A respite from the stresses of city life, 'lungs' that cleanse the air and cool surrounding streets, places for connecting with other citizens, or grounds for artistic expression and commemoration; the world's best parks accomplish all of the above.

"A well-designed park is more than green space in the midst of a concrete jungle—it makes a city lovable and livable," observes Kristin Conard. "The most beautiful combine meadows, woodlands, ponds, lakes, and streams with museums and other man-made attractions."
"For city dwellers and tourists alike, an urban park becomes a shared backyard. 'It’s a place to meet friends; it’s a place to have celebrations with families if you’re in small apartments, say in New York,' says Setha Low, director of the Public Space Research Group and author of Rethinking Urban Parks: Public Space and Cultural Diversity."
Central Park in New York, along with Vancouver's Stanley Park and Osaka's Namba Parks, are among those selected by Conard and her colleagues at Travel + Leisure as the "World's Most Beautiful City Parks".
FULL STORY: World's Most Beautiful City Parks

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.
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