Landscape Architecture

Park Fountain

Newly Launched Gehl Institute to Study Public Spaces

Gehl Studio, the leading name in people-first design and one of the most influential forces in planning today, has philanthropic backing for a non-profit that will focus studies and work on the public sphere.

May 9, 2015 - Next City

San Francisco Parklet

Touring San Francisco's Parklet Boom

As the birthplace of the parklets movement, San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area have lots of parklet eye candy to choose from.

May 8, 2015 - SFGate

$4.1 Billion Return on Riverfront Parks Investments in Pittsburgh

According to a recent study, $130 million invested in the Three River Park has multiplied into $4.1 billion in development around the riverfront.

May 8, 2015 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Details Emerge for Philadelphia's LOVE Park Redo

One of the country's most scrutinized and anticipated renovation projects, Philadelphia's LOVE Park, has been unveiling critical design decisions in recent weeks.

May 2, 2015 - Plan Philly

Washington Square Park

Parsing the Urban Landscape

A lot of people think exclusively of plants when they hear the term landscape. Without a common language to effectively describe it, the role landscape plays in the urban realm will remain undervalued.

May 1, 2015 - Mark Hough

Park Advocates Face Uphill Battle Against Obama Library, Lucas Museum

Geoff Edgers details the challenge ahead for park advocates fighting to protect Chicago open space from two powerful forces: the White House and George Lucas.

May 1, 2015 - The Washington Post

Army Corps Finally Clears Way for Dallas' Trinity River Project

A long time coming—the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers now supports a comprehensive plan to transform the Trinity River in Dallas.

April 29, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

'Heart of the Community' Program Awards Placemaking Grants

Southwest Airlines and the project for Public Spaces continue their partnership on the Heart of the Community program, awarding placemaking grants to six cities around the country.

April 25, 2015 - Project For Public Spaces

Cracked Sidewalk

Philly Pleads with Landlords to Fix Sidewalks

In some cities, maintenance of sidewalks is not the responsibility of the city but of adjacent landowners. Philadelphia is finding what a hassle this arrangement can be. With countless blocks in disrepair, everyone is passing the buck.

April 22, 2015 - Philadelphia Magazine

'50 Parks' Program Improves Los Angeles' Parks Disparity

Los Angeles is known for a few magnificent parks—but they are hard to reach and concentrated in affluent areas. The 50 Parks program, however, is delivering on its titular promise.

April 19, 2015 - Next City

High Line Crowds

Not All Parks Are Created Equal

Parks almost always sound like a good idea. But some are vacant while others are transformative. Here's a list of ten recently completed projects that fall solidly in the latter category.

April 17, 2015 - USA Today

Inside San Antonio's Plans for a New Civic Park

Construction is expected to begin in 2016 on a new 16-acre park in San Antonio designed to embody all of the public amenities that make the city unique.

April 15, 2015 - The Architect's Newspaper

Sunset Plaza

Against Generic Placemaking

'Placemaking,' the process by which cities and developers supposedly create appealing public spaces, is in a crisis, writes critic James Russell. Too many "made" places are generic and lack true relevance to the cities that build them.

April 13, 2015 - James S. Russell

Rooftop Solar Panels

Seattle Eco-District Fosters Green Development

In a bid to knit sustainability into large-scale community development, Seattle's Capitol Hill EcoDistrict is exploring several avenues toward greener land use.

April 12, 2015 - ASLA The Dirt

Study Finds Economic Value in Urban-Dwelling Birds

Researchers at the University of Washington and Humboldt State University have produced evidence value added by birds in urban settings.

April 9, 2015 - UW Today

A Primer on Parklets in San Francisco: Past, Present, Future

The San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic, John King, knows his San Francisco parklets—from the first ones that started the nationwide urban movement five years ago, to the ones currently in the hopper at the city planning office.

April 2, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

Planning for Climate Change on the Shores of the Great Lakes

Two academic researchers explain the planning and landscape architecture opportunities offered by the "dramatic fluctuations" and "emergent shorelands" of the Great Lakes Coasts.

March 25, 2015 - Places Journal

Dallas Mulling Proposals for a Redesigned Fair Park

The future of Dallas is very much under consideration. Case in point: an effort to redesign and plan the 277 acres of Fair Park with the potential to offer improved public access to a critical area east of Downtown.

March 24, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

'Brooklyn Strand' Designed to Connect Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights

A vision concept called the Brooklyn Strand would create a more integrated and connected system of pedestrian and green spaces. Can local stakeholders convince the city to support the project?

March 20, 2015 - Brownstoner

Delivery Drone

How Drones Can Improve Planning and Design

In February, the Federal Aviation Administration released rules for the commercial operation of drones that were (to many observers) surprisingly business friendly. A landscape architect imagines the potential of drones for planning and design.

March 14, 2015 - ASLA The Dirt

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.