Beginning with the first U.S. planned urban development, St. Augustine, Fla., and ending with one of Portland's newest neighborhoods, the Pearl District, host Geoffrey Baer takes us through ten developments that left their mark, for better or worse.
"10 Towns that Changed America focuses on ten 'experimental' towns that did not evolve organically over time, but instead were designed (or redesigned) from the ground up by visionary architects, corporations, and citizens, who sought to change the lives of residents using architecture, design, and urban planning," states the introduction to the PBS special produced by WTTW, Chicago's NPR affiliate.
However, "visionary" does not always produce good results, as some examples show. While (#7) Levittown in Long Island (as well as those in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Puerto Rico) might have been a boon for new residents fleeing cities, African Americans were excluded, and their legacy in urban planning includes "build(ing) the foundation of suburban sprawl that we have today," writes Erin Chantry in "The Legacy of Levittown."
A better example among the ten examples of well-intentioned urban planning gone awry is (#8) Southwest Washington, DC.
The Southwest DC development approach defined a new concept in planning: "urban renewal." Urban renewal started with a bulldozer and continued with the construction of Modernist towers and "superblocks" dedicated solely to housing, versus the mixed uses of the old neighborhood.
The ten towns, which can be cities, suburbs, or districts, are presented in this order, with links to the description and video provided by WTTW beginning with Philadelphia (PBS takes care of St. Augustine, as well as providing links for a 30-second preview and the 56-minute program).
- St. Augustine, FL WATCH CLIP
- Philadelphia, PA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Riverside, IL
- Pullman – Chicago, IL
- Greenbelt, MD
- Levittown, NY
- Southwest Washington, D.C.
- Seaside, FL
- Pearl District – Portland, OR
Produced by WTTW, Chicago, the website for "10 Towns that Changed America," that also includes 10 additional towns not shown in the PBS program on April 19.
FULL STORY: 10 Towns that Changed America
What's So Special About Oregon and Utah?
These two Western states did something that none of the 20 other states in the nation going the wrong way in the pandemic have yet to do: they paused their reopening plans due to rising coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.
Will Manhattan's "Central Business District Tolling" Clear the Way for More Congestion Pricing?
Cordon pricing applied to Manhattan's Central Business District, approved by the state legislature on March 31 and signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on April 1, has the ability to be a game changer for other cities considering similar programs.
Gentler Gentrification in Philly's Germantown
Germantown has acquired many more wealthy residents without displacing many of its long-term residents or losing its diversity.
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.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Amtrak Takes Lead on Texas Central Rail
The high-speed rail project isn’t a done deal, but if it moves forward, trains could begin operating in 2030.
Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
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.
