Blair Kamin reviews the new design for a landmark McDonald's in Chicago.
" Chicago has had a lot of missed design opportunities in its history -- indeed, an entire exhibition of them, "Unbuilt Chicago," is now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago -- but this ranks as one of the most bone-headed.
McDonald's couldn't let go of its brand so it couldn't embrace the future. Economics trumped aesthetics. Nostalgia won out over modernity.
Modernity is about engaging how we live now and using the latest forms and technologies to take the everyday grind of life and turn it into art. Modernity expands perceptions. Nostalgia confines them by serving up sentimental, saccharine versions of reality."
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: A ground beef
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Jersey City Program Offers Battery Swaps for Electric Bikes and Scooters
Residents can swap depleted batteries for fully charged ones as well as charge and park their devices at two pilot sites.
Research: Walkability Linked to Improved Public Health
A study reveals that the density of city blocks is a significant factor in communities’ walkability and, subsequently, improved public health outcomes for residents.
Report Outlines Strategies for Resilient Wildfire Recovery in LA
Project Recovery offers a roadmap for rebuilding more sustainable and climate-resilient communities after wildfires and other disasters.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland