Historic Preservation
6 Ways Urban Renewal Misses the Livability Mark
Despite spending millions on urban renewal projects, municipalities often miss a common group of opportunities to make their communities more livable and walkable, according to William Adams, a San Diego-based land use attorney.
Embodied Energy of Historic Buildings: Physical and Metaphysical
Inherently unlovable buildings—no matter how energy efficient—lacks the stuff of longevity. How can your EcoDistrict design for lovable buildings? It may not include tearing down the historic stock.
Modernism-Hating Neighbor Sues to Halt Home Construction
Allison Arieff tells the sordid tale of a "modestly modernist" house in Oakwood, a historic district in Raleigh, North Carolina. Despite the fully permitted house being 85 percent complete, a lawsuit by a neighbor could force its demolition.
Los Angeles Conservancy Announces 2014 Preservation Awards
From rancho barns to Howard Hughes's former aircraft factory, nine projects reflect the best in historic preservation in Greater Los Angeles.
Battered But Not Deterred—Preservationists Heal and Hug at Annual Conference
Bay Area preservation architect Jerri Holan recounts the happenings at the 2014 California Preservation Conference.
The State of Preservation Policy in L.A. County: Not Great (with Some Exceptions)
The Los Angeles Times reports on the Los Angeles Conservancy's 2014 Preservation Report Card, which "grades" each of L.A. County's local governments on their preservation programs (or lack thereof).
Density: Difficulties Delivering on Campaign Promises in Minneapolis
The editorial board of the Minneapolis Star Tribune calls out the Minneapolis City Council following a recent decision to protect a one-story building at the cost of a hotel development plan.
Building on Assets Creates a Better Buffalo
Low interest rates and incentives from the state are helping Buffalo, NY to leverage its waterfront and extraordinary architecture to create a vibrant downtown, with historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects at center stage.
Your Chance to Build a Neutra Case Study House
In an unusual move, Richard Neutra’s son has announced plans to license the mid-century modernist’s house plans, reports Adrian Glick Kudler.
'Mad Men' Inspires Appreciation for Architecture of the Recent Past
Montgomery County, Maryland is confronting a conundrum common to inner-ring suburbs now facing development pressures. How to make the case for protecting mid-century buildings that some consider too young, or "too plain or ugly," to preserve.
Mecca Builds Up, at the Cost of Its Historic Heritage
A unique blend of religious beliefs, state policies and capitalist interests are reshaping Mecca for the worse, critics argue, at the expense of its most prized cultural assets.
Cincinnati Experiences a Renaissance Based on Preservation
Associate professor of design Karen Monzel Hughes, in moving from Cincinnati's much-acclaimed Mariemont to the once-struggling Over-the-Rhine, discovers that rebuilding and preserving are both critical facets of preservation.
Uncovering the History Behind Our Own Homes
Is your home historic? The Atlantic Cities challenges its readers to look at the history behind their own homes, providing a list of 10 things one can do to learn something new about the place we spend most of our time.
Can One Person Revitalize a City's Downtown?
Ed Walker saw what few others in his hometown of Roanoke, Virgina were able to see: potential. Walker is part a growing group of "vanguard developers" intent on changing the fortunes of their cities by the sheer force of their vision (and wallets).
Billboards on Versailles, the Colosseum, or Venice Canals?
As the European financial crisis drags on, money for the continent's numerous architectural and historical resources remains limited. As a result, cities are looking for new revenue streams, including billboards and image rights.
Bleak Future for Huntsville's Historic Home
Preservation officials fight to save a storm-worn historic house, but the ongoing battle with local home owners leads to major negative impacts on the neighborhood.
Using Adaptive Reuse to Scale the Urban Future
Chuck Wolfe uses the urban scale adaptive reuse of the Roman Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace in Split, Croatia to argue for blending the past and future on a broader scale.
Razing of Historic House Stirs Outrage in Beijing
In a cruel twist, a historic house associated with Chinese architects who championed the notion that 'a great nation should hold dear its historic patrimony', and deemed by authorities an 'immovable cultural relic,' was recently demolished.
The Ten Best Preservation Projects in the Last Five Years
Writing in Urban Land, Ron Nyren highlights his top ten historic preservation projects from the last half-decade.
The Next Frontier for Historic Preservation: The Moon
Writing in the New York Times, Kenneth Chang explores the challenges of Historic Preservation in an unlikely location, the surface of the moon.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
