If you could bring one building back from the wrecking balls of the past, what would it be?
Kevin D. Murphy, Carol Willis, Daniel Bluestone, Kerry Traynor, and Sally Levine—five architecture professors from around the country—share their feelings about the most regrettable losses of architectural history.
The introduction of the article explains the premise:
Unfortunately, all cannot be salvaged. Preservation efforts must be galvanized; they require mobilization, time and resources. We reached out to five architecture professors and posed the following question: What’s one American structure you wish had been saved?
Each professor provides more background on how their choice came to be destroyed, and what the loss means to architectural history. The choices are as follows:
- The Mecca Flats on the South Side of Chicago (Selected by Daniel Bluestone)
- The Original Waldorf Astoria, located on Fifth Avenue in New York City (Selected by Carol A. Willis)
- The Rachel Raymond House, located in the Boston suburb of Belmont (Selected by Kevin D. Murphy)
- The Humboldt Parkway, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of the Park and Parkway System in Buffalo (Selected by Kerry Traynor)
- The Chicago Stock Exchange (Selected by Sally Levine)
FULL STORY: Remembering America’s lost buildings
The Mystique of the 13th Floor: Superstitions, Sustainability, and the Future of Electrical Building Design
How engineers adapt a common superstition to maximize the utility of a stigmatized space.
New Book Examines Public Housing as a Locus of Political Power
A new book, "Diverging Space for Deviants," connects public housing with political power.
Surprising New Research on Gentrification in Houston
Affluent areas face more demolitions than gentrifying areas in Houston and Harris County, according to the findings of a new report from the Kinder Institute of Urban research.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.
Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.
Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions