Adaptive Reuse
‘Facadism:’ Historical Preservation, Fakery—or a Little of Both?
Developers in cities like Oakland, California are turning to vintage architectural elements to inform building renovations, but this repackaging is far from traditional preservation work.
6 International Models of Urban Revitalization
The New York Times recently published an article exploring six cities from around the world reinventing themselves for the 21st century: Paris, Sydney, Medellin, Lisbon, Singapore, and Durban.
11,000 Housing Units Possible with S.F. Office Conversions, Study Says
A new study by SPUR and the Urban Land Institute’s San Francisco chapter estimates a specific number of apartment units that could be built from vacant office units in the city.
Dallas Ahead of the Game in Adaptive Reuse
Thanks in part to a state tax credit created in the early 2000s, downtown Dallas is set to create roughly 1,500 new housing units by converting office buildings to residential uses.
The ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for Office Conversion
A formula for the ideal office-to-housing candidate.
Why Office Conversion is Trickier Than You Think
Converting office buildings to housing is almost always possible, but, thanks in part to design changes in newer office buildings, it can often be cost-prohibitive.
Pittsburgh Adaptive Reuse Program Accepting Applications
The city has issued a request for proposals to support projects converting downtown office buildings to affordable housing.
Santa Barbara Expands ADU Program to Boost Housing
The city hopes that permitting larger ADUs and making adaptive reuse easier will help it meet its state-mandated goal of building over 8,000 new housing units by 2031.
Exxon’s Former Houston Headquarters Could Become a Residential High Rise
The former headquarters of Humble Oil, a predecessor to Exxon, will be converted to apartments in Houston, after New York-based developers CMI Developers purchased the building with a plan for adaptive reuse.
The Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity to Remake Downtown
Urban cores around the country were transforming into live, work, and play destinations before the pandemic. The pandemic was a setback for this transformation, but it could also be a rare opportunity. It’s up to city leadership to seize it.
NYC Mayor Proposes Office Conversion Plan
Proposed zoning updates that would make it easier to convert office buildings in commercial districts to housing and other uses could yield up to 20,000 new housing units in the next decade.
Houston Office Park Continues Adaptive Reuse Trend
The former ConocoPhillips campus, built as a self-sufficient complex complete with a lagoon and fitness center, will be repurposed into a mixed-use waterfront development.
Old San Diego Library to Become Shelter
The long-disused Central Library will accommodate 26 unhoused residents starting later this month.
D.C. Mayor Pushes for More Housing Downtown
Mayor Bowser wants to encourage adaptive reuse of office buildings and bring 100,000 new residents to the downtown core.
Chicago Sears Redevelopment To Include Medical Facility, Housing
Developers have announced details about the long-awaited renaissance of a shuttered West Side Sears store.
Adaptive Reuse No Magic Wand for Post-Pandemic Real Estate Woes
Pre-pandemic housing crisis, meet the post-pandemic office vacancy crisis.
Office Conversions More Popular Than Ever
The adaptive reuse of non-residential buildings has soared in recent years as demand for office space drops and the housing shortage deepens.
How Office Conversions Could Benefit San Francisco
The city could emulate Calgary, New York, and other cities in supporting office conversions as a way to boost floundering downtown economies and provide much-needed additional housing.
Chattanooga Plans to Convert Hotel to Supportive Housing
At a recent meeting, the city’s mayor urged the city council to support the effort to repurpose a derelict hotel into a permanent supportive housing complex.
Adaptive Reuse Booming in Pittsburgh
The city is seeing rapid growth in residential development in its downtown core, signaling a shift to accommodate a reduced need for office space and a renewed interest in mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhoods.
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
