Dubrovnik My daughter went to Italy in June for a month of "UCLA Summer School Abroad." The rest of the McKees used this as an excuse to join her when she was done in July. We would meet her in Rimini, a city on the northern end of the Adriatic Sea and spend the following ten days on some sort of trip in that part of the world. Figuring out exactly where to go became a project. Mostly fun, but with some chores to it as well. Planning began months and months before. A large map of [...]

  Before a building permit is issued, all plans get reviewed for compliance with building codes and local zoning rules, but a select few are also required to undergo something extra called design review. By degrees, the fates of cities are determined in these review sessions. Every city worth its salt has a panel of design reviewers. These are architects, builders and usually a landscaper who volunteer their time as city representatives to discuss a proposed design with the applicant and possibly request improvements during a public meeting to make sure the design is as good as can be under [...]