Name/Title
Remaking American Places: The Vision of Carl Feiss, Architect, Planner, PreservationistEntry/Object ID
2011.004.14Description
During his 60-year career, Carl Feiss promoted policies and practices that he believed could change the way American communities, states and the federal government deal with population growth, suburban sprawl, pollution and the loss of historic landmarks. As he faced many of the same issues confronting today’s community leaders, planners and preservation interests, his perspective and approaches can be as applicable today as they were then. Feiss challenged how architects are educated; designed new ways to redevelop the urban fabric of cities like San Francisco and Washington, DC; and worked to convince Congress to enact laws that have helped preserve the nation’s most historic places including Charleston, SC, Anapolis, and Savannah. Most significantly for American planning, he co-authored Section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954, which helped create demand for trained planners. He also sought to convince a Soviet-wary Congress that planning, as well as historic preservation, had to become ingrained concepts and activities at all levels of government.
This biography provides a history of America’s experiences with planning, historic preservation and architecture. It recounts Feiss’ extraordinary relationships with some of the luminaries of 20th century politics, architecture and planning, including Roosevelt’s Brain Trust, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Mumford and the Saarinens. It documents remarkable episodes of his life: being named to lead Columbia University’s planning program while having only an undergraduate degree; narrowly escaping induction into the German army during a tour of Nazi prewar housing developments; and his imaginative solution to a run-in with Cuban revolutionaries. Feiss was a champion of human-scaled, sustainable communities. Named by the American Institute of Certified Planners as a “planning pioneer,” his contributions have been recognized by the American Institute of Architects and universities and communities around the country. The book recounts Feiss’ significant career and intersection with history. (PRNewschannel.com)
See section on Charleston and Feiss' work in Charleston.
xii, 543 p.: ill.; 24 cm.Collection
Historic Charleston Foundation LibraryAcquisition
Accession
2011.004.Source or Donor
New Library Books Purchased (2011)Acquisition Method
PurchasedCredit Line
Restricted Book/Archives Acquisition Fund PurchaseLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
BookNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsSearch Terms
Feiss, Carl, Architects--Biography, City planners--BiographyBook Details
Author
Feiss, CarolinePublisher
CreateSpacePlace Published
Location
North Charleston, SCDate Published
2011Call No.
NA9085 .F45 F45 2011ISBN
978-1453746776Location
Category
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023Relationships
Related Entries
Notes
2006.002.0110, 2006.002.0111, 2008.001.24, 2009.018.1General Notes
Note
Notes: By Carolina Feiss.
Includes bibliographical references and index.Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
December 13, 2011Updated By
sferguson@historiccharleston.orgUpdate Date
April 5, 2023