Chicago warehouses were once built with architectural flair, but today’s industrial structures don’t come close.
"The next time an Amazon package arrives at your door, think of where it came from: A sprawling warehouse that’s a miracle of logistics and a piece of architecture with as much personality as a cardboard box," writes Blair Kamin.
Kamin looks back at Chicago’s long history of architecturally significant warehouses and other industrial buildings, including the Marshall Field Wholesale Store from 1887. "Designed by Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson to sell wholesale goods, the Field store projected the austere authority of a Renaissance palace. Graceful Romanesque arches punctuated its load-bearing exterior walls, which were made of huge pieces of highly textured Missouri red granite and red sandstone from Massachusetts."
Such a commitment to quality design and materials no longer exists, Kamin laments. "The problem is that Amazon’s architects are designing cookie-cutter buildings that are the very opposite of the Chicago warehouses that engaged the streets around them, combined efficient function with powerful form, and reflected the pride of their local owners."
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Often located in low-income communities of color, Amazon's warehouses contribute to public health impacts like poor air quality, noise pollution, and traffic congestion.
Amazon Shifting From Land Lessee to Land Owner
Amazon has been tending to buy when previously it would have leased, and the trend has massive implications for the industrial real estate market.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
Car Noise Is Killing Us
It’s not just traffic collisions that kill—a new study from researcher at Rutgers finds that the loud noises emanating from cars has direct impact on heart health in Americans.
Parks as a Weapon Against Climate Change
The 2022 ParkScore finds that cities are increasingly employing green space as a tool for mitigating heat and extreme weather effects, but the distribution of parks remains inequitable.
Louisiana Capital Shifting to Electric Transit
The Baton Rouge area is now served by a fleet of nine all-electric buses.
New Community Engagement Practices for Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan Update
A major update of Seattle’s comprehensive plan is just getting under way, with new opportunities for local groups to get involved with outreach and engagement.
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
Jefferson Parish
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
City of Lakeway, Texas
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
