Architecture
The Missing 13th Floor: How Ancient Fears Influence Modern Architecture
If you’ve ever looked closely at the elevator panel of a high-rise hotel or residential building, you’ve likely noticed something missing: a button for the 13th floor.
What Is the City Beautiful Movement?
Known for grand buildings and sweeping green spaces, the City Beautiful movement combined philosophy and architecture into a powerful planning ideology that still drives urban design into the present day.
Improving Housing Through Trauma-Informed Design
A growing awareness of the link between the built environment and mental health has led some designers to examine the ways we can make housing feel more safe and welcoming for vulnerable populations.
Balancing Aesthetics and Affordability
Policies too narrowly focused on design can drive up the cost of construction and prevent the development of affordable housing.
The Race Barriers of American Cities
The United States has a long and insidious history of erecting structures to control the movements of African Americans in urban and suburban spaces.
Interior Architects and Designers Decide the Fate of the Traditional Office Space
Coronavirus-mitigating design interventions make their debut indoors as interior architects and designers ponder the possibilities for traditional office spaces.
Empowering Architects to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Stephanie Carlisle, a principal at Philadelphia architecture firm KieranTimberlake, discusses the need for a toolkit of decarbonization strategies that designers can use for all design efforts, "not just the fancy projects or the unique projects."
To Reduce Carbon Emissions, Focus on Existing Buildings
Architects are uniquely positioned to reduce global warming, argues the CEO of Urban Green Council—but first they need to rethink their role.
The Fascinating Transformation of Suburban Architecture
The metamorphoses of suburban commercial buildings reflect a story of the urban landscape waiting to be told.
Atlanta’s Planning Commissioner Won’t Tolerate Bad Design Any Longer
Tim Keane says quality design isn’t negotiable and developers need to aim higher.
A Showcase of Innovative Climate Change and Resiliency Design Projects
A competition in the San Francisco Bay Area highlights projects considering new ways to design for impending environmental changes.
Rural Studio’s 20K Homes and the Complexities of Affordable Housing
A research program at Auburn University in Alabama seeks to go national, but experience from the program’s evolution means a cautious move forward.
Op-Ed: Pay Equity in Architecture Is Just a Math Problem
Unlike other measures of value, writes Jeanne Gang, pay is a number. And that should make it easy for architecture firms to address any existing wage gaps.
Wendy's Smaller Restaurants to Serve Drive-Thru Customers
Wendy's has been updating the look and design of their restaurants since last year, but now a new layout will shrink the footprint and add efficiency to the fast food spot.
Confusing Architectural Tastes for Moral Judgement
Kate Wagner argues that moral arguments about what kind of architecture is fitting, can stand in the way of good planning.
Design Media's Disguised Sexism Called Out
A planner who used vulgar terms to complain about an article on the subject of a "female approach to development" gets schooled about #TimesUp.
What Jail Can't Do
Frank Greene and Kenneth Ricci discuss the changing paradigms of half a century of justice architecture and what we should ask — and expect — from courts and jails.
Reimagining the Spaces Under Chicago's Skyway
UIC architecture students competed to design improvements for the spaces under Chicago's South Side "Skyway," which carries drivers from the city to and from Northwest Indiana.
Denver Residents Voice Aesthetic Concerns Over New Housing Developments
The Denver FUGLY Facebook page makes the case that developers are building too many boring tan and rust-colored buildings in Greater Denver.
Crumbling Of Democracy Bodes Ill For Urban Design
Ironically, some of the greatest architecture of the past came from the most nefarious of sources: monarchies and dictatorships. Democratic design, though, can be bland and generic. What of design in our new undemocratic age?
City of Greenville
City of Greenville
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.
