History / Preservation

History Under Threat of Development in Iran

Isfahan is one of Iran's fastest growing cities. But it also has a distinct history -- one that is being threatened by the rapid pace of growth. Now, locals are trying to preserve the city's heritage.

April 5, 2009 - Smithsonian

Everglades Preservation Plan Halved

The state of Florida has announced plans to drastically scale back efforts to buy and preserve land in the Everglades.

April 3, 2009 - The New York Times

The City Makes a Comeback

Nicolai Ouroussof uses four cities--New Orleans, Los Angeles, The Bronx, and Buffalo--as case studies on how America's urban areas, long neglected, can once again be great.

April 2, 2009 - The New York Times

Vancouver Revisits View Preservation Policy

Amid growing concern that downtown Vancouver's mandated view corridors cost too much development while making too little sense, its planners are once again debating their necessity.

April 2, 2009 - The Globe and Mail

Slow and Steady Survives the Recession

Pittsburgh's strategy of slow, steady growth has made it the front runner for sustainable building. The city now boasts the most LEED-certified square footage in the country.

April 2, 2009 - The New York Times

Recession a Bittersweet Thing for Preservationists

Ironically, buildings unable to get funded for preservation due to a recession can also benefit from it: as development overall comes to a stop, so does the wrecking ball.

April 2, 2009 - Architectural Record

A Blueprint For Making Cities Efficient, Sustainable And Livable

Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for The New York Times, argues that the time is right for a new vision of rebirth for America's ailing cities. He applies this new vision to the challenges of New Orleans, Los Angeles, the Bronx, and Buffalo.

March 30, 2009 - The New York Times

The Work of Historical Ecology

This piece from the San Francisco Chronicle takes readers inside the world of a historical ecologists -- one who tries to document what landscapes used to be and how they've evolved over time.

March 30, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Huge Wilderness Conservation Bill Passes House

A bill heading for an expected signature on the President's desk will effectively protect 2 million acres of wilderness in the U.S. Conservationists are applauding the move, while others worry the bill will hold back alternative energy plans.

March 27, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor

Massive Solar Plants Spur Ecological Debate in California

The ecological impact of solar power plants is fueling a huge debate in the small rural town of Carissa Plains in California's coastal San Luis Obispo County, where the world's largest solar plants are being planned.

March 27, 2009 - Time

Sustaining the New Urbanism

New urbanists ponder how they can adapt to the new economic climate and avoid the fate of their predecessors.

March 25, 2009 - New Urban News

Rebirth Through Art in Abandoned Detroit

This piece from NPR looks at what artists are doing in Detroit to snatch up abandoned homes and convert them into community centers and art spaces.

March 24, 2009 - NPR

San Francisco Rail: A Living History

S.F. historian Carl Nolte examines S.F.'s vibrant streetcar history and today's modern light rail replacements.

March 24, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Where's the Weird?

Architectural eccentricity is becoming a rarity in New York, as evidenced by the demolition of the O'Toole Building--a fairly weird building.

March 19, 2009 - New York Magazine

The 'Loin's Grunge and Grime Now Historic

Stocked with architectural gems but fraught with crime, San Francisco's Tenderloin district has long been debated as a possible historic site. The debate is now over, as it was recently named to the National Register of Historic Places.

March 19, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Planner's Predictions Uncovered

Fifty years ago, Kenneth E. Norwood placed a time capsule and his predictions for Burbank, CA in a newly constructed bridge. According to the planner, monorails and "multi-unit garden apartments" were the waves of the future.

March 18, 2009 - Los Angeles Times Blog

Cash-Strapped Congregations Can't Save Landmark Churches

Another victim of the economic downturn is historic preservation. In New York, a number of churches slated for preservation can't find the funds to keep the bulldozers away.

March 17, 2009 - Bloomberg.com

3,000 Year Old Site Swapped for Train Station

Legislators in Utah have approved a bill that would allow the Utah Department of Natural Resources to swap a 3,000 year old Native American village to a group of developers intent on building a new transit station.

March 13, 2009 - Deseret News

De-isolating the Pedestrian Mall

Car-free for more than 15 years, Chicago opened its dying pedestrian mall on State Street to vehicular traffic in 1996, with huge success. Should Boston planners and officials consider a similar strategy for its Downtown Crossing?

March 11, 2009 - The Boston Globe

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.

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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.