History / Preservation
Federal Office Conversion Program Slow to Start
To date, no loans have closed through a federal program meant to spur office-to-residential conversions.
The History of Racial Zoning and Housing Discrimination in the US
More than a century of discriminatory housing policy divided cities and contributed to the racial wealth gap and other social and economic inequities.
Considering Mindfulness as an Urban Planner's Tool
A recent blog post in Substack considers the appropriation of mindfulness to urban observation and, implicitly, urban planning today.
Adaptive Reuse: The Missing Piece to the Housing Puzzle?
Millions of square feet sit vacant while millions of Americans struggle to find affordable housing. Can reimagining our empty skyscrapers be the key to unlocking both solutions?
9 Public Land Destinations to Visit This Black History Month
These national monuments, parks, and sites honor and preserve Black history in America.
San Diego to Update Historic Preservation Program
The city wants to identify new areas for preservation while streamlining processes to promote adaptive reuse of historic properties.
Amazonian Ruins Reveal Ancient ‘Garden Urbanism’
An archaeological site shows evidence of a unique layout of dense residential buildings interspersed with a network of roads and farmland.
Op-Ed: A ‘Culture of Preciousness’ Undermines Historic Preservation
A focus on historic materials could foster inequity and obscure the important social and historical meanings of a structure.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Turns 100
The historic venue celebrates its 100th anniversary, marking a century of memorable moments that include two Summer Olympic Games.
Atlanta’s Five Points Station Overhaul Enters Public Review Phase
The project is part of MARTA’s effort to support more transit-oriented development in downtown Atlanta.
California Cities Cite Historic Preservation to Block Development
Are some cities using historic designations disingenuously?
Baltimore Considers Public Restroom Project
The city is starting to develop a plan for adding more public restrooms downtown, where available bathrooms are scarce and historic buildings are being damaged by public urination.
Planetizen’s Top Planning Books of 2023
The world is changing, and planning with it.
Contested Property: Haunted Houses and the Anxiety of Ownership in America
Sometimes home becomes a place of fear for the least supernatural reasons.
What Abandoned Places Teach Us
Abandoned cities and other forsaken human-built sites are haunted by the mistakes city leaders and builders have made over centuries.
Jersey City and Newark: A Tale of Renaissance and Stagnation
The rise and fall (and rise again) of two great American cities teach us lessons about racism, economic opportunity, and more.
Pike Place Market Vendors Open to Pedestrianization
A survey of local business owners and vendors upends the common belief that frontline workers don’t support restricting vehicle access to the iconic Seattle market.
The Mystique of the 13th Floor: Superstitions, Sustainability, and the Future of Electrical Building Design
How engineers adapt a common superstition to maximize the utility of a stigmatized space.
Tempe Historic Preservation Proposal Could Make it Harder to Build New Homes
Proposed changes to the city’s preservation ordinance would make two-thirds of the city’s housing stock eligible for preservation.
Former Brooklyn Sugar Refinery Reopens as All-Electric Office Tower
A historic building was reimagined as a 15-story office tower powered by renewable energy.
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
