History / Preservation

Much Despised Building Finally Comes Down

In Hartford, Connecticut, a former department store that locals call "butt-ugly" is being demolished. Delays in its destruction had come to symbolize all that is wrong with Hartford politics, says Josh Goodman of Governing.

September 16, 2010 - Governing Magazine

Stopping Development to Protect a View

A cemetery on a high hill in Brooklyn is hoping to convince the city of the importance of its views -- a move that could have a big impact on future large developments in the area.

September 15, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

Obama and Historic Preservation

In a talk on Monday with residents of Fairfax, Virginia, Obama answers a question about historic preservation, and says he is a "huge booster" of preservation.

September 15, 2010 - National Trust For Historic Preservation

Making the Transit-Land Value Connection

When the link between transit operators and real estate developers was severed in the early 20th century, transit became both unprofitable and unresponsive to market demand, and land value-lowering MTA cuts are just one example, says Stephen Smith.

September 14, 2010 - Market Urbanism

Historical Commission Give Permission to Demolish 19th c. Church

The Church of the Assumption, a mid-19th century building, is slated to be demolished. The Philadelphia Historical Commission is allowing the demolition after the non-profit that owns the site claimed it was financially incapable of the repairs.

September 13, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

The City of London Diversifies With New Mall

The City of London - the financial district comprised of one square mile of London's Roman boundary has erected a new shopping center that planners hope will stimulate the area's development as a competitor to the busier West End.

September 13, 2010 - The Guardian

Re-Examining the Geography of New Orleans Post-Spill

In the wake of the BP oil spill, geographer Richard Campanella of Tulane University takes a look at the geography of New Orleans and the Gulf region, and suggests that the disaster will fuel a renewed discussion of the area's uniqueness.

September 12, 2010 - Places

The Example of Miami, a Global City

Miami could be the next major American city, and one that other global cities should try to emulate, according to this interview with economist Saskia Sassen.

September 10, 2010 - Foreign Policy

The Myth of the City

In this essay from Lapham's Quarterly, Lewis Lapham muses on the nature of the city: how it is perceived, by whom and for whom; and how it incubates new ideas and facilitates democracy.

September 8, 2010 - AlterNet

Exporting Suburbanism

Developing countries have begun importing Western-style pro-sprawl urban planning policies, often to their detriment. Kuala Lumpur and cities across the communist world are examined.

September 7, 2010 - Market Urbanism

Has American Individualism Failed Society as a Whole?

Mary Newsom questions the current and diminishing lack of public worth in the United States today. " Americans have stopped believing that value is something everyone deserves," she writes.

September 6, 2010 - Charlotte Observer

The Urban and Civic Impact of Daniel Burnham

A documentary airing nationally on PBS today looks at the work of Daniel Burnham and the emergence of the urban planning profession.

September 6, 2010 - Architectural Record

True Historic Buildings At Risk, As Faux Historic Buildings Spring Up

Even as the City of Buffalo is spending millions to build new historically appropriate buildings on the waterfront, true historic buildings are allowed to be destroyed mere blocks away, says Donn Esmonde.

September 5, 2010 - The Buffalo News

The Empire State Building's New Neighbor

A controversial new skyscraper seen as a challenge to the historical skyline dominance of the Empire State Building has been approved in New York City.

August 30, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

Potential Neighbor Threatens Empire State Building's Dominance

A proposed tower that would be just blocks from the Empire State Building in New York City has some historians and property owners on the defensive.

August 27, 2010 - The New York Times

A New Ethic for Urban Reinvention

In a unique collaboration, an American lawyer and a Venezuelan architect merge thinking on holistic design, planning and regulation

August 23, 2010 - myurbanist

Historic Kansas City Plaza Threatened by Development

A recipient of AICP National Planning Landmark Award, Country Club Plaza is part of Kansas City's historic shopping district. A developer is proposing to replace two historic buildings on the Plaza with contemporary designs.

August 23, 2010 - The Kansas City Star

Don't Worship Jane Jacobs: Think Like Her

Bill Barnes of the National League of Cities argues that we don't need acolytes of Jane Jacobs; we need people who will think as hard and as well as she did about "the kind of problem a city is."

August 23, 2010 - Nation's Cities Weekly

How The Golden Gate Bridge Got Into Transit

Unlike the nearby Bay Bridge that was built to accommodate the Key System streetcars, the Golden Gate displaced existing ferry service. Carl Nolte, the Chronicle's historian, provides the background for the 40th anniversary of its ferry service.

August 22, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

Opening the Shutters on Chandigarh's Monuments

Chandigarh, the modernist city designed by Le Corbusier in India, is becoming increasingly popular among scholars, critics and a rising residential population. But some of the best parts of the city are closed to the public.

August 20, 2010 - Change Observer

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Planning for Universal Design

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