recommended reading.

May 22, 2017 - Doggerel

New York, New York

The Scourge of Setbacks

Accepted by planners as a way to make buildings feel less 'crowded' and baked into many zoning codes, setbacks achieve no benefit other than giving opponents of development a bargaining chip.

May 19, 2017 - California Planning & Development Report

University of Denver

Has Placemaking Become Cliché?

There’s very little that differentiates proposals by four distinguished planning and design firms to better connect my university to its immediate neighborhood and the wider city. Why is that, and does it have to be that way?

May 15, 2017 - Dean Saitta

Housing Construction

Making the Case for Wooden Buildings

Is mass timber the new frontier in low-carbon building? The National Building Museum's newest exhibition, Timber City, pays homage to the potential of tall timber structures which have strength comparable to steel.

May 9, 2017 - Doggerel

Step Back For Sunlight in Portland

A growing Portland has seen many arguments about how to accommodate an influx of residents—recommends the "step back" as a way to add density without adding shadows or creating wind tunnels.

April 28, 2017 - Livable Portland

Trump Tower

Report: Trump Tower Among Many NYC Buildings Not Maintaining Privately Owned Public Spaces

It's no secret that building owners often fail to maintain privately owned public spaces with any priority on the public part of that equation. A new report reveals just how widespread the problem is in New York.

April 20, 2017 - The New York Times

Gateway Arch Rendering 2

Renovated Park Space Open to the Public Beneath the St. Louis Gateway Arch

Little by little, the grounds, facilities, and amenities of the St. Louis Gateway Arch are reopening to the public. Expect work on this $380 million project to conclude later this year.

April 14, 2017 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Texas

Design Activism, Texas-Style

With suburban sprawl a long-standing issue in Texas, one San Antonio-based architecture firm is aiming to strengthen and revitalize its city's downtown core.

April 10, 2017 - Doggerel

'Farm-to-Condo' Urban Agriculture Finds Roots in Brooklyn

Urban agriculture and market-rate multi-family housing developments could be a perfect match.

April 10, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

D.C. Metro

D.C. Metro's Recent Controversial Decision: Painting Over Brutalism

Controversy erupted last week in Washington, D.C., after D.C. Metro decided to paint Union Station's vaulted ceilings—a famous icon of the District, it's regional transit system, and the architectural style of Brutalism.

April 6, 2017 - WAMU

Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry Archive Acquired by L.A.'s Getty Research Institute

Hundreds of thousands of early papers, drawings, and models are included in the Frank Gehry Papers.

April 3, 2017 - Dezeen

Modern Kitchen

The Revenge of the Kitchen

Long relegated to the back of the house, the kitchen as utility space is being replaced by the modern show kitchen. Located squarely front-of-house, newer kitchens often reinstate the "great room" idea.

March 31, 2017 - Construction Dive

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge

Five Years Later: Dallas' Iconic, Catalytic Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge

Santiago Caltrava designed the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, which is all you need to hear to understand the Texas-sized ambition of the project. Evaluating the bridge's success, five years after its opening, is more complicated than that.

March 27, 2017 - Dallas News

Can Insurance Markets Jump-Start Resilience?

Risk-management experts are seeking creative ways to finance resilience investments that prevent damage from natural disasters. Insurance markets, with their direct stake in protecting homes and businesses, can be key partners in this effort.

March 24, 2017 - Doggerel

Old Timey Ticky Tacky

Could Algorithms Best Architects in Designing Variety for the Suburbs?

What if an algorithm could meet the needs of the economic system driving suburban housing development while also designing more diverse building types? One architect has already experimented with this provocative thought experiment.

March 23, 2017 - Co.Design

Shopping Mall

Are Malls and Streets Destined to Merge?

While much has been made of the suburban shopping mall's decline, successful urban retail spaces are taking their inspiration from the humble city street.

March 21, 2017 - The Guardian

Tackling the Design Profession's Gender Equity Problem

With increasing awareness and discussion about the gender gap apparent across most of Corporate America, this article explores how the Architecture and Engineering industry is seeking to close the gap and empower women.

March 20, 2017 - Doggerel

Colorado Homes

Denver Residents Voice Aesthetic Concerns Over New Housing Developments

The Denver FUGLY Facebook page makes the case that developers are building too many boring tan and rust-colored buildings in Greater Denver.

March 16, 2017 - CityLab

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.