Cities Want Their Parks Back

In occupied cities across North America, sanitation and noise concerns, as well as conflicts over scheduled public uses of parks, are leading to official efforts to end the protests.

1 minute read

October 27, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


The Associated Press is reporting that cities are beginning to lose patience with the Occupy movement, which has taken over public parks and spaces, with no end in sight. The harsh police response in Oakland has been an exception, but other efforts are underway to dislodge the crowds:

"The mayor of Providence, Rhodes Island, is threatening to go to court within days to evict demonstrators from a park. And businesses and residents near New York's Zuccotti Park, the unofficial headquarters of the movement that began in mid-September, are demanding something be done to discourage the hundreds of protesters from urinating in the street and making noise at all hours."

In Canada there is a similar situation, although there has been no violence:

"There are signs patience is starting to wear thin with the Occupy movements across Canada, as officials in several cities are signalling to protesters the communities want to reclaim their public spaces. While the small band of campers in Winnipeg's Memorial Park have been left alone so far, occupiers in other cities have been given deadlines to leave, though there are no signs authorities are considering approaches more extreme than asking nicely."

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 in Winnipeg Free Press

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking in downtown St. Louis, walking past shops.

Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment

The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.

November 1, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

construction near Boston, with machinery digging at large pit.

Mass. votes against statewide minimum lot size for single-family homes

Over 2 million residents voted on Question 7; it was decided by just over 30,000 votes.

7 hours ago - GBH

A bridge over the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

Maryland’s $15 billion bridge project gains key approval

The Maryland Transit Authority said the project will create over 60,000 jobs and add $23 billion to the local economy.

November 10 - WTOP News

A crowd of people cheering for an unseen performer.

‘No clear next steps’ for Chicago's permanent festival grounds

Eleventh Ward Ald. Nicole Lee has suggested Soldier Field as a possible location for the permanent event space.

November 10 - Chicago Sun Times

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.