In recent decades, many metropolitan areas in the United States have experienced a decline in the population of urban centers and rapid growth in the suburbs, with new schools being built outside of cities and existing urban schools facing closure. These new schools are increasingly larger and farther from residences; in contrast, urban school facilities are often in closer proximity to homes but are also in dire need of upgrading or modernization. This book explores the compelling health and economic rationales for new approaches to school siting, including economic savings to school districts, transportation infrastructure needs, and improved child health. An essential examination of public policy issues associated with school siting, this compiled volume will assist policy makers and help the public understand why it is important for government and school districts to work together on school siting and capital expenditures and how these new outlooks will improve local and regional outcomes. [Authors' abstract]

Emphasizes creation of neighborhoods and schools that can adapt to changing demographics through mixed development.

An innovative adaptive reuse project transforms an ancient industrial building into a 21st-century charter school.

For public charter schools, expanding their school facilities or constructing a new school building can be a challenging experience. More than half of all U.S. charter schools are located in dense urban areas, where few buildable sites are available and developable land carries a hefty price tag. One option is to consider the revitalization and repurposing of older building stock. At first blush, planning a school in a building that was never meant for educational uses may seem counter-intuitive. However, the benefits of bringing back older buildings in core urban areas can serve the community in many ways. While their original purpose may be obsolete, comprehensive renovations to an existing structure can both offer a cost-effective alternative to building new and incorporate modern sustainable improvements to prepare older buildings for the future.

Photos and description of the adaptive design of a music college in a mid-century bank building in downtown Memphis Tennessee.

Discusses the transformation of the Connecticut Community College System through adaptive reuse of an abandoned suburban mall.

Plans call for restoring a stone-clad fraternity house and constructing a 4,600-square-foot addition, transforming the building into a hub for testing sustainable design and construction methods. The Drexel Smart House will double as an educational space and dorm. The dwelling, built in 1872, has sat vacant since the late 1990s.

Miscordia University's, Dallas, PA, creative adaptation of three existing facilities has saved money and resources and contributed to a strong town-gown relationship. Describes renovation of a funeral home to a residence hall for 26 students, and a former car dealership to arts studios.

Slides and description of Surrey Central City in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to a college campus in an existing shopping mall.

Recognizing that public funds are severely limited, in 2009, the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs (HIPA) initiated a research- and community-based effort to develop an innovative, systemic and practicable approach to school facilities upgrades, management and development. The essence of this approach is to leverage underutilized or vacant public school lands that are consistent with the educational and community needs of the school, teachers and its students. Joint-use, lease-backs, land swaps and other use of public school lands provide unique opportunities to maximize the value of public school lands.

LearnSpace shows that learning can take place in a variety of spaces and places. LearnSpace assists schools in identifying future educational needs and the corresponding spatial requirements for these needs.

Education institutions can embrace expansion opportunities by transforming abandoned industrial buildings, such as warehouses, big-box stores, and manufacturing facilities, into academic spaces. As a cost-effective, sustainable and efficient alternative to new construction—which typically is more expensive and more time-consuming—renovations of existing buildings can produce needed facilities with shorter time-to-occupancy schedules and often lower construction costs.

Makes a case for adaptive reuse of a community's buildings when additional educational space is needed. Former factories and warehouses are excellent candidates for classrooms, gymnasiums, and performance spaces.

Profiles Detroit's Henry Ford Academy, a grade 6-12 charter school in an historic building in Detroit’s New Center district. The Art Deco structure was designed by Albert Kahn in 1928 for General Motors, and it housed the first design department in the history of the auto industry. The structure takes up an entire city block, and when GM relocated its headquarters more than a decade ago to the Renaissance Center on the waterfront, the building joined the growing number of vacant sites in downtown Detroit.

Describes the conversion of a Worcester, Massachusetts, factory into a charter public high school. The cleanup of the facility, the sophisticated technology installed, and the cost savings over building new are highlighted.

Examines siting schools in urban, mixed-use developments. The advantages to sharing of facilities and convenience to other civic amenities are cited, and advice on how to consider traffic and other environmental conditions of a site are offered.

Profiles the conversion of a former factory into San Francisco's Friends School, addressing the organization of the building, seismic retrofitting, preservation of certain detailing, and installation of natural ventilation towers.

Describes the partnership between California State Polytechnic University, California State University Los Angeles , and the Los Angeles County Office of Education to create a seamless high school to college experience by hosting innovative grade 9-12 programs on their campuses.

Briefly profiles the conversion of a Washington, DC shoe warehouse into a center for bilingual and adult education for the latino community.

Profiles the conversion of a Victorian-era mill into a science and engineering academy, which has transformed its rural village into a hub of academia. The significant design challenges, cleaning, retrofitting, repair, and respectful modern additions are described.