Adaptive Reuse

Strip Malls as a Housing Solution
The American strip mall may be a dying breed of commercial development, but could the buildings serve a new use as sustainable housing?

From Skates to Shelter: Shuttered Rink To Become Transitional Housing
An iconic roller skating rink, closed during the pandemic, is being transformed into a bridge housing facility for unhoused Angelenos.

Maine Passes Zoning Reform Laws
The state legislature passed two bills, one supporting accessory dwelling units and another incentivizing adaptive reuse, aimed at boosting housing affordability.

Philadelphia Leads the Way in Adaptive Reuse
Philadelphia, a city rife with historic architecture, seeks to incentivize more conversion of historic buildings into housing.

Dead Mall? Convert it to a Health Clinic
Closed and struggling malls around the country are being repurposed as healthcare centers.

New York’s New Head of City Planning Gives First Interview
Dan Garodnick, the new leader of the city’s planning department, outlines how the city plans to adjust zoning regulations to acknowledge changes in how and where people live and work.

How Adaptive Reuse Can Ease the Housing Crisis
An analysis of Los Angeles properties found that the city could make a significant impact on its housing shortage by converting commercial buildings to housing.

The Return of Cities
Major cities like London continue their rebound from the pandemic, with some tweaks.

Opinion: Revise Zoning and Tax Codes To Support Adaptive Reuse of NYC Office Space
With office buildings facing an uncertain future in their current form, cities can tweak regulations to encourage innovative new uses.

L.A. Reimagines Parking for New Uses
In famously car-centric Los Angeles, developers and city officials are changing the way they view parking space, opting instead to allocate the space to more effective uses.
Urban Planning Partners
Sandy City
Ada County Highway District
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.