History / Preservation

A conceptual rendering of a three story condominium development.

‘Emergency’ Historic District Alters, But Does Not Prevent, Boise Condo Project

No historic buildings were harmed to create the Residences at 132 Main.

June 23, 2022 - Boise Dev

Playground at Jackie Robinson Park, Sun Village, California

Nation's First Jackie Robinson Park Declared a Historic Landmark

Jackie Robinson Park in Sun Village has just been designated as a County Landmark by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

June 21, 2022 - Antelope Valley Press

Vacant Union Station in Phoenix, Arizona

Owner of Phoenix’s Union Station Eyeing Redevelopment

The new owner of the historic Union Station in Phoenix has plans to transform the site into a mixed-use events venue.

June 15, 2022 - My Plainview

"You are entering Jackson's downtown historic district" brown sign

What Is an Overlay District?

A zoning overlay district superimposes an additional set of regulations over an existing zoning district, or multiple zoning districts.

June 15, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Chicago Three-Flats

Preserving Chicago’s Affordable Housing

One Chicago organization is working to promote the rehabilitation and maintenance of naturally occurring affordable housing, a valuable—and vulnerable—source of affordable housing units.

June 12, 2022 - Next City

Los Angeles in 1939, as determined by the  Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC).

Restorative Housing Policy: Can We Heal the Wounds of Redlining and Urban Renewal?

Our fair housing laws enshrine an approach that prohibits us from explicitly referring to race, even in programs intended to undo the harm caused by racism. Now restorative housing policy is attempting to directly confront this history.

June 8, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Nighttime view of downtown Richmond, Virginia

Mapping Richmond’s Displaced Communities

A new project catalogs the city’s history of displacement and its impact on communities of color.

June 6, 2022 - VCU News

Cottages on Western Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Redevelopment Threatens Iconic, Affordable Chicago Homes

The ‘workers’ cottages’ are being replaced with larger, more expensive homes, threatening one of the city’s original forms of affordable housing.

May 16, 2022 - WTTW

Griffith Park entrance sign, Los Angeles

What's in a Park Name?

Many parks across the country are named to honor prominent people. Here are a few examples in Los Angeles with interesting histories and stories.

May 10, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

City Hall Philadelphia

Philadelphia Leads the Way in Adaptive Reuse

Philadelphia, a city rife with historic architecture, seeks to incentivize more conversion of historic buildings into housing.

May 2, 2022 - Axios

House key with house-shaped keychain on table

Thousands of Affordable Homes Threatened as 30-Year LIHTC Restrictions Expire

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program has helped create more than 3 million affordable housing units across the country. But if something isn’t done soon, thousands of those homes could be lost forever as affordability periods expire.

April 12, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Parking area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

America's Most Popular National Park Could Start Charging for Parking

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited and one of only a handful with no admission fee, could institute a parking fee to pay for much-needed maintenance.

April 7, 2022 - WBIR

Expocenter of Ukraine

The Radical Architecture of Kyiv

Five Ukrainian urbanists discuss the buildings, parks, and neighborhoods that make Kyiv unique.

April 4, 2022 - The Atlantic

Robert Moses at the ribbon-cutting for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Robert Moses Takes to the Stage in 'Straight Line Crazy,' Starring Ralph Fiennes

The popular fascination with Robert Moses, "master builder of New York" and one of the most prominent figures in planning history, continues.

March 31, 2022 - Playbill

Silicon Valley

How Rent Control Helped Create East Palo Alto

The story of East Palo Alto’s incorporation is one marked by great contention among local stakeholders, but also provides valuable lessons for organizers in forging and mobilizing local coalitions.

March 31, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Oil Drills

Sanctioning Russian Energy Exports

European leaders chose not to join the U.S. in an embargo of Russian energy products largely because of dependence on natural gas. Similarly, the world needs the 11% of crude oil that Russia exports. What can the U.S. do to lessen this dependence?

March 24, 2022 - Rhodium Group

Stanford

Another Silicon Valley Town Tries To Sidestep State Density Law

Palo Alto could designate more than one hundred properties as historic in an attempt to prevent lot splitting permitted under a new state law designed to lightly increase residential density.

March 23, 2022 - The Mercury News

This is a panoramic photograph taken on April 1st, 2021, of People's Park in Berkeley, California. During the COVID-19 pandemic the authorities eased restrictions on overnight camping by homeless persons on the grounds of People's Park. The photograph shows the presence of some of the tents set up during this period.

UC Berkeley Commits to Supportive Housing Project in People's Park

The university will work with the city and local nonprofits to provide 42 units of housing and supportive services to unhoused people living in Berkeley's iconic People's Park.

March 11, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

UC Berkeley

U.C. Berkeley To Reduce Enrollment by Thousands, Court Decides

The California Supreme Court ruled against the university in a battle over a proposed enrollment cap, forcing the school to reject thousands of potential new students.

March 3, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Philadelphia, Chinatown

Equitable Development Plan Aims To Protect Philly's Chinatown

As the historic neighborhood experiences increased redevelopment around the new Rail Park, community activists are working to ensure older residents and businesses aren't displaced in the process.

March 2, 2022 - Next City

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.