Tim Halbur

A white box labeled "Unlimited Urban Woods" stands in the plaza of a modern office building in Amsterdam. Step inside, and an endless vista of trees stretches out before you.

Cleveland, Ohio has pursued an aggressive policy of greening it vacant and underused land. A program called Garden Boyz employs local youth to tend the gardens, keeping the landscape vital and keeping the kids out of gangs.

The idea of separated bicycle lanes is growing in popularity. Tom Vanderbilt at Slate looks at the increase in investment and attention to making room for bicycles and increasing safety so more people will ride.

With Harvard's plan to build a Renzo Piano-designed art museum rejected, the university took a new tack and built student housing, a park and an underground parking garage -- a "satisfying outcome", says Anthony Flint.

Despite her homespun manner -- or maybe because of it -- L.A.'s retiring planning director, Gail Goldberg, had a huge impact on planning in California.