All you wanted to know about awnings

No, seriously. From Tax Credit Advisor via NH&RA, we have notes of a near-new National Park Service Preservation Brief discussing "The Use of Awnings on Historic Buildings: Repair, Replacement, and New Design." Not fascinating at first glance. Unless perhaps you've got an actual historic building to renovate and you're inclined to view the candy-striped rag over the porch as less "historic" than the more durable bricks and mortar adjacent. In which case this publication is for you. Another recent Preservation Brief addresses "The Preservation and Use of Historic Structure Reports." We're warned that the online versions of Preservation Briefs on these and other topics are a bit simplified, so maybe best send away for the print versions if you're planning to make practical use of the things -- but the online reports do come with substantial bibliographies so they may be worth a serious look.

Also via NH&RA: the Sierra Club has issued a report showcasing its favorite innovative development projects.