Rediscover the magic of electric light, and its impact upon urbanization.
Yale History of Art Professor Sandy Isenstadt reviews "City Lights: Illuminating the American Night" by John A. Jakle and "Architecture of the Night" by Dietrich Neumann, in the Harvard Design Magazine. Each author "examine[s] the nature of night lighting and its role in building a modern society...It is easy to forget that light, so abundant now, was once a miracle of biblical proportion; it is hard to recall that light, so convenient now, has meaning only in relation to the darkness that surrounds it...[both books] render how magical electric light was when it first came into wide use in Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and how, just as quickly, it became routine...[Jakle successfully joins] myriad facts into a narrative of historical change with the main characters of technology, individual genius, bureaucratic torpor, and a full range of overreaching motives and constraining circumstances...[Neumann] delivers on [his] promise to establish electric lighting as 'a chapter in the cultural history of modern architecture.' "
Thanks to David Gest
FULL STORY: Book Reviews

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

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
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
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont