Architecture
Surprising Advice for Peninsula Planners
San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic John King cautions against too much redevelopment and not enough preservation along El Camino Real in San Mateo County, where a major initiative is attempting to change much of the corridor's character.
Entertainment Industry is Now an Urban Business
With digital cinematography replacing location shooting and huge soundstages, the entertainment industry is becoming a lucrative, sought-after tenant in downtowns and urban areas.
Sound in the Built Environment
Adam E. Anderson says that there is a growing need for "a hybrid landscape architect/sound artist" to sculpt the sonic environment in public spaces.
When Architecture Plays The Star
Architectural Digest highlights films where the architectural setting plays a larger role than most of the people, from the futuristic (Blade Runner) to the contemporary (The Ghost Writer).
"Phonehenge West" Relegated to the Dustheap of History
In Antelope Valley, Calif., Alan Kimble Fahey's 70-foot tower - aka "the highlight of his life's labor" - was eviscerated on Friday along with the rest of his 20,000-square-foot quirky concoction. The court found it in violation of local codes.
Utopianism is Uncool
...except with architects, who are still creating utopian visions. A new book gathers works by 70 such architects and includes a "linear city" thousands of miles long proposed by an Italian architecture firm.
Delighting in Urban Light
Photographer Colin Rich created this mesmerizing video of the endless urban fabric of Los Angeles at night.
Why Did the U.S. Allow Its Cities to Decline?
Frank Gruber asks, "why, not how." Many of the explanations for decline are clear; why it was allowed to happen, less so. Gruber highlights "suspects" of what might have led to cities' destruction.
Guggenheim City Laboratory Arrives in NYC
The BMW Guggenheim Lab is a traveling exhibition that will visit nine cities in the next six years, providing a public space to explore the challenges of today's cities.
American Embassies Undergo Design Scrutiny
Designing the U.S. embassy abroad is any architect's dream. But a crash between safety imperatives and beautiful design often results in "a dull series of near-identical, boxy bunkers," says The Economist.
Our River, Ourselves
The moribund state of the Los Angeles River reflects the zeitgeist of the city that it runs through, says The Economist. A mile wide but an inch deep, revitalization proposals are too conceptual at best and too feeble at worst.
'Smart' Cities, Urban Innovation and Fuller
Before there were "smart cities", there was R. Buckminster Fuller.
Architectural Fiction and a Variety of Imagined Futures
This essay from Places looks at the history of "architectural fiction", and how imagined spaces and uses of land enrich understanding of the built environment.
Theme Parks Booming in Asia
More and more theme parks are being planned across Asia, which is creating new opportunities for designers.
Highest and Best Use of Empty Shipping Containers
The DeKalb Market on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn showcases adaptive reuse of old shipping containers at its best with an eclectic mix of small shops, picnic area, food vendors, urban garden, and DJ booth.
What Buyers' Stalled Decision Means to Homebuilders
While most homebuilders take measures to control cost, such as modifying the plan layouts or building more energy-efficient homes, few revamp their business strategies by creating specialized division for distressed markets.
Home Sweet Hummer
2 architects from the firm HPlusF took on the challenge of taking a Hummer and redesigning it into a modular dwelling. Thus, the HummerHaus.
Urban Trees = Cleaner Air
Not that it's a real surprise that trees clean the air, but a new study shows that greenery in cities can have a significant effect on air quality.
New Developments Suffer From Lack of Identity
Neal Payton of Torti Gallas and Partners says that new developments that lack an identity will suffer, and that smaller blocks are often better for creating a sense of place.
Parkspace Brings Neighborhood Feel to Downtown Phoenix
A new public park in downtown Phoenix is both a venue for artists and performers and a public space that calls to mind a small neighborhood park, according to this piece from Next American City.
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
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
