Critics Alexandra Lange and Mark Lamster hand out their annual awards for architecture and design. Snark is on the menu, but the awards still provide a nice recap of the biggest design news from around the country (and some from around the world).

For the fifth consecutive year, critics Alexandra Lange and Mark Lamster offer a list of awards of the year's best and worst of architecture and design for Design Observer. The list makes a thorough geographic survey—Portland, Dallas, and Arkansas make appearances and the critics get in digs on George Lucas's museum proposal in Chicago and Peter Zumthor's blob of a design for LACMA in Los Angeles. There's even a shout out to the tactical urbanism movement, which takes home the "Top Jargon of 2014" award.
- "Jabba the Hut Award for Sensitive Urban Design: To George Lucas, for thinking he can dock that facocta Space Mountain on Chicago's Lake Michigan. PS: Hey George, no design approvals until you release the original Star Wars on DVD without your 'fixes.'"
- "Most Unexpected Blobmeister: Peter Zumthor, whose hovering black form for LACMA continues to provoke headscratching."
- "Top Jargon of 2014: 'tactical urbanism,' now enshrined in a MoMA exhibition, and close colleagues "pop-up urbanism" and "bottom-up urbanism." We're dangerously close to enshrining the small moves as we once did the big plans. "
In all, there's plenty to celebrate and to rue in the year's big news from architecture and design.
FULL STORY: Lunch with the Critics: Fifth-Annual Year-End Awards

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

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
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie