Blair Kamin of the Chicago Tribune favorably considers the design of the new federal Oklahoma City building, which 'tries to enhance the lives of its occupants while upgrading security.'
Chicago-based designer, Carol Ross Barney, who is known for her nationally acclaimed work on an elementary school in a tough Chicago neighborhood, now more than ever has a reputation for designing "tough and welcoming" buildings. The new federal building is designed to withstand an attack similar to the truck bomb incident in 1995, which had torn through the building, "causing the building's floors to fall, or 'pancake,' on one other....Investigators later determined that the structural collapse killed more people than the bomb itself." The new three-story building "has shatterproof glass, a steel-plated main entrance and concrete bollards that are supposed to keep a truck or car bomb at a distance, lessening structural damage from explosives."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: New Oklahoma federal building has Chicago touch

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

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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
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Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
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