History / Preservation

Do the stylized pictures of crumbling edifices and the recent incorporation of a vacant home in an art show do a disservice to the residents—mostly poor and black—who still call Detroit home?

February 22, 2016 - The Guardian

A vote by the city of Cincinnati's Historic Conservation Board, of all things, would prioritize parking over historic integrity.

February 18, 2016 - Urban Cincy

Scott Doyon rewrote a classic children's book as a history of US cities since World War II. Fortunately, it's a quick read. Unfortunately, it's up to all of us how it ends.

February 10, 2016 - PlaceShakers

So the Super Bowl is actually being hosted down the road in Santa Clara, but San Francisco has been Super Bowl City all week. Luckily a feature by The Guardian offers a chance to compare The City's history with its present.

February 7, 2016 - The Guardian

The former locations of nuclear missile sites are more mundane than you probably realize. Geoff Manaugh explores satellite images of Los Angeles, and other cities, for examples.

February 5, 2016 - Travel + Leisure

This past April, the Landmarks Law turned 50. Its legacy and impact has been inconsequential for shaping the urban environment.

January 20, 2016 - Thriving Cities Blog

Water has been an integral part of the designed landscape for centuries, but is it time to reevaluate its relevance?

January 12, 2016 - Mark Hough

There is hidden economic diversity even in one of the most famous (and toniest) of zip codes.

January 10, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

The Wyvernwood Garden Apartments, a large-scale low-rise development opened in 1939, are at the center of a preservation debate. Lauren Walser gives us the case for keeping them.

January 3, 2016 - National Trust For Historic Preservation

An important source of housing affordable to wide ranges of incomes has a new, well-funded ally in Philadelphia—the Healthy Rowhouse Project is hoping to make a big impact in 2016.

December 28, 2015 - PlanPhilly

A little Christmas Day diversion for those who never stop thinking about cities.

December 25, 2015 - Urban Scratchoff

Dancehalls—places for small-town Texans to gather for community—are struggling to survive in a changing Texas.

December 25, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Journalist Alex Ulam speaks with Sarene Marshall, director of the Urban Land Institute's Center for Sustainability, about the role conservation is playing in fighting climate change and her role at the agency.

December 18, 2015 - Doggerel

The results of a year's worth of writing, reading, sharing, and commenting are in. These are the most popular Planetizen posts from the year 2015.

December 18, 2015 - James Brasuell

Created with input from historian Mark Footer, this tool overlays street views of modern Hong Kong with historical photos from the colonial era through the 20th century.

December 11, 2015 - HotelClub

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for a planner? Check out these new map books.

December 9, 2015 - New York Times

The passage of the five-year FAST Act, the first long-term transportation bill since 2005, solidifies the trend that has been in place since 2008, when General Fund transfers to the Highway Trust Fund first began. Such transfers are now the new norm.

December 7, 2015 - the transport politic

Known for its unique Moorish Revival architecture, and beset by a host of urban problems, the Miami suburb may have found its savior in Germane Barnes. The young architect and planner aims to revitalize the area without gentrifying it.

December 6, 2015 - Curbed

We've known for some time that it would be difficult to rein in the automobile once the country's obsession had taken hold. Footage from a news special aired in 1965 offers historic perspective.

December 1, 2015 - nextSTL

World leaders are meeting in Paris this week for the United Nation's COP21 talks. But what exactly are the main topics of discussion?

November 30, 2015 - Doggerel