History / Preservation

Empty Main Street

Should We Let Main Streets Disappear?

Kaid Benfield pens a provocative column in which he suggests that the traditional American Main Street is a thing of the past, and may no longer fit our modern retail economy. Are traditional main streets still worth preserving and emulating?

February 4, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Creating a Defined Urban Core Just Outside the Nation's Capitol

Montgomery County planner John Marcolin details the ongoing creation of an urban core in Silver Spring, Maryland, the thriving unincorporated area just northeast of Washington, D.C.

February 2, 2013 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments

L.A.'s Reuse Ordinance: A Victim of its Own Success

Los Angeles's landmark adaptive reuse ordinance has been credited with helping to spur downtown's dramatic growth over the past decade. However, developers now find it cheaper to build new than reuse the area's historic structures.

January 31, 2013 - Los Angeles Downtown News

Wood-framed Storefront

Picturing Ten Urban Qualities Important for Every City

Writing in The Atlantic Cities, Chuck Wolfe provides ten illustrated examples of enjoyable environments that reflect an evolving recognition for the qualitative aspects of the urban experience.

January 30, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Sheikh Zayed Road under construction

The Emerging Asian City: An Interview with Vinayak Bharne

The publication of the 24 chapter volume “The Emerging Asian City: Concomitant Urbanities & Urbanisms”, brings together some of the most significant emerging voices and thoughts on the forces and phenomenologies shaping urban Asia today.

January 29, 2013 - Jonathan Nettler

Recounting One of America's Greatest Preservation Victories

As New York's Grand Central Terminal celebrates its 100th birthday, Kent Barwick recalls how he and a motley group of advocates including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis saved the building from being buried beneath a skyscraper.

January 29, 2013 - The New York Times

Iceberg

Looking at History and Seeing a Grim Future for the World's Coastal Cities

Justin Gillis tags along with researchers who are trying to pinpoint just how much of the world's coastlines will be inundated by dramatically rising sea levels. By looking at historical records scientists are beginning to paint a grim picture.

January 22, 2013 - The New York Times

San Diego's Redevelopment Undermined by Parking Lot Blight

Now that redevelopment projects in CA are officially dead, a retrospective on one of the state's 'most successful' redevelopment projects reveals an inconvenient truth: demolition for surface parking has undermined much of its accomplishments.

January 22, 2013 - UrbDeZine.com

Dare to Live Outdoors

The old cool: Sealing yourself inside suburban air conditioning. The new cool? According to Howard Blackson, it's the joy to be found outside, connecting with one another and the world we share.

January 22, 2013 - PlaceShakers

One of New York's Grande Dames Turns 100

As the 100th anniversary of its opening approaches, The New York Times recounts the birth of one of the finest railway stations in the world - Grand Central Terminal.

January 21, 2013 - The New York Times

The Tokyo Model: From Post-War Slum to Superpower

In this compelling essay, authors Matias Echanove and Rahul Srivastava take a look at Tokyo's post-war development and explore how lessons learned from its unplanned growth may be useful for other rapidly urbanizing Asian cities today.

January 20, 2013 - Next City

Friday Eye Candy: Los Angeles Then and Now

Interactive before and after images taken nearly six decades apart show L.A.'s changing urban landscape.

January 18, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

A Model for How to Transform a Cherished Sports Landmark

The decade-long transformation of Toronto's historic Maple Leaf Gardens into a new centerpiece for its neighborhood may serve as a model for one of the trickiest types of adaptive reuse, reports Mark Byrnes.

January 18, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Could London Lose its UNESCO Status?

New high-rise towers spreading throughout central London are threatening the character of the city's most important historic sites, reports Martin Bailey.

January 16, 2013 - The Art Newspaper

Lessons Learned: Five Principles of People and Place

Employing material gathered for his forthcoming book, Chuck Wolfe argues for layered, historical illustrations of how people relate to built and sociocultural communities around them, and offers 5 principles and companion lessons for placemaking.

January 16, 2013 - myurbanist

Preservation Wars Heat Up in South Beach

Decades after preservationists helped usher in one of the country’s most successful urban revivals by protecting South Beach's Art Deco buildings, Miami Beach commissioners are considering whether to strengthen laws protecting residential properties.

January 16, 2013 - The New York Times

Traditional Homes Get a New Lease on Life in Iran

Thomas Erdbrink spotlights the efforts of the dedicated individuals that are trying to reverse decades of neglect and destruction of the traditional courtyard homes that are a 'cornerstone of Iranian architecture.'

January 10, 2013 - The New York Times

Downtown Palmyra

Historic Downtowns: Why Can't We Build 'Em Like We Used To?

What is it about historic downtowns that makes them so darned attractive, and unlike the placeless architecture spreading across our urban landscapes? Graeme Sharpe looks at the "basic recipe" that created these admired environments.

January 10, 2013 - Urban Indy

Pioneering Architecture Critic Ada Louise Huxtable Dies at 91

The uncompromising writer, who pioneered the position of full-time architecture critic at an American newspaper, and exemplified the pinnacle of the profession for five decades, died on Monday.

January 8, 2013 - The New York Times

After 150 Years of Service, What's the Prognosis for London's Tube?

Dave Hill reflects on the history and outlook for the world's first underground train. He beckons Londoners to do the same, and to contemplate on how to best help the London Underground flourish in the future.

January 7, 2013 - The Guardian

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.

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.