Railroad stations are a unique American resource that should continue to serve public and private interests even though their original purpose may have passed. Large stations should be considered as prominent civic structures whose redevelopment could offer significant opportunities to influence the future character, economy, and operation of…

This study explores some experiences in recycling buildings for schools and suggests a background to use in planning and evaluating this approach to school space acquisition. Such factors as educational program, physical environment, building codes, cost and financing, legal issues, administrative processes and time, and political and social…

A study was conducted to (1) identify what structural changes need to be made to existing buildings in order to make vocational programs accessible to handicapped persons in Pennsylvania and (2) determine the costs of making required structural modifications. Ten persons who were either handicapped or who were associated with programs designed for…

The use of many public school facilities now closed due to declining enrollment could generate substantial savings for new federal construction projects. Responses to a questionnaire sent to all 50 states by the General Accounting Office (GAO) show that there were 2,493 vacant schools in 19 of the 23 responding states at the beginning of the…

It is proposed that the reading-machine laboratory provides a means for the classroom ESL instructor to continue using his present method in the classroom (intensive, theoretical-grammatical instruction) while providing additional extensive reading and learning practice with the machines in the reading laboratory. Two speed reading systems…

The experiences of several hundred arts projects across the country are distilled and illustrated in a report that communicates the variety and importance of the arts activities and how their use of found space has helped to stabilize and upgrade many communities. A mix of building types, a variety of arts activity, and broad geographic…

Maintenance is seen as the new goal of colleges and universities. From the viewpoint of a statewide governing or coordinating agency there are thought to be five major components for facility planning: space inventory and utilization records, space requirement projections, funding, federal programs, and research. (MLW)

Many school districts experiencing declining enrollments and the resultant surplus space have, with active citizen input, found workable solutions that increase the stability of neighborhoods by enriching the lives of persons of all ages. This report is a guide for educators and citizens seeking alternative uses of vacant facilities. Suggestions…

National census data suggest a sustained period of no growth or modest growth in births; however, migration variations in the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas and in different regions of the country portend the importance of local community planning for the future of high school facilities. The place of the high school in the scheme of…

Planning for changing types of health professions and a changing clientele necessitates designing flexible facilities. Findings from a recently completed analysis of ambulatory care facilities are directed to planners in the form of 16 memos. Approaches to planning and design considerations are made that attempt to humanize these facilities.…

After a quarter of a century of rapid and sometimes spectacular growth, an increasing number of school systems are finding themselves faced with shrinking enrollments. The problems have changed from what to do about overcrowding, double sessions, and temporary facilities, to what to do about empty classrooms. The report examines this…

This plan was presented to the Minneapolis Board of Education as an informational report. The plan proposes long-range educational goals and the procedures and criteria for making school building decisions, presents the school-related components of the long-range comprehensive plan for the city, provides physical plant data for the schools and…

A computer simulation model for allocating facilities and physical space is presented as a means of optimally allocating available educational resources. The model allows the decisionmaker to change specific program allocations, system parameters, and other controllable variables in order to determine the effects, both cost and utility, of these…

The purpose of this report is to study the transition from school to surplus property and the consequences for the immediate neighborhood. From the 53 schools closed in New York City since 1975, six schools were selected for study. Of the six schools, three are vacant, two are used by private organizations, and one by the board of education. Data…