New Book Studies 20 Examples of Adaptive Reuse

A new book on adaptive reuse of industrial buildings is reviewed by Carol Berens.

1 minute read

September 21, 2018, 9:00 AM PDT

By wadams92101


Adaptive Reuse

Aerial Excellence / Modern Cities

A new book examines 20 examples of adaptive reuse of industrial buildings in the United States. The book is titled RE–USA: 20 American Stories of Adaptive Reuse. It’s written by Matteo Robiglio, an architecture professor at the Politecnico di Torino’s Design Architecture Department in Italy. Carol Berens, a New York City based architect and author, reviews the book. As a former vice president of the Empire State Development Corporation, she has interest and experience in the topic.

Berens writes that the book looks both at reuse of the buildings themselves as well as the impact of the reuse on the surrounding neighborhood. As a "toolkit," the book is written to assist those interested in embarking on such projects themselves. Moreover, while the book can be used by municipal agencies, it is really addressed to concerned citizens trying to revitalize their neighborhoods. Berens continues:

Consisting of eight steps and addressed to “you and your family,” the processes outlined are intended to chart a path of redevelopment and acknowledge and build upon the industrial legacy by emphasizing adaptive reuse.

For more information, please see the review.

Saturday, September 15, 2018 in UrbDeZine

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

Skyscrapers in Jersey City.

New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers

Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.

September 4, 2026 - The Cool Down

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

A tall, gray power plant billows smoke into a blue sky.

EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants

Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.

September 15 - New York Times

A white RAPID bus. The lower half is light blue, and says RAPID in purple text. The bus is half visible, appearing from the left side of the image.

Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses

Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.

September 15 - KJZZ

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.