City Parks Blog asked Peter Harnik to answer questions about his new book, Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities, that covers how cities can plan for parks as well as how to create them in 'all built-out' settings.
A number of questions were asked that park planner, advocates and others ponder and which Harnik's book addresses. One of the bigger questions always asked is "how much parkland should a city have?" Harnik indicates that, "Every city has a different geography, a different history and a different culture - it's not one size fits all. I think people sometimes use the word "should" in the hopes that someone else will do the work for them. No great park system was created solely by planners using official standards." Yet Harnik encourages cities to use comparisons to other cities, indicating that "If you take a trip to Boston or Minneapolis and like what you see, you can compare what your city has with them - everything from acreage to playgrounds to recreation centers to swimming pools."
Harnik also touches on the difference between conserving land for parks and redeveloping land for parks in compact cities. "In older cities that are 'all built out' there is nothing natural to conserve besides the already-existing parks. New parks there must be created through development rather than conservation.
FULL STORY: Innovations in Urban Green, Questions for Peter Harnik

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie