In a cruel twist, a historic house associated with Chinese architects who championed the notion that 'a great nation should hold dear its historic patrimony', and deemed by authorities an 'immovable cultural relic,' was recently demolished.
In a city that seemed largely immune to the rapid rate at which entire historic neighborhoods have been raised to make room for Beijing's building frenzy, the recent demolition of a building that in the 1930s housed two of China's most fabled architectural historians struck a nerve far outside preservationist circles. The house, which was once home to Ivy League-educated architects Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin, was located in the Dongcheng district neighborhood of Beijing.
According to reporter Andrew Jacobs, "In a flurry of articles and editorials last week, the national news media denounced the demolition as a wanton violation of the country's laws and an affront to Chinese history."
"Even if distraught by the loss of a house he had tried so hard to save, He Shuzhong, one of the city's best-known preservation advocates, said he had found some solace in the unusually vociferous public uproar. The outrage, he said, was tied not only to the realization that Beijing had lost too much of its past, but also to a sense that the city's frenetic pursuit of modernization and material excess had left many citizens feeling adrift."
FULL STORY: In Beijing’s Building Frenzy, Even an ‘Immovable Cultural Relic’ Is Not Safe
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.