Public Buildings

Georgia Could End LEED Ratings for State Buildings

The LEED green building rating system doesn't acknowledge lumber from the state of Georgia as sustainable, so one state lawmaker suggests throwing out LEED altogether. Critics call it throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

March 25, 2015 - WABE

Denver Union Station

Is America's Civic Architecture Inherently Racist?

It's a provocative and rage-inducing question, but a potentially useful one for promoting discussion about the cross-cultural meaning of public space.

November 3, 2014 - Dean Saitta

A photo of protesters on the front lawn of the Ohio Statehouse during the State of the Union speech by Governer Kasich.

Ohio State Senators Want to Ban LEED

If two Ohio state senators get their way, the Buckeye State will be the latest on the anti-LEED bandwagon.

November 11, 2013 - Ecobuilding Pulse

Ugly L.A.

L.A. Looks Ugly; But Is That So Wrong?

The quality of L.A.'s public structures falls far below its remarkable private residences. Greg Goldin argues why we should see the beauty in its greatest creations: its infrastructure and evolving collection of noisy storefronts.

April 13, 2013 - Zocalo Public Square

Security Perimeter Design Gets A Facelift

For almost a decade, security features have been added to the perimeters of important public buildings without regard for aesthetics, and now are being 'beautified,' across the nation.

December 19, 2011 - The Atlantic

The Government Greens Its Real Estate

The Public Buildings Service, which is responsible for charging and collecting rent on 9,600 public buildings across the 50 states, has been asked to go green by retrofitting and smartening its aging buildings.

July 29, 2010 - Fast Company

Public Buildings with a Side of Art

Included in the budget of any new county building in Los Angeles County is a 1% line item for the creation of public art -- part of a public art program initiated in 2004. The first building to utilize this line item has just been completed.

March 13, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.