Some communities are turning abandoned campuses into offices, art studios, and housing.
First, it was office buildings and malls. Now, schools are getting into the adaptive reuse game as some shuttered campuses are getting new lives as artist studios, restaurants, housing, and community spaces.
Writing in Smart Cities Dive, Amanda Loudin points to the example of the Bok Building, a former South Philadelphia high school now home to over 200 businesses and nonprofits. “The businesses in the Bok Building employ more than 600 people, 75% of whom live within a mile-and-a-half radius of the site, said Lindsey Scannapieco, managing partner of Scout, the development and design firm behind Bok’s revamping.”
With 755 schools closed in just the 2021-2022 season, these buildings offer a valuable new source of commercial and residential space. However, “A lack of funding and community pushback are some of the hurdles that face school-repurposing projects.” Successful projects have often relied on some combination of private financing to fund renovations.
FULL STORY: Adaptive reuse breathes new life into abandoned schools
Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
Minnesota Seeks State Support for Office Conversions
The 30% “CUB credit” would support the conversion of buildings 15 years or older into any use that “will return that vacant area to an income-producing, habitable condition.”
San Diego School District Approves Affordable Housing Plan
The district plans to build workforce housing for 10 percent of its employees in the next decade and explore other ways to contribute to housing development.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.
Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.
Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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