Los Angeles' Pershing Square, a five-acre park initially opened in 1866, will undergo major transformations to accommodate the increase of families with children living in Downtown Los Angeles.
According to Donna Evans at LA Downtown News, two playgrounds will be constructed in Pershing Square as part of a $2 million makeover to improve and redesign the park. The funding comes from $1 million from the City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department and MacFarlane Partners, the company developing a 315 apartment residence building a block north of the square, and the rest of the funds are to be raised by a new non-profit, Pershing Square Renew.
The initial money from the Recreation and Parks department will be allocated towards "short-term upgrades including the playgrounds, said department General Manager Mike Shull. A playground for 2- to 5-year olds will be constructed in the park’s southwest corner, at Sixth and Olive streets. The second playground, for kids ages 5-12, will stretch along Sixth Street. Each park will include climbing apparatuses and slides."
Currently, Pershing Square is criticized "for an abundance of hardscape, seemingly out-of-place architectural features such as a purple tower and a lack of green space... [and that the] interior of the park is difficult to see from surrounding streets." The city is attempting to address those complaints and make the park more welcoming and inviting through this redevelopment.
FULL STORY: Two Playgrounds, Other Improvements Coming to Pershing Square
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard
The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.