Deborah Marton, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space, asks, "Obviously public space should be beautiful and well designed for circulation, but what else should it do?"
A discussion arises about how design dictates behavior (and should it), the role of beauty, and the idea that public spaces would be better loved if there weren't so many crappy ones around.
Susan Grant Lewin writes, "I feel that public spaces, in cities at least, have to be just rare enough to make them exciting. I live in New York and there are so many "pseudo" public spaces–these little semi-private plazas–and so many of them are mediocre at best. They were created by well-intentioned people, obviously, and by well-intentioned policies; but having too many small, middling-quality public spaces takes away not only the resources to maintain and improve each individual space, but also takes away some of the special-ness of coming upon a truly high-quality public space in the city."
FULL STORY: How can public spaces be designed
Can Urban Design Truly Impact Loneliness?
Some theorists want to design cities to reduce loneliness and isolation. Others want to accommodate them.
How Cities Can Avoid Perpetuating Segregation
Residents of big cities, known as the ‘melting pots’ of America, have fewer interactions with people outside their socioeconomic group than those in smaller communities, according to new research.
What Would Cities Look Like if They Were Designed by Women?
Cities are built by men, and so too often urban design does not reflect the needs, perspectives, and realities of women.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie