A $1.1 billion renovation of the Disney California Adventure theme park in Anaheim is oriented around the recreation of Los Angeles landmarks of the 1920s and 30s, when the head mouseketeer himself began building his empire.
Nathan Masters reports on the process by which Disney "Imagineers" sought to choose and reconstruct the extant and demolished landmarks of 1920s and 30s Los Angeles including, Pan-Pacific Auditorium, the Carthay Circle Theater, Pacific Electric's red cars, and the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge.
According to Masters, the project started with extensive research into archival photos and videos from libraries and private collections. "Ultimately, the Imagineers were trying to create an idealized representation of prewar Los Angeles, not an exact replica."
With fantastic historic photos, Masters takes us through a catalog of the historic touchstones one will find embedded in the theme park's layout when it reopens sometime in 2012.
"Although these replicas may be simulacra, removed from the original structures' urban context and repurposed as an entertainment experience, their reappearance at a theme park speaks to the enduring attraction of Southern California history," writes Masters.
FULL STORY: How Disney Imagineers Recreated '20s and '30s L.A. in 21st-Century Anaheim

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Test News Post 1
This is a summary

Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.

Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
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