Columnist John King examines the lessons about rebuilding a city that can be learned from the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906.
"Before New Orleans, the worst urban disaster in the United States occurred in San Francisco, when the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906, destroyed 28,000 buildings and killed upward of 3,000 people.
...Civic leaders in 1904 hired [fabled Chicago architect Daniel Burnham] to draw up a plan that included new boulevards along classical lines. Supporters saw the earthquake as a "magnificent opportunity for beautifying San Francisco," in the words of former Mayor James Phelan. But business interests recoiled at condemning private land to build new streets.
...Unlike London in 1666 or San Francisco in 1906, New Orleans is not a city on the rise: The population has shrunk by nearly 150,000 people since 1960, and 28 percent of its residents live below the poverty line, more than twice the national average."
FULL STORY: A City in Survival Mode: The push to resurrect New Orleans
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.
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Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
Opinion: How Geothermal HVAC Lowers Costs, Improves Grid Resilience
Geothermal heating and cooling systems can reduce energy costs and dramatically improve efficiency.
Tenant Screening: A Billion-Dollar Industry with Little Oversight. What’s Being Done to Protect Renters?
Reports show that the data tenant screening companies use is often riddled with errors and relies on information that has no bearing on whether someone will be a good tenant.
Downtown Portland Ready for Maine's Tallest Building
The city of Portland anticipates a major new urban development addition called the “Old Port Square” project.
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.
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Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)