History / Preservation

Re-Creating Historic Places - But Why?

Plans to construct a replica of a German palace in Berlin are being met with confusion and derision. It's a project that many critics say has no point.

January 5, 2009 - International Herald Tribune

Preserving Jakarta's Historic Core

Modern Jakarta has turned its back on its historic core, founded in 1619 by Dutch colonists. A handful of people are now trying to save the historic streets and building from ruin.

December 29, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Galveston's Gamble

City leaders in Galveston looking for ways to recover from Hurricane Ike turn to an old staple of the local economy: gambling.

December 24, 2008 - Houston Chronicle

Proposed Road Through Park Blocked

The federal government has blocked plans to build a 16-mile road through a Southern California state park, mainly over environmental concerns.

December 23, 2008 - San Francisco Chronicle

Without Building Permits, Amish Face Fines

Legal actions have been brought against more than a dozen Amish residents in Wisconsin and New York for building structures in their traditional style, but without building permits.

December 21, 2008 - Associated Press

Revitalizing the Arch

The national park under St. Louis' famed Gateway Arch has seen better days, and has always been a point of contention. Today, some residents want to build a cultural attraction in the park. The park service is resisting.

December 20, 2008 - San Francisco Chronicle

Congregation Hits Wall in Bid to Raze Historic Chicago Church

The high costs of preservation and the current economic downturn have pushed the Chicago archdiocese to request a demolition permit for a historic church. But preservationists are pushing back.

December 19, 2008 - Chicago Tribune

Homogeneity Prevails in East LA

Although Southern Californian suburbs are more ethnically integrated than ever, the census shows that East LA is 98% Latino--a decline in diversity.

December 17, 2008 - Los Angeles Times

Protests Arise as Historic Chicago Park Eyed as Olympic Site

As part of its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, the city of Chicago has proposed a slight change to the layout of its Olympic stadia. The only problem is that the newly proposed site for the aquatics center is listed on the National Register.

December 16, 2008 - Chicago Tribune

Superblock Project Struggles With Historic Preservation

A proposed $150 million superblock development in Baltimore's West Side has faced numerous obstacles, including significant resistance from historic preservationists who want to see more of the historic retail district preserved.

December 13, 2008 - The Baltimore Sun

Submerged Ghost Towns Re-emerge

The site of the Lexington Reservoir for the last 56 years, two ghost towns in Santa Clara County, California have re-emerged since the water level was temporarily lowered.

December 11, 2008 - San Jose Mercury News

Ethnic Integration Up in Greater L.A. Suburbs

Many residents can still recount when their neighborhoods were far less ethnically diverse than their are now, which is backed by new census data showing that in most cities, the white population is down.

December 10, 2008 - Los Angeles Times

Not Your Typical Brick

Bricks have been a building staple for a long time, but the sky's the limit for their aesthetic uses.

December 10, 2008 - GOOD Magazine

On Molokai, A Development is Stopped

The plan: 200 luxury homes on Molokai's waterfront, in exchange for jobs and preserving thousands of acres of land. Locals fought the compromise, and the economic shift brought an abrupt halt to the project- dragging other businesses down with it.

December 9, 2008 - The New York Times

Rural Town Brings in Students for Preliminary Planning

Middlebury College students have been commissioned to simply get to know Starksboro, Vermont for a semester. The hope is that their findings will help develop a plan that embraces growth while upholding the things unique to the small town.

December 5, 2008 - The New York Times

UNESCO on UK's Back for Indadequate Preservation

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has issued the UK a warning that it must start doing a better job of preserving its heritage sites. A number of development projects have gotten the green light without any consultation from the committee.

December 5, 2008 - Architectural Record

Cemetery Moved For Landfill?

Elected officials in the Atlanta area decide to relocate a historic cemetery to make room for a landfill. NAACP officials believe the relocation fits a pattern of racial discrimination.

December 5, 2008 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Balancing A City's History With Its Future

In a place as dynamic as New York City, balancing preservation with development pressure is no easy task.

December 3, 2008 - New York Times

Churches and the Price of Preservation

The demolition of a registered historic church in Brooklyn has underscored a debate over historic religious facilities between preservationists and congregations who struggle to pay the added costs of owning historic property.

December 3, 2008 - The New York Times

Islamic Holy City Mecca May Get Starchitect Redesign

Big-name architects -- including Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid -- have reportedly been tapped to be part of a team of designers tasked with redesigning the Islamic holy city of Mecca and its mosque.

December 2, 2008 - The Architects' Journal

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

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.