Libraries That Embrace Noise

Libraries, such as the new Salt Lake City library, are being designed to be amenable to a brave new, noisier world.

1 minute read

October 15, 2003, 12:00 PM PDT

By Connie Chung


The $65 million Salt Lake City library, designed by architect Moshe Safdie, "was designed not only to be an architecturally striking landmark but also to be the new information center and gathering spot for the 21st century. Librarians wear 'No Shh!' buttons; a cafe sells coffee, sandwiches and muffins; about 163 computers are available for games and Net surfing; and music can be heard on all floors-- and not just through headphones. There's also an art gallery, concerts, public meeting space, talks by authors and a CD and DVD collection that could rival Tower Records....This redesign of how people have thought of libraries isn't just a Salt Lake City phenomenon. New libraries are being planned in Des Moines, Philadelphia, Seattle, Minneapolis and Tulsa, and planners say they hope to adopt similar innovations."

Thanks to Connie Chung

Tuesday, October 14, 2003 in USA Today

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

People board a bus in Seattle.

Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion

Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.

November 6 - KOMO News

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.