Eight years after terrorists felled the World Trade Center towers in New York City, progress on rebuilding the site has been slow and mired in controversy.
"A glance at the World Trade Center site from Greenwich Street tells a lot about progress there: Eight years after the Twin Towers fell, a 10-foot-tall, barbed-wire fence still surrounds the 16-acre void in the heart of Lower Manhattan.
Squabbles over designs and funding have caused severe construction delays. With the exception of the SOM-designed 7 WTC, a 52-story tower completed in 2006, the only discernible progress has happened below street level, on a museum and memorial planned for the site."
The memorial -- two pools -- are farthest along. The museum is also progressing, but above-ground work on the site of the former towers has not made much headway.
FULL STORY: A Tale of Two Rebuilding Efforts at Ground Zero
How 9/11 Inspired Public Service as an Urban Planner
The account of how the terror and tragedy of 9/11 led an urban planner from working for a private consulting firm to working in the public sector.
Architect's Journey to Create September 11 Memorial
Architect Michael Arad design "Reflecting Absence" was chosen from 5,200 others. After navigating constant criticism and design hurdles, "Reflecting Absence," the memorial to victims of September 11, 2001, is 16 days from it's unveiling.
Political Skirmishes Delaying Ground Zero Construction
New York City's Ground Zero has sat as an empty hole for years. Though infrastructure work is underway, politics are holding the rebuilding back, according to this interview with New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
‘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.
Decarbonizing Homes: The Case for Electrifying Residential Heating
A new MIT study finds that transitioning residential heating from natural gas to electric heat pumps can significantly reduce carbon emissions and operational costs.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
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