History / Preservation

Historic Sites Disappearing As Three Gorges Reservoir Rises

The reservoir at China's Three Gorges Dam will fill to capacity this year, flooding more than 400 square miles of land, including some precious historic sites.

January 7, 2008 - NPR

The Etymology of the Capital City Name

This animation from Good looks at the etymology behind the names of some global capital cities.

January 5, 2008 - Good

Israel's Wall of Control in Palestine

This article from Progressive Planning discusses the walls that run more than 700 kilometers in Palestine. But as author Gary Fields writes, this barrier is not about security, it's about control.

January 5, 2008 - Progressive Planning

Remembering An Empty Field

At the World Trade Center and Pentagon, plans are underway for elaborate memorials to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. But what of the non-descript field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where another hijacked flight crashed that day?

January 3, 2008 - The Next American City

Predictions About the City of the Future

1808 - 1908 - 2008, 2108. The New York Times looks at two centuries of predictions and invites ten New Yorkers to imagine New York City a century from today, in 2108.

January 1, 2008 - The New York Times

San Francisco's Historic Gem Returned To Life

San Francisco's latest and perhaps most glorious restoration is the 1890 De Young Building that was the original home of The Chronicle has now been converted to a Ritz Carlton after having been an undignified office building for the last 43 years.

December 31, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

National Heritage Areas In Center of Property Rights Debate

With more and more land receiving federal protection as National Heritage Areas, property rights activists are butting heads with the preservationists they say are taking rights away from landowners.

December 10, 2007 - The Washington Post

Building A Museum Any Planner Could Love

A storefront museum dedicated to the history and development of Reston, Virginia -- one of the nation's first planned new towns -- is set for a major expansion.

December 8, 2007 - The Washington Post

TDRs Making Preservation Possible In New Jersey

In the southern New Jersey community of Chesterfield, a state-sponsored transfer of development rights program is proving successful at preserving the historic character of the small town.

December 4, 2007 - The New York Times

Preservationists Sue The City Of Stockton To Save Historic Hotels

Preservationists have filed suit against the city of Stockton to prevent the demolition of historic hotels to build surface parking lots.

December 3, 2007 - The Stockton Record

Paradise Lost In Shangri-La

Officially named in 2001, this small town in China's Yunnan Province is struggling to cope with over 2 million visitors a year. It's becoming a "high altitude hell."

December 1, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor

Historic Preservation Should Consider Soundscapes, Not Just Cityscapes

In an interview with Preservation Online, author Anne Matthews explains the growing movement to preserve historic sounds.

November 30, 2007 - Preservation Online

Tunnel System Sparks Interest, Rumors

The re-discovery of tunnels beneath Fresno, California's Chinatown have sparked interest -- and elaborate rumors -- amongst historic preservationists and residents alike. But some say the rumors exaggerate the real purpose of the tunnels.

November 26, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Ohio Residents Buy Properties To Fight 'Flippers'

Community members in Ohio are fighting against real estate prospectors by buying up property before investors can move in to "flip" them for a quick profit.

November 26, 2007 - The Enquirer

Where New Orleans Is Today

This article from Metropolis Magazine takes a look at the redevelopment (or not) in New Orleans today.

November 22, 2007 - Metropolis Magazine

Private Island To Become a Part of New York City

The last privately held island in the East River has been transferred to the City of New York using a combination of public and private funds.

November 21, 2007 - The New York Times

First Leg Of Second Ave Subway Receives $1.3 Billion In Federal Funds

The first (of four) phases of the infamous Second Ave. subway is ready to begin construction thanks to the approval of $1.3 billion in federal financing, enabling the long-delayed line to be built from 92nd to 63rd streets in Manhattan.

November 20, 2007 - The New York Times

City Of Victoria Wants Lawn Bowling Club Gone From Prime Downtown Location

The scene of white-clad lawn bowlers playing amid highrises, long an icon of downtown Victoria, will soon vanish, as the city plans to turn a long-established club's greens into underground parking and a hard-surfaced urban plaza.

November 19, 2007 - Victoria Times Colonist

The World Beneath Paris

An extensive tunnel system exists beneath the city of Paris, playing a major infrastructural role, but also serving as an interesting tourist attraction and look at the underbelly of the historic city.

November 18, 2007 - Smithsonian Magazine

Big Vision For Little Saigon

Orange County, California's Little Saigon is not the tourist and cultural center it should be, according to the Urban Land Institute, which has completed a study of the area and released recommendations for revitalization.

November 18, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

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Planning for Universal Design

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

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