History / Preservation
Rough Tracks Ahead For High Speed Rail In Congress
Transportation consultant Ken Orski looks at post-election results in OH, WI, and FL as consistent with Newsweek's Robert J. Samuelson's pre-election column calling for an end to what he sees as wasteful and inappropriate high speed rail investment.
Five Materials Improving Sustainability In Construction
Joe Peach explains the technology behind five materials that will dramatically increase sustainability in the building industry. Among the list are wool bricks which are stronger, greater insulators and don't require firing to set.
The Cultural Reshaping of Los Angeles
In this reflection on the new book "Los Angeles in Maps", James Rojas wonders what shape the city will take in the near and far future.
Invasion of the Chain Stores
As chain stores move into a Brooklyn neighborhood, some locals worry about the loss of local character and small businesses.
19th Century Chicago History Goes Hollywood
Hollywood producers are planning a film version of the Chicago-focused book The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic And Madness At The Fair That Changed America.
The Plan That Changed Urban Planning
A tour shows off the results of a plan that "completely changed the direction of urban planning for much of the last century."
Is Moving A House the Same As Preserving It?
Brad Vogel of the National Trust for Historic Preservation marvels at the number of house movings that have happened recently, and asks if it is a viable approach for preservation -- or not.
Turning A Brutal Regime into a Tourist Attraction
Officials in Cambodia are hoping to capitalize on tourists' interest in the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge regime with a proposed theme park.
Taking Over a Ghost Town
This piece from The New York Times offers a first hand look at life in a modern day mining ghost town from someone who is steadily buying up empty buildings.
Urban Homestead Sectors, Naturescapes, and Green Venture Zones
A group called The Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD) released a report this week that breaks the city down into 11 different district types, each with their own character and policy recommendations.
Developers Vs. Architectural History
In Samara, a Russian city on the Volga, a rich architecture of wooden buildings is quickly disappearing, thanks to corrupt government and thoughtless devleopers.
The Downfall of 'the Paris of the Middle East'
Historic architecture is rapidly being replaced by cookie-cutter high-rises in Cairo, much to the displeasure of local architects and historians.
A Developer in the Park
Sitting in a controversial niche in the development market, Thomas Chapman develops plans for parcels within national parks, only to take buyouts from environmental groups or the government. He's got a bold new proposal on the way.
Ghost Town Swallowed by Desert
A town built in the Namibian desert has been abandoned for decades. The sand has taken over.
'Inchvesting' in the Future of Detroit
A group in Detroit has begun an effort to sell of one-inch parcels of land in the city for $1.
Fearing a 'Middle Class Ghetto'
As London redevelops its troubled East End ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics, organizers are warning against the post-event developments turning into ghettos of the middle class.
An Example of Post-Industrial Rebirth
Germany's Ruhr region, a former coal and steel powerhouse that fell into decline, has shown major improvements in recent years, offering hope for other post-industrial cities.
Reviews and Reflections on the Best New Urban Parks
The New Republic offers a look and review of some of the nation's best new urban parks.
San Francisco's Missing Statue of Liberty
The history of San Francisco's version of the Statue of Liberty, and how it disappeared, is discussed in this episode of 99% Invisible, a new radio segment from KALW.
Preservationists Save Uncle Tom's Cabin. Oh, Wait...
State and county officials spent over two million dollars saving a cabin thought to be the former home of Josiah Henson, the model for the Uncle Tom character in the novel. New evidence shows they were wrong.
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
