Hosting a collection of dozens of historic colonial buildings originally built more than 200 years ago, the city of St. Augustine, Florida, is having trouble taking care of all of them. The University of Florida has volunteered preservation services.
"31 historic buildings have become too costly for the local government to maintain and repair, so the University of Florida has taken over their management in the oldest continuously occupied city in the U.S."
"Some structures date to the 18th century, but about two-thirds are restorations built as late as the 1970s, mainly on the original foundations."
"For the past decade, the city has been leasing the buildings for $1 a year from the state, but the $1.5 million in rent from the shops and restaurants that occupy them is not enough to provide for upkeep. The city has been providing about $200,000 a year for maintenance."
"And crumbling history is a problem for a city whose main tourism draw is its colonial allure."
FULL STORY: University of Florida Takes Over Caretaking of Old City Sites
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
Forest Service Rescinds Tree Planting Grants
The $75 million program fell victim to the federal government’s purge of ‘DEI’-related projects.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research