Historic Preservation

What Is an Overlay District?
A zoning overlay district superimposes an additional set of regulations over an existing zoning district, or multiple zoning districts.

Redevelopment Threatens Iconic, Affordable Chicago Homes
The ‘workers’ cottages’ are being replaced with larger, more expensive homes, threatening one of the city’s original forms of affordable housing.

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.

Another Silicon Valley Town Tries To Sidestep State Density Law
Palo Alto could designate more than one hundred properties as historic in an attempt to prevent lot splitting permitted under a new state law designed to lightly increase residential density.

How Cities Are Resisting State Efforts To Increase Density
Cities are attempting to wrest back local control over land use and zoning via some ingenious—and sometimes disingenuous—strategies.

Opinion: New Construction Is Safer, Better for the Environment
The emotional attachment to old homes can obscure the benefits of new buildings, which consume less energy and provide more amenities for residents.

'Demodelphia' Hiring More Preservationists
To protect more historic properties from rampant demolition, Philadelphia is staffing up its historic preservation department.

Historic Preservation Appeal Could Delay Penn Station Redevelopment
New York State's Historic Preservation Office has moved to place the notorious Penn Station on the National Register of Historic Places, potentially upending redevelopment plans.

A Fight For the Future of People's Park
Community groups are fighting a plan to build student housing in the historic People's Park.

Growth and Heritage Colliding in San Antonio
As demand for real estate grows, residents in the city's historic neighborhoods face rising costs and the threat of displacement.
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.