History / Preservation

This interactive map from The New York Times overlays historic maps with modern-day maps of the city, and shows how the city and its street grid has developed.

March 23, 2011 - The New York Times

Despite efforts to stop them, floods hammered the U.S. in the early 20th century. A now abandoned model of the Mississippi river, its tributaries and surrounding lands was built to better understand how to combat those floods.

March 23, 2011 - Places

The street grid of New York City was born 200 years ago in an early map of the city.

March 22, 2011 - The New York Times

Le Corbusier's modernist city, long a target of criticism from urban planners, is reportedly being sold off piece by piece. Preservationists are incensed and are leading an effort to preserve the city's signature style.

March 21, 2011 - domus

This podcast from The Guardian explores why cities have grown in population and what economic forces are behind this shift.

March 20, 2011 - Guardian

As it prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, the Russian resort city of Sochi has transformed from a "blank slate" into the "world's biggest construction site".

March 18, 2011 - Business Insider

America's first public parks were cemeteries. But over time, they've moved from the center of town to the edges. A new book looks at the history of these places of the dead.

March 18, 2011 - The Atlantic

Suburban areas are increasingly in the sights of planners and designers who are thinking of new ways to reform the sprawled out land use patterns. This interview looks at how those efforts relate to Houston.

March 18, 2011 - Transportation Nation

Our annual list of the 10 best planning, design, and development websites represents some of the top online resources for news, information and research on the built environment.

March 17, 2011 - Abhijeet Chavan

The Seattle City Council is considering allowing buildings of up to 150 ft. in parts of the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood. Some say the scale is out of character; others say, not high enough!

March 16, 2011 - The Seattle Times

March 14, 2011 - Ann Sussman

The ancient irrigation networks lying below Phoenix could offer a solution to the sprawling desert city's water problems.

March 13, 2011 - Archaeology

As plans to build a major dam on the Amazon River edge closer to breaking ground, locals in nearby communities worry about the inevitable changes to come.

March 12, 2011 - Smithsonian Magazine

As a Berlin neighborhood gains favor among foreign tourists, locals are fighting to preserve their community's charm and identity.

March 12, 2011 - Der Spiegel

A new book of photography compares the legacies of two modernist cities: Brasilia and Chandigarh.

March 10, 2011 - Azure

Despite what seemed to be a drained post-industrial condition in the 1970s, Seattle has been growing. This post looks into why.

March 9, 2011 - The New York Times

Columbus, Ohio has been experimenting with zoning overlays, which do not change the underlying land use regulations but add a set of form-based regulations focused on livability.

March 9, 2011 - Columbus Dispatch

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg faces challenges in his attempt to redevelop the Willets Point area of the city. Some opponents of the plan are prepared to file a lawsuit against the city.

March 8, 2011 - The New York Times

Has historic preservation been responsible for making New York a luxury city? A former member of the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission argues no.

March 7, 2011 - The Huffington Post

Toronto's City Hall is a massive concrete structure. Oddly, so was all its furniture, which was included with the original design. 99% Invisible looks at this unconventional design choice, and the legacy of that furniture.

March 5, 2011 - 99% Invisible