History / Preservation

Los Angeles 1910

Friday Eye Candy: Tour Downtown L.A. Before Urban Renewal

The New Yorker has produced a video comparing the streets of Downtown Los Angeles on either side of a 70-year span of history.

July 22, 2016 - The New Yorker

C&O Canal

A Case Study of Rural Gentrification

Concepts like erasure, greenfield development, and easements figure into this story about a rural community on the fringes of suburban development in Maryland's Montgomery County.

July 21, 2016 - National Council on Public History

Alleys as a Community Asset

Often overlooked, alleys can be transformed into valuable community spaces

July 17, 2016 - CityLab

New York Manhattan Chinatown

Supreme Court to Decide on Interpretations of Historic Preservation

A brief by the Cato Institute describes historic preservation laws as arbitrary and ambiguous. A case before the Supreme Court could decide on either side of the issue.

July 13, 2016 - Market Urbanism

Wood Street

Philadelphia Discovers the Difficulties of Restoring a Wood-Paved Street

A failed 2012 restoration of South Camac, meant to last five years, only made it until 2015. Now it will have to wait until 2017 to see the historic street paved in wood again.

July 7, 2016 - CityLab

4th of July Parade

The Biggest Stories from Five Years of Independence Days

Here's what the Planetizen audience was reading on the July 4ths of yesteryear.

July 4, 2016 - Planetizen

Yarra Trams Melbourne

Debate: Why Did Trams Die in the 20th Century?

A Toronto professor pushes against Christian Wolmar's assertion that the tram's demise can be connected to anti-worker policy. For one thing, trams never went away in some cities.

July 1, 2016 - The Guardian

Pyramids of Giza

What 6,000 Years of Population Data Looks Like

We can now watch 6,000 years of urban settlements and movements unfold on our computer screens.

June 28, 2016 - The Guardian

Manhattan Developers Go 0-2 in Recent Preservation Battles

Local advocates have won a string of political victories against developers in New York City.

June 28, 2016 - The New York Times

Waldorf-Astoria

1,100 Waldorf Astoria Hotel Rooms to Make Way for Condos

A Chinese company has sent a dramatic signal about the evolution of New York, moving forward with a plan to convert most of the rooms in the famous Waldorf Astoria into condominiums.

June 28, 2016 - Bloomberg

Los Angeles Arts District

Building a Thriving Economy in Downtown L.A.’s Historic Fashion District

As Downtown L.A. sees an impressive renaissance, learn how the Fashion District in L.A. spurred growth through piloting the first-ever "Business Improvement District" program.

June 24, 2016 - The Planning Report

Nuclear Reactor Building

University of Washington Prevails in Preservation Battle Over its 'Nuclear Reactor Building'

It's a story of Goliath beating David in a preservationist fight in Seattle, but not before raising questions about how a university fits intot he city's regulatory environment.

June 19, 2016 - Crosscut

Alcatraz

Vote: $2 Million for National Parks Preservation Funding

The 2016 Partners in Preservation contest is open until July 5. Now is your chance to #VoteYourPark.

June 16, 2016 - National Geographic

Georgetown

What Separates Georgetown From the Rest of D.C.?

Georgetown's grid of small blocks is starkly different from the L'Enfant-designed city that surrounds it.

June 13, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

Losses Compounding for Preservationists in New York

The Architect's Newspaper reports on the potentially outsized implications of a recent decision by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission.

June 12, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

Clear-Sky Flood

Welcome to a Changed Climate: It Even Floods When it's Sunny

A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documents the increasing frequency of nuisance floods and "clear-sky flooding."

June 11, 2016 - USA Today

Bogota, Colombia

When Urbanism Was a Weapon in the Cold War

The founding of Ciudad Techo in 1961 just outside of Bogota, Colombia played a key role in a strategy by the United States to beat back communist intrusions into Latin America during the height of the Cold War.

June 10, 2016 - Wilson Quarterly

Anchorage Theater

Anchorage Reconsiders Iconic 4th Avenue Theatre Development Proposal

Request for tax breaks to redevelop deteriorated property in downtown Anchorage are recommended for denial by Chief Financial Officer Robert Harris.

June 9, 2016 - Alaska Dispatch News

Downtown Cleveland

Watch the Documentary 'Cleveland: Confronting Decline in an American City'

In May, the documentary film "Cleveland: Confronting Decline in an American City" was made available in full on YouTube.

June 4, 2016 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Wheelock Parkway

Inside the Mysteries of St. Paul's Wheelock Parkway

An exploration, historical and geographic, of St. Paul's Wheelock Parkway reveals the twists and turns of transportation infrastructure.

May 30, 2016 - MinnPost

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.

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.