History / Preservation
High Density For The Dead
Space for the dead is an increasingly tight commodity in England, so the government has pushed plans to increase the density of its graveyards. Under the new plans, older gravesites could be altered to accommodate up to six additional coffins.
Charlotte Sacrificing Old Buildings For New Ones
Well intentioned but loose zoning regulations are threatening the character some of the city's historic neighborhoods.
Iconic Hippie Neighborhood At Gentrification Crossroads
Ex-hippies-turned-homeowners and younger drifters have different expectations from San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
City Looks To Ensure Accuracy Of Its History
The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is considering testing its tour guides to ensure the accuracy of the city's rich history -- a big tourist draw and economic boon for the city.
Travel Company Buys Entire Village
A German tour operator has purchased the entirety of a village in Tuscany with plans to turn it into a mega-resort for vacationing Europeans. Many in the village were upset at the sale, which they say will destroy the local character.
The Architectural History Of The Pentagon
The fascinating story of the design and construction of the world's largest office building.
Conversion Of Rail Line To Bus Guideway Incites Preservationists
Locals in two British villages have rallied together to save a 160-year old train station, which is faces demolition as an unused rail line is converted to the country's longest bus guideway.
Beijing's Hutongs Falling Victim To Development Pressure
As property prices spiral upward in Beijing, some tenants in the city's 600-year-old hutong alleyways are rushing to cash in on their neighborhoods' destruction.
Egypt's Westernized Suburbs Leave Some Uncomfortable
Western-style suburban developments near Cairo, Egypt, have many concerned that about the loss of local culture.
Land Use Measures Face Hurdles Before Ballot
Lawmakers in Arizona are hoping to get two land-use measures on the ballot that would allow the state to sell off trust land to conservationists, and make right-of-way lands available for road construction.
Historic Rail Corridor Dilemma: Rails to Trails or Rails?
Rail buffs hope to run a tourist train on an unused rail line in the Sierra foothills outside of Sacramento, but there are concerns that it would prevent the corridor from being used as a recreational trail for hikers, bikers and equestrians.
Train Tunnel Excavation Reveals Artifacts
Transportation engineers in Rome have uncovered a hotbed of buried ancient Roman artifacts as they dig tunnels for a planned underground train system.
What Happens When A City Bans Advertising?
When South America's largest city banned billboards, neon signs, and all other forms of outdoor advertising, an unexpected cityscape emerged and previously unnoticed problems were revealed.
High Speed Train Tunnel Compromises Landmark Cathedral's Foundation
Transportation planners in Spain have proposed building a tunnel for a high speed train system which would run directly underneath a cathedral designed in the late 1800s by Antoni Gaudí. Experts say the tunnel could cause the cathedral to crumble.
Young Preservationists Fight For Old Buildings
The many of the city's leading preservation professionals are under 40 -- demonstrating a generational interest in protecting the historic character of urban areas.
Residents Fight Condos To Preserve Historically Black Neighborhood
Local residents are fighting against plans to build condos and redevelop a historically black section of Los Angeles, a move that they fear will gentrify their neighborhood.
Locals Oppose Scale Of Apartment Complex In National Park
The Presidio of San Francisco -- the nation's only privately-operated National Park -- has been trying for years to redevelop one of its buidings into an apartment complex. Citing local concerns, a recent proposal for 350 units has been denied.
Preservation And Planning Roadblocks For Developers In Historic Cities
Creating new developments in historic European cities is a struggle for developers, who often endure long waits for planning approval and strong opposition from preservationists.
Give And Take In The National Parks
Despite objections, the National Park Service will continue to allow "bioprospecting" in the parks - a practice some environmentalists say opens the door to exploitation, but which scientists contend has very little environmental impact.
Thoreau's Walden May Become A Soccer Field
This report from NPR looks at a Massachusetts school's efforts to build soccer fields in part of the forest Henry David Thoreau wrote about in his book Walden.
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EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
