History / Preservation

Small Town Charm: 20 Great American Hamlets

With the help of a little GIS wizardry, Susan Spano and Aviva Shen map the 20 most cultured small towns in the U.S., from Gig Harbor, WA to Naples, FL and everywhere in between.

April 22, 2012 - Smithsonian

20 Years Onward, How Have the Riots Changed LA?

In April 1992, L.A. erupted in a torrent of burning, looting, and rioting following the acquittal of three police officers charged in the beating of Rodney King. Josh Sides looks at how the city responded to those events and how it's changed since.

April 22, 2012 - Places

Celebrating America's Top Main Streets

Writing in Travel + Leisure, Wayne Curtis surveys 15 of America's greatest Main Streets.

April 19, 2012 - Travel + Leisure

Who's Benefitting From Historic Preservation?

As wealthy communities learn to use historic districts to inflate property values, socially conscious urbanists must think twice about the purpose and place of preservation, Will Doig reports.

April 18, 2012 - Salon

The Developing World Finds Value in Preserving Its History

Lauren Gravitz explores the importance of demonstrating the economic viability of cultural tourism to safeguarding historic sites in Peru and Bolivia.

April 16, 2012 - Fast Coexist

On its 100th Opening Day, Remembering Fenway Park's Near Death

Anthony Flint reflects on the story of economic development and historic preservation that led to the saving of Boston's historic Fenway Park from demolition in the 1990s.

April 13, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Savvy Retail and Restaurant Reuse Mark Next Phase of Dowtown LA Revival

In a feature for The Architect's Newspaper, Marissa Gluck profiles the "retro-chic makeovers" transforming downtown Los Angeles.

April 11, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Arguing the Case for Preserving Ugly Buildings

Jumping into the lively debate over the future of Paul Rudolph's brutalist government building in Goshen, NY, The New York Times has asked a number of debaters to weigh in on whether even ugly, unpopular buildings deserve to be saved.

April 9, 2012 - The New York Times

Long-Awaited Pompeii Preservation Plan Unveiled

Elisabetta Povoledo reports on a long-term plan unveiled last week to protect Pompeii from the impact of nature, tourists, and organized crime.

April 9, 2012 - The New York Times

New Exhibit Documents the Promise of Mid-Century Baghdad

Julie V. Iovine examines a new exhibition at the Center for Architecture in New York that seeks to capture the spirit of architectural possibility and optimism that defined midcentury Baghdad.

April 6, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Bauhaus Treasures Beginning to Get the Care They Deserve in Tel Aviv

JoAnn Greco explores Tel Aviv's trove of neglected Bauhaus treasures, which date to the growth of the brand-new Israeli city as a haven for Jews fleeing Nazi Germany.

April 3, 2012 - The Washington Post

Keeping the Last Century Alive in Los Angeles

Patricia Kirk profiles Dave Goldstein, a Los Angeles native on a mission to preserve, restore, and rent historic residences throughout Hollywood.

March 24, 2012 - Urban Land

Getty To Promote Preservation of Modern Architecture

Christopher Hawthorne reports on a just announced initiative by the Getty Conservation Institute to finance research into innovative solutions to the technical challenges unique to the preservation of modern architecture.

March 23, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Tracing the Intellectual Life of London's Lost Coffeehouses

Dr. Matthew Green surveys the rich 360-year history of London's politically provocative and intellectually charged coffeehouses, which "inspired brilliant ideas and discoveries that would make Britain the envy of the world."

March 22, 2012 - The Telegraph

Poverty Soars in the Suburbs

Lisa McGirr looks at the growing challenge of suburban poverty, which in the last decade has climbed by 25 percent (almost five times faster than cities), and the larger trends that it signifies.

March 20, 2012 - The New York Times

Harvard Researchers Map the World's First Cities

Nate Berg reports on the new findings published by a team of Harvard researchers looking to uncover the genesis and shape of the world's first cities in "the Cradle of Civilization."

March 20, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Decision Nears Over Fate of a Brutalist Masterpiece

Tom Stoelker reports on the impending vote on whether to demolish a Brutalist "masterwork," Paul Rudolph’s 1971 Orange County Government Center in New York, and the moves preservationists are making to try to save it.

March 14, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Revisiting a Prophetic Essay by Jane Jacobs

Fortune has re-published a provocative essay by Jane Jacobs, originally published in the magazine in 1958, as large scale urban renewal projects were taking off in cities across the country.

March 10, 2012 - CNN/Money

From Landscape to Soundscape in Urban Placemaking

Chuck Wolfe outlines the importance of soundscapes to cities past, present and future, and describes efforts to both document urban sounds and use sound as a planning tool.

March 7, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

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.