Architecture
Skyscraper Envy?
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) expressed irritation that Chicago is no longer a world-class city when it comes to building heights. The issue arose during a Senate floor discussion on the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. Chicago's Willis Tower ranks #11.

New Research: Are Women Empowered by New Urbanism?
Charlotte Fagan and Dan Trudeau (Mcalester college) study two New Urbanist neighborhoods in Minneapolis to understand the ways in which New Urbanism impacts the empowerment of women.
The Structural Details of Brooklyn's New Modular High Rise
Modular construction is still in its infancy, but a building set for completion later this year at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn is taking the building practice to new heights.
Design Crit: LACMA's Proposal to Bridge Wilshire Boulevard Misreads Los Angeles
The proposed expansion of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art recently got a major revision—now instead of cantilevering over the La Brea Tar Pits, the building would bridge Wilshire Boulevard.
Holocaust Memorial Opens in Columbus, Ohio
Stephanie Aurora Lewis describes the Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial, opened to the public earlier this month on the south lawn of the Ohio Statehouse.
AIA Gold Medal Conferred to Julia Morgan, FAIA, at the 2014 AIA Convention
On the occasion of Julia Morgan, FAIA, AIA Gold Medal conferral, AIACC invited Sandhya Sood, AIA, to present a tribute.
Updated Plans for Chicago's Memorial to Daniel Burnham
A planned memorial for Chicago architect and planner Daniel Burnham got an upgrade this week in the form of a proposed 1.6-mile interactive walking path and new materials for the site of the memorial.

What Computer Scientists Can Teach Planners About Design
Architect Dave Hampton reviews the 2nd annual Urban Sciences Research Coordination Network workshop held June 11 in Chicago.
Los Angeles Conservancy Announces 2014 Preservation Awards
From rancho barns to Howard Hughes's former aircraft factory, nine projects reflect the best in historic preservation in Greater Los Angeles.

The Curious Anonymity of Architecture
Chicago's complaints about the signage on Donald Trump's new tower are predictable enough. What's surprising is that the people to design buildings rarely, if ever, get the slightest recognition in the public realm.

Self-Starter Urbanism: Small Firms Tackle Big Projects on Their Own Terms
Development and research projects allow small firms entry into large-scale design.

In the Era of Starchitecture, Whither 'Locatecture'?
Witold Rybczynski laments the globalization of architecture—especially the personal branding of the most famous architects onto the skylines of cities all over the world.

Urban River Revitalization Across the Globe
Urban Times offers a list of 13 urban river renewal projects spanning from Medellin to Manila.

Trump's Controversial Sign of the Times in Chicago
The most conspicuous example of Chicago's recent spat of troubling signage is a 2,891-square-foot sign 200 feet above street level on the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.
Why America Need Architecture Critics like Philadelphia's Inga Saffron
The writing of Inga Saffron "makes an ardent plea for more critics willing to take up the mantle of urban citizenship," according to a recent article in The Architectural Review.

Urbanists Soak Up Buffalo: PlaceMakers Empty Their Notebooks
Many of you attended CNU in Buffalo last week, but for those of you who couldn't make it, here's a quick collection of a few of the ideas shared.

Tall Tower Debates Could Use Less Dogma, Better Design
When it comes to tall buildings, there's a lot of dogma out there among urbanists, in both directions. Lets spend more time and attention on the quality of tower and neighbourhood design, rather than on how tall the buildings are.

Does Beauty Still Matter?
The design of urban landscapes has become dominated by a growing call for them to be ecologically resilient. But isn't it important what they look like?
Can the Garden City of the Past Work in the Future?
Anthony Flynt explores the motivations behind Robert A.M. Stern's recent revival of the Garden City as a model for future development. Among the benefits of the model proposed by Ebenezer Howard in 1902, according to Stern: equity and comfort.
Norman Foster-Designed Tower to be Demolished in Las Vegas
Around the corner from buildings by Daniel Libeskind and Rafael Vinoly (just to name two) in the CityCenter section of the Las Vegas Strip, a never-complete building, designed by Forster + Partners, stood empty for years. Not for long.
Pagination
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions