This all-inclusive guide to building and renovating schools covers every step of the process – from initial planning, needs assessment and design, right through moving into the new facility. An essential resource for anyone concerned with new school construction or renovation, including architects and engineers, contractors and project managers, facility managers, school administrators and school board members, building committees, community leaders, and anyone else who wants to ensure that the project meets the schools’ needs in a cost-effective, timely manner. The contributors to this book – architects, construction project managers, contractors, and estimators who specialize in school construction – provide start-to-finish, expert guidance on the process. FEATURES: Includes guidance on: Planning and design Selecting a design team Green design standards and technologies Integrating computer and building automation technology Security equipment, design approaches and cost issues Design considerations for specialty spaces like performing arts centers, library/media centers, computer labs, and science and art classrooms.

This book will change the way Americans think about their cities. It provides a comprehensive economic and social history of urban America since 1950, covering the 29 largest urban areas of that period. Specifically, the book covers 17 cities in the Northeast, 6 in the South, and 6 in the West, decade by decade, with extensive data and historical narrative. The author divides his analysis into three periods - urban growth (1950 to 1970), urban crisis (late 1960s to 1990), and urban rebirth (since 1990). He draws on the concepts of the vicious circle and the virtuous circle to offer the first in-depth explanation for the transition from urban crisis to urban rebirth that took place in the early 1990s. "Urban America" is both a message of hope and a call to action for students and professionals in urban studies. It will inspire readers to concentrate on finding ways and means to ensure that the urban rebirth will continue.