Architecture
Planetizen’s Top Posts of 2024
The most-read articles on Planetizen in 2024.
Denver's New High-Rise Integrates Vertical Canyon in Architectural Design
Unlike other new builds in Denver, Colorado, a new high-rise reveals a unique “sculptural canyon” running vertically through the facade to foster a sense of community and connection to nature.
Francis Ford Copolla’s Urban Planning Swan Song
Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola’s likely final major film, Megalopolis, celebrates design and urban planning. It is a dazzling mishmash of architectural, cinematic, and literary history.
Urban Planning Creators You Should Know in 2024
Whether you’re a TikTok enthusiast or a Substack reader, you can find plenty of valuable and engaging urban planning content in the new media landscape.
Office Vacancies Drag Down Property Taxes
Downtown office buildings around the country are selling for much lower prices than before the pandemic, prompting questions about the future of central business districts.
Study: Retrofitting Old Buildings Has Lower Total Carbon Footprint Than New Construction
A study of over a million Chicago buildings assessed their ‘embodied carbon’ footprint over their lifetimes, showing that demolishing an old building in favor of a new one almost always produced more emissions.
A Guide to Regulating Adaptive Reuse
How building codes and zoning laws can guide the safe and effective conversion of existing properties to residential units.
Fourth Ward Project Aims for Sustainability on Atlanta's Beltline
A new megaproject hopes to bring new life to a former industrial site.
PDX International Airport’s New Terminal Is a Mass-Timber Marvel
Needing to expand to accommodate 35 million annual passengers by 2045 but constrained by Portland’s urban growth boundary, PDX had to think outside the box when planning its expansion. The result is a case study in sustainability.
Sustainable Urban Design: A New Tool and Approach on The Talking Headways Podcast
Discover how the Sustainable Urban Design Framework helps planners create livable, sustainable communities. Nico Larco from the University of Oregon explores a new tool and book in the latest “Talking Headways” podcast.
The Meaning of Ruins on the Landscape
In the latest in a far ranging series of interest to planners—centered on contrasts between urban and natural environments—Chuck Wolfe speculates about the role of ruins in urban and natural environments.
Chicago Towers Recommended for Adaptive Reuse
Once slated for demolition, two historic buildings owned by the federal government will be restored for new uses.
What Makes Affordable Housing Green?
There's no one way to determine what makes “green” housing. Here's a breakdown of the standards and considerations used by the affordable housing industry.
NYC Council Passes ‘Proactive’ Building Safety Bill
In the wake of multiple building collapses in recent years, the bill seeks to identify dangerous building conditions before they escalate.
Chicago: An Urban Planner's Guide to the City
Famous for its skyscrapers, city parks, and influential planners like Daniel Burnham, the Windy City has a long urban planning legacy. But it’s got plenty of modern-day planning wins and challenges too.
Tallest Building in US Proposed for OKC
The building would stand 1,907 feet high, twice as tall as any other building in the Oklahoma City skyline.
Austin Bans Windowless Bedrooms
Thousands of University of Texas students live in rooms with no natural light. Many report detrimental mental and physical health impacts.
LA’s Abandoned Towers Loom as a “$1.2 Billion Ruin of Global Capital”
Oceanwide Plaza, shuttered mid-construction after its developer filed for bankruptcy, has stood vacant on prime Los Angeles real estate since 2019.
Elevating the ‘Small Stuff’ in Urban Design
Chuck Wolfe recaps arguments in favor of increased attention to incidentals — from benches to bollards — in urban development practices.
Mental Health Facility Uses Design to Improve Outcomes
Far from the drab and claustrophobic mental health facilities of cinematic fame, Ohana aims to serve patients in an aesthetically soothing, nature-driven environment.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
