History / Preservation
Debating Starchitecture: A Mile High View
Is there a sweet spot where architectural boldness and innovation meet sensitivity to local context, history, and culture?
The Option of Sensing the City
In his second Huffington Post article on "place-decoding," Chuck Wolfe argues for considered attention to enhancing people's abilities to discern the city around them.
Nashville Struggles to Preserve the Historic Icons of Music Row
Outcry over the potential redevelopment of RCA Studio A in Nashville is raising tough questions about the conflicting dynamics of property rights and cultural heritage.
Are Brutalist Buildings Too Obdurate to Preserve?
Famous examples of aging architecture styles, such as brutalism, are in need of renovations, sometimes requiring the public to pay the bill. But brutalist buildings are often obdurate and hard to adapt and reuse.
6 Tips for Good Design in Your Town
Good design impacts tourism, jobs, property values and quality of life. What can we do to bring good design to small towns and rural communities? Here are a few good tips and inspiring examples.
Historic Preservation as the Enemy of Diversity
A recent article takes a controversial stance contrary to the argument of Jane Jacobs that old buildings equal affordable, diverse neighborhoods.
Learning to 'Place-Decode' the Elements of Urbanism
Chuck Wolfe champions the role of France's attachment to place as a laboratory for decoding the essential elements of urbanism.
Euro-Envy Reconsidered: Talkin' Time, Distance, and Change
Most North American urbanists turn to Europe for inspiration and direction. Some of that brilliance, Ben Brown reminds us, is due to time and distance.
Fifty Years of the Wilderness Act
Fifty years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law The Wilderness Act, at the time protecting more than nine million acres of wild lands throughout the nation.
The Future of the Gayborhood
With the advancement of LGBT rights and equality, the traditionally LGBT neighborhood is changing to reflect the tastes and preferences of the new LGBT community within.
Interpreting the 'Timeless and Time-Bound' in Cities
In his latest essay on interpretation of the urban environment, Chuck Wolfe suggests that if we take away context clues cities become matrices -- with blank cells to complete -- where each of us personalizes how space meets time.
Millennial Fever: Taking Stock of Denver Placemaking
Denver's investments in placemaking—guided by the city's great appeal to Millennials—are a mixed bag of hits, misses, and open questions.
Embodied Energy of Historic Buildings: Physical and Metaphysical
Inherently unlovable buildings—no matter how energy efficient—lacks the stuff of longevity. How can your EcoDistrict design for lovable buildings? It may not include tearing down the historic stock.
Revisiting the Common Sense Elements of City Life
Chuck Wolfe revisits five instances of how we can learn from the urbanism we already have.
Does the Aspen Ideas Festival Offer Compelling Ideas for Improving City Life?
The Aspen Ideas Festival didn't offer much that was particularly compelling, but it had its moments.
A Developer's Perspective on Historic Restoration for Mixed-Used Development
Developer Nick Kujawa shares his experience with mix-use development, and provides commentary on a new Community Builders report, "RESTORE: Commercial and Mixed-Use Development Trends in the Rocky Mountain West."
Modernism-Hating Neighbor Sues to Halt Home Construction
Allison Arieff tells the sordid tale of a "modestly modernist" house in Oakwood, a historic district in Raleigh, North Carolina. Despite the fully permitted house being 85 percent complete, a lawsuit by a neighbor could force its demolition.
How Los Angeles’ Union Station Came to Be
Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau reviews the "No Further West: The Story of Los Angeles Union Station" exhibit, on display at the Central Library.
Friday Eye Candy: USGS Launches Historical Topographic Map Explorer
A new tool, released in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey and Esri, provides easy access to historical maps from all over the country, featuring a timeline to easily select maps from different eras.
This Dubuque, Iowa Master Plan Is a Rust Belt Victory
The Historic Millwork District Master Plan, approved in 2009, provides exemplary solutions in historic preservation, parking requirements, and environmental standards, all now rewarding the city of Dubuque, Iowa with economic development.
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.
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
