Constantly updated, the internet has created an important tool for accessing up-to date information—text, still images, and video. Increasingly it also provides a window into aspects of history, including planning history, that have previously been difficult to find. Documents, indexes to archival materials, and the photographic and map collections of historical societies are accessible online. Less well known are film and video resources—resources that can be played online or downloaded. The Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division now boasts an outstanding collection of hundreds of videos relevant to urban issues. Some examples illustrate the range:
Constantly updated, the internet has created an important tool for accessing up-to date information-text, still images, and video. Increasingly it also provides a window into aspects of history, including planning history, that have previously been difficult to find. Documents, indexes to archival materials, and the photographic and map collections of historical societies are accessible online. Less well known are film and video resources-resources that can be played online or downloaded. The Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division now boasts an outstanding collection of hundreds of videos relevant to urban issues.
Some examples illustrate the range:
• A clip from 1899, 104th Street Curve, New York, Elevated Railway also shows nearby buildings and streets. It is one of a number featuring life in turn of the century New York.
• The City (1939), from the American Institute of Planners, with commentary by Lewis Mumford, is part of the large Prelinger Collection that includes many documentaries: http://www.archive.org/details/prelinger. The collection's wonderful tag cloud represents the universe of collection topics including city planning, urban renewal, transportation, and racism: http://www.archive.org/browse.php?field=/metadata/subject&collection=pr….
• Many of the films in the Prelinger collection were produced by industrial associations or in order to advocate a policy. In Community Growth: Crisis and Challenge (1959) the National Association of Home Builders criticizes sprawl and promotes better planning. A Place to Live (1948), a documentary-style drama, vividly illustrates Philadelphia before urban renewal. In We Work Again (1930s), the U.S. government advertises the success of the Work Projects Administration in employing African Americans.
Of course there is more to these collections than planning. Their open source movies range from an animated movies to what is described as, and is, "extremely graphic" archival military footage of Nazi Concentration Camps. (See http://www.archive.org/details/opensource_movies for examples.)
Overall, for planners these collections are rich resources and important windows into the history of cities and regions. Many are are obviously dated--The City features happy mothers doing laundry together with a voice over about the joys of gossip. However, they provide an important resource for helping make planning history more accessible.
Ann Forsyth has recently experimented with putting an educational video online as a downloadable file and a video available via YouTube-the 11-minute Corridor Housing Initiative: Because Place Matters. She was also the principal investigator in a project creating a free image bank of over 30,000 still images related to urban planning and design. Note, it may take a little time to set up one's computer to play the various formats-but persevere.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project
Securing federal approval for the project may be complicated under the Trump administration, which has historically been hostile towards domestic wind power.
Baltimore to break ground on $50 million Transit Priority Project
The project will bring faster bus trips, safer streets and better bike connections to Baltimore.
Airbnb launches $250 million 'last-dollar financing' housing accelerator, makes first investment in Austin
The company will put $6.4 million towards affordable housing development in Texas’ capital.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association