History / Preservation

Google Street view screen shot of modern duplex built between two historic homes in Cliffside Park, New Jersey.

New Jersey Duplexes Elicit Mixed Reactions

Modern, two-unit residences are proliferating in northern New Jersey communities, signaling for some a boon to the housing supply and to others a loss of historic architecture.

June 8, 2025 - Gothamist

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 4, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Red sign with "Give Way" and pedestrian icons on 'shared street' with 15kph speed limit in Canberra, Australia.

May Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Mall redevelopment, saving California’s high-speed rail, and a provocative rethinking of the concept of redlining.

June 3, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Mid-rise brick buildings with retail and restaurants on ground floor on sunny day in Soho, Manhattan, New York City.

In Dense NYC, What Does ‘Human Scale’ Mean?

Advocates reject the NIMBY label, arguing that they seek a more sustainable, incremental pace of growth modeled on mid-rise neighborhoods.

May 29, 2025 - Next City

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

May 23, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Alpine Recreation Center sign in park in Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown

Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.

May 19, 2025 - American Community Media

Deer grazing on hillside with few snow patches at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado.

New Trail Project Enhances Safety and Access to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge

Jefferson County is improving safe access to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge with new trails, a bridge, and signage, as part of the Rocky Mountain Greenway project, ensuring environmental safety and educating visitors about the site’s history.

May 19, 2025 - Jefferson County

Public Market sign over Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington with pop-up booths on street.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure

After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.

May 15, 2025 - Cascade PBS

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Wire sign over street "Welcome to Chinatown" in New York City.

Mahjong Game Highlights Displacement of Seniors in NYC’s Chinatown

‘Aging Out of Place’ explores the mechanisms that displace vulnerable seniors, and how the community can help preserve key resources and institutions.

May 15, 2025 - Next City

Black and white photo of refugee camp of small wood cottages in Dolores Park, San Francisco CA after 1906 earthquake.

April Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

A key federal housing assistance program is in peril, Maui tries to balance housing affordability with its tourism-based economy, and a landmark Virginia law could set a new standard for road safety.

May 6, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Honolulu Community College building.

Honolulu Community College Celebrates Culture and Sustainability

Honolulu Community College brought together more than 320 students, staff, and community members for a day of Hawaiian cultural activities, music, and sustainability-focused learning at its annual Hoʻolauleʻa celebration.

May 5, 2025 - University of Hawai'i News

Historic stone structure surrounding natural spring in India with plaques.

Restoring Northern India’s Himalayan ‘Water Temples’

Thousands of centuries-old buildings protect the region’s natural springs and serve as community wells and gathering places.

April 16, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Block packed with Chinese-and English-language marquees and signs in New York City's Chinatown.

A Visual Celebration of Manhattan’s Chinatown Elder Community, Through Food

Lanterns, cafeteria trays, and community connection take center stage in this stunning photo essay.

April 13, 2025 - Civil Eats

Kingsbridge Armory, large hangar-like brick building in the Bronx, New York City with brick lower floors and glass/metal curved roof..

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard

After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.

April 9, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Looking up at office buildings from various eras in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minnesota Seeks State Support for Office Conversions

The 30% “CUB credit” would support the conversion of buildings 15 years or older into any use that “will return that vacant area to an income-producing, habitable condition.”

April 7, 2025 - Minnesota Reformer

Rendering of National Public Housing Museum in brick building in Chicago, Illinois.

Museum of Public Housing Opens in Chicago

The museum highlights the history of public housing in the United States using displays intimately woven with family artifacts.

April 2, 2025 - Block Club Chicago

People sitting and walking in plaza in front of historic Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners

How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

March 28, 2025 - Emily McCoy

Aerial view of downtown Houston, Texas skyline with low-rise housing in foreground.

Preserving Houston’s ‘Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing’

Unsubsidized, low-cost rental housing is a significant source of affordable housing for Houston households, but the supply is declining as units fall into disrepair or are redeveloped into more expensive units.

March 21, 2025 - Urban Edge

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

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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