History / Preservation
Learning to 'Place-Decode' the Elements of Urbanism
Chuck Wolfe champions the role of France's attachment to place as a laboratory for decoding the essential elements of urbanism.
Euro-Envy Reconsidered: Talkin' Time, Distance, and Change
Most North American urbanists turn to Europe for inspiration and direction. Some of that brilliance, Ben Brown reminds us, is due to time and distance.
Fifty Years of the Wilderness Act
Fifty years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law The Wilderness Act, at the time protecting more than nine million acres of wild lands throughout the nation.
The Future of the Gayborhood
With the advancement of LGBT rights and equality, the traditionally LGBT neighborhood is changing to reflect the tastes and preferences of the new LGBT community within.
Interpreting the 'Timeless and Time-Bound' in Cities
In his latest essay on interpretation of the urban environment, Chuck Wolfe suggests that if we take away context clues cities become matrices -- with blank cells to complete -- where each of us personalizes how space meets time.
Millennial Fever: Taking Stock of Denver Placemaking
Denver's investments in placemaking—guided by the city's great appeal to Millennials—are a mixed bag of hits, misses, and open questions.
Embodied Energy of Historic Buildings: Physical and Metaphysical
Inherently unlovable buildings—no matter how energy efficient—lacks the stuff of longevity. How can your EcoDistrict design for lovable buildings? It may not include tearing down the historic stock.
Revisiting the Common Sense Elements of City Life
Chuck Wolfe revisits five instances of how we can learn from the urbanism we already have.
Does the Aspen Ideas Festival Offer Compelling Ideas for Improving City Life?
The Aspen Ideas Festival didn't offer much that was particularly compelling, but it had its moments.
A Developer's Perspective on Historic Restoration for Mixed-Used Development
Developer Nick Kujawa shares his experience with mix-use development, and provides commentary on a new Community Builders report, "RESTORE: Commercial and Mixed-Use Development Trends in the Rocky Mountain West."
Modernism-Hating Neighbor Sues to Halt Home Construction
Allison Arieff tells the sordid tale of a "modestly modernist" house in Oakwood, a historic district in Raleigh, North Carolina. Despite the fully permitted house being 85 percent complete, a lawsuit by a neighbor could force its demolition.
How Los Angeles’ Union Station Came to Be
Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau reviews the "No Further West: The Story of Los Angeles Union Station" exhibit, on display at the Central Library.
Friday Eye Candy: USGS Launches Historical Topographic Map Explorer
A new tool, released in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey and Esri, provides easy access to historical maps from all over the country, featuring a timeline to easily select maps from different eras.
This Dubuque, Iowa Master Plan Is a Rust Belt Victory
The Historic Millwork District Master Plan, approved in 2009, provides exemplary solutions in historic preservation, parking requirements, and environmental standards, all now rewarding the city of Dubuque, Iowa with economic development.
Holocaust Memorial Opens in Columbus, Ohio
Stephanie Aurora Lewis describes the Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial, opened to the public earlier this month on the south lawn of the Ohio Statehouse.
Updated Plans for Chicago's Memorial to Daniel Burnham
A planned memorial for Chicago architect and planner Daniel Burnham got an upgrade this week in the form of a proposed 1.6-mile interactive walking path and new materials for the site of the memorial.
Los Angeles Conservancy Announces 2014 Preservation Awards
From rancho barns to Howard Hughes's former aircraft factory, nine projects reflect the best in historic preservation in Greater Los Angeles.
National Trust Releases its 27th Annual List of America's Most Endangered Historic Places
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has revealed its annual list of the most endangered places in the country. See anything you might miss when it's gone and can never come back?
Is Los Angeles the Museum Capital of the United States?
Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau continues his case for proclaiming the City of Angels as the museum capital of the United States.
Pittsburgh Struggles to Maintain its Public Staircases
Pittsburgh leads all American cities in the number of its public stairways (followed by Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco), but the city has begun removing some of the staircases, citing the high cost of maintenance and public safety.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
