History / Preservation
Spotlighting the Women Shaping Seattle
The Urbanist is publishing a series of articles focusing on the leadership of women is shaping the past, present, and future of Seattle.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture Takes Its Rightful Place
The reviews are pouring in for the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, set to open on September 24, 2016.
8 Video Games Based on 'The Power Broker'
A game design competition based on the most famous biography of Robert Moses's life attracted more than 100 submissions from around the world.
Roads Not Taken: Reimagining a Different Seattle
In 1851 the City of Seattle could have been a vastly different place if alternative development decisions had been made that took the original inhabitants, nature, and topography into consideration.
Save the Local: Neighbors in England Rally to Protect Their Pubs
With pubs across the country closing at an alarming rate, communities across England are using a recently adopted law to save their local pubs.
Op-Ed: It's Time to Rethink Cleveland's Strategy of Managed Decline
Cleveland is a thought leader in bulldozing houses, according to a recent op-ed on Cleveland.com, but it's time to imagine a new paradigm.
Triangular Plazas: Flexible, Outdoor Rooms With Meaningful Uses
We often think of plazas as rectangular spaces, but unique geometries can create unexpected delight when a few simple criteria are met.
National Trust's 'ReUrbanism' Initiative Puts Adaptive Reuse Front and Center
The National Trust for Historic Preservation's ReUrbanism initiative has hit the ground running.
About City Gates and Gateways, With a Political Gloss
A year of political obsession with walls along national borders has Chuck Wolfe contemplating city gates of the past and present. Using the foil of proposed border walls, he examines the historic role of city gates, modern gateways, and more.
Preserving Las Vegas' Midcentury Residential Neighborhoods
In a region infamous for blowing everything up and starting over again, a growing constituency is interested in preserving the residential neighborhoods of yesteryear.
To Bring Water to the Village, Teach Villagers About Water
In Nicaragua, villagers' access to freshwater resources is sometimes impeded by a gap in coordination between the self-governing indigenous communities present there. WaterAid worked with locals in one village to change just that.
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.
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.
Alleys as a Community Asset
Often overlooked, alleys can be transformed into valuable community spaces
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.
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.
The Biggest Stories from Five Years of Independence Days
Here's what the Planetizen audience was reading on the July 4ths of yesteryear.
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.
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.
Manhattan Developers Go 0-2 in Recent Preservation Battles
Local advocates have won a string of political victories against developers in New York City.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
