I've always wanted, but never quite had the cred, to go to Burning Man. Instead, I went to this year's rendition of National Park(ing) Day
in the hopes that it would provide a reasonable, if diminuative, substitute in temporary
parks across the country. Creative minds can do a lot with 180 square
feet, especially when there are straight-laced passers-by to shock and
paradigms to subvert.
Parks
Homeless at the Mall
A reporter goes undercover as a homeless person to find out what happens when the indigent pay a visit to L.A.'s first corporate-controlled public park.
LA Weekly
Legislations Rewards Affordable Housing with Parks
A new piece of legislation rewards local governments in California that build affordable housing with money to build and maintain parks.
Marketwatch
Will Praise Mean Anything for Central Park?
New York's Central Park was recently named to the APA's list of the country's 10 best public spaces. Sewell Chan wonders if the designation will really mean anything new for the park.
The New York Times
What Copenhagen's Parks Can Learn From New York
Park planners from Denmark recently toured some of New York's parks and found much to be jealous of.
The New York Times
Cities Embracing Music Festivals
The Austin City Limits music festival, held at the city's major public park, has inspired other cities to invite festivals to their parks, despite the inherent challenges.
Austin American-Statesman
Residents Fuming As Housing Threatens Park
A master-planned community in Baltimore is up in arms over plans to replace the community's iconic country club parkspace with a senior housing center.
The New York Times
New Anchor For New Orleans
New Orleans officials say they have enough grants and private funds to move forward on a "Great Lawn" park for the city, functioning as a gathering place and a link to other attractions.
New Orleans Times-Picayune
New San Francisco Parks Key to Neighborhood Vibrancy
Two new parks in San Francisco show how great neighborhoods are defined by their public spaces, according to this article from the San Francisco Chronicle.
The San Francisco Chronicle
St. Louis Comes Back
Despite predictions that the city was dying, St. Louis has just won an "All-America City" award. Neal Peirce looks at how the city turned itself around.
The Washington Post Writers Group
Oklahoma City Highway to Be Replaced with Park
At one time, Oklahoma City is doing two things many cities have only hoped to: the city's getting rid of one of its aging inner-city highways and replacing it with a park.
USA Today
The Best Cities For Enjoying The Outdoors
Plenty of quality parks -- along with good weather to enjoy them -- gives these cities the edge when it comes to outdoor enjoyment. San Francisco, which spends the most per capita on parks, ranks first.
Forbes
Best Ideas of the Week
Fri, 04/18/2008 - 16:08
From public transit to public parks to public space, this past week brought a lot of interesting and innovative ideas in the world of urban planning.
Central Park on the Sea
Cruise ship designers have announced plans for a new 1,180-foot long ship that will be equipped with a "central park" they are comparing to a traditional town square.
Daily Mail
Market Woes Stifle 'Great Park' Progress
Three years after Irvine, California's "Great Park" was approved, development of the planned public spaces, homes and businesses has struggled to move forward. The housing crisis is being blamed for the lack of action.
The Los Angeles Times
A New Era Of Urban Parks?
In response to the growing demand for urban greenspace, cities around the nation on working on plans for large new parks -- rivaling the urban park boom during the 19th or early 20th century.
USA Today
Park And Play
Parking structures topped off with synthetic fields offer a practical solution for areas where parking and recreation space is in short supply.
Athletic Business
Funding Bureaucracy Highlights L.A.'s Parks Deficit
The city of Los Angeles is currently sitting on more than $130 million dollars intended to build parks. But those funds are tied to council districts high in development, leaving districts with little development high and dry.
LA Weekly
Public Art Succeeds in Inspiring Consideration of Public Spaces
A public art exhibit in a Baltimore park has elicited complaints and compliments from various voices in the city. But like it or not, the art is good for the city's consideration of and connection to its public spaces, according to this editorial.
The Baltimore Sun
Best Ideas of the Week
Fri, 03/21/2008 - 16:08
We all know there's a lot of planning going on around the world. Much of it is poor, short-sighted and generally just no good. But there are also some really great ideas being developed and adopted, and they should be considered by cities and communities all over the world as instructive examples of good planning. Here are what I think are some of the best ideas in urban planning from the last week.
