History / Preservation
Backyard Transformed Into Pocket Park
Downtown Nantucket has acquired a Main St. residents backyard in a prime spot for a pocket park. Landscape architect David W. Bartsch dug in to create an historically correct park style.
Texas Canyon Preserved to Avoid Sprawl
Development has been creeping closer and closer to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, the country's second biggest canyon. But despite a recent sale of nearby land to developers, preservationists have secured the deed to prevent sprawl from moving in.
Cold War Adaptive Reuse
The underground missile silos of the Cold War-era are still around, but they're not being used. Some people have moved in to reuse one in Kansas as a home.
Planners Look Back as Another Burnham Centennial Approaches
Besides Chicago, another Daniel Burnham-planned city is turning 100. Baguio City in the Philippines will turn 100 in 2009, and local planners are trying to apply urban reform elements from Burnham's original plan in time for the celebration.
Cultural Preservation the Bright Side of Dubai's Tough Times
Native of the bustling United Arab Emirates are cheering the global economic slowdown, crediting it for curbing development in its cities that had been blamed for destroying much of their local heritage.
California's Bodysurfing Preserve
The Wedge -- a well-known bodysurfing spot in Newport Beach made famous in the 1966 surf film "The Endless Summer" -- is becoming a part of local history, thanks to a group of bodysurfing preservationists.
When Smog Kills - Museum Opened To Commemorate 1948 Disaster
Sixty years after twenty people died from air pollution spewing from a steel and zinc mill in Donora, PA (just outside Pittsburgh) in perhaps the worst air quality tragedy in the U.S., a museum has opened to commemorate and learn from the tragedy.
Van Der Rohe Plaza Adapted to Ward Off Skateboarders
In a privately-owned plaza designed by Mies van der Rohe in Toronto, owners have sliced into benches to dissuade skateboarding. Some call it an affront to the legendary designer's work.
Kazakhstan: The New Dubai?
Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is reinventing itself as an increasingly wealthy and fast developing country through its architecture.
Adaptively Reusing Brooklyn's Industrial Spaces
Preservationists say that there are better ways to use buildings along Brooklyn's industrial waterfront than to demolish them.
The Experts' Picks for Prettiest Towns in America
Travel writers, photographers, and an urban designer selected by Forbes have named the 20 prettiest towns in America; their varied definitions of "prettiness" are reflected in their choices.
Preserving Land to Save Money
Voters in suburban Minnesota will vote on whether to invest $10 million to preserve a closed golf course. Or they could save the $10 million and allow a developer to build houses. But many say it will be cheaper in the long term to buy now.
Scranton, PA - Not What You Think!
In this election, Scranton has come to symbolize blue-collar America, with visits by all four national candidates, parodied on Saturday Night Live, as well as the scene of NBC’s The Office. But the city is in a turnaround after decades of decline.
Wasting Resources and Destroying History
Preservation of iconic buildings is important for historical reasons as well as environmental one, according to actress and preservationist Diane Keaton.
When A Road Is More Than Just A Road
Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway is one of America’s most 'elegant' roads. Designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux to replicate the grand European Boulevards; opened in 1876, it was designated a landmark by NYC 100 years later
Is Farmland Preservation Worthwhile?
Preserving farmland has always been a major issue in the U.S. But as Bill Fulton discusses, the local economic results don't quite justify the efforts.
The Cost of Density
As Toronto's heritage buildings fall to disrepair, new condominiums are slated to go up in their stead, prompting outcry from preservationists.
Neon Signs Fading in Chicago
Chicago preservationists are urging owners of the last of the city's neon signs to keep them intact.
The Humble Beginnings of Mega Chain Stores
Where did today's biggest chain stores got their start? Roger Wade offers background and photos from fifteen mega-chains original locations, from from WalMart to Taco Bell.
The Ephemeral Shopping Mall
Harundale Mall, one of the first enclosed malls built in the country, is now a strip mall. This article contains an examination of its somber decline and the direction in which Harundale--and other malls--may be headed next.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
