Robert B. Tierney, chairman of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, has the difficult job of deciding which parts of city are worthy of preservation, and which parts need to make way for something new.
Tierney, along with the 10 unpaid commissioners who sit on the board -- most of them architectural experts -- hold the power to subjectively distinguish and designate landmarks from run-of-the mill geriatric architecture and, touchier still, the power to preserve them, even without consent from their rightful owners.
Needless to say, often times the commission's decisions are controversial. But Tierney doesn't shy away from it.
" 'There is just an enormous responsibility to keep intact what we already have, keep it healthy, used, and animated,' he says. 'That said, we make discretionary decisions all the time. You can't designate everything. Choices have to be made.' "
FULL STORY: Distinguishing the Remarkable From the Merely Old
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.
Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
Zero-Emission Bus Fleets Grow, But Federal Funding Is in Jeopardy
Transit agencies around the country have purchased over 7,000 zero-emission buses, but a federal program that funds the shift could be eliminated under the new administration.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Wisconsin Governor Opens Window for Regional Transit Authority
The proposed state budget includes a provision that allows local governments to establish a dedicated transit tax.
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.
Strategic Economics Inc
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service