Landscape Architecture
Design Process for Seattle's Planned Waterfront Park—Now Reaching Out to Native Americans
After initial designs were critiqued as inauthentic to the Seattle experience, the park's designers are reaching out to the region's Native American population for advice on how to improve the plans for a new waterfront park.

MassDOT Looks to Repurpose Freeway Underpasses
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is seeking ideas for how to create active uses among the often-blighted underbelly of freeway underpasses and other elevated structures.
Closing Gaps in the Florida Greenways and Trails System
The recent purchase of land to close gaps in the Florida Greenways and Trails System resulted from partnerships between state, regional and county governments to protect land for recreation and conservation in the Sunshine State.

Olmsted Alive! 'Emerald Necklace' Plan Proposed for Los Angeles
Inspired by a park system proposal by Frederick Law Olmsted from 1930 to build a network of parks and open space throughout the city, a coalition of advocates is reviving the idea of connecting people and parks throughout Los Angeles.
Lean Urbanism: A Century-Old Practice?
A short case study in Lean Urbanism, compliments of Victoria Beach, Manitoba.

Some Like it Hot: Adapting Los Angeles to Climate Change
Closing out the "Just Add Water" lecture series, four panelists came together to discuss climate change, cultural shifts for sustainability, and adapting Los Angeles's urban fabric for greater climate resiliency in the future.

Baltimore Bus Stop Design Leaves No Doubt
Part street furniture, part advertisement for public transit, part public art—the designers of a new bus stop installation in Baltimore call it "an obvious bus stop."
Study Shows Public Health Benefits of Recreational Facilities on Urban Rivers
A new study finds that the cost of building urban river parkways and other recreational facilities is more than offset by the savings in public health costs, such as obesity.
The Uneven Successes of Minnesota's 60-Mile Root River Bike Trail
The Root River Trail has fallen short of the "economic savior" status some were hoping from it, but it has also exceeded expectations in some towns along the route.
Friday Eye Candy: Social Pool in the Middle of Mojave Desert
Alfredo Barsuglia's latest work, "Social Pool," is located in an undisclosed location in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Visitors only receive keys and GPS coordinates as their directions on the day of their reservation.
Public Projects at Crossroads: Bellwood Quarry and Atlanta Civic Center
While the plan to transform the Bellwood Quarry into Westside Reservoir Park waits, as it has done for eight years, an Atlanta councilmember proposes locating the endangered Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center near the site.

Ranking the Best (and Worst) Cities for Recreation
July is "National Park and Recreation Month." To commemorate, WalletHub compiled a ranking system that compares cities by their recreational opportunities.

Making Planning 'Just Green Enough' to Balance Environmental Justice and Gentrification
A growing body of research examines the question of how to make places more attractive and healthy, without then making them more expensive.

A Call to 'Retire the Myth' of the Palm Tree in Los Angeles
Victoria Dailey has some strong words for the palm tree in its various forms around Los Angeles in a long read for the Los Angeles Review of Books.
Celebrating Millennium Park's 10th Anniversary with Esoteric Trivia
Millennium Park in Chicago had its grand opening on July 16, 2004. Now, ten years later, it's one of the country's most treasured, visited, and photographed public spaces.
Friday Eye Candy: New Renderings for the Atlanta BeltLine's Westside Trail
Atlanta's BeltLine is one of the country's most exciting public space projects, and residents have even more reason for excitement after Beltline.org released a fresh batch of renderings for the forthcoming expansion of the Westside Trail.
A Call for Local Architects to 'Redefine the Drive' in Chicago
A local architect produced a DIY design to push the Illinois Department of Transportation to think big with the "Redefine the Drive" project on North Lake Shore Drive. With the proposal: invitations for more local designers to participate.
Pittsburgh's Mellon Square Re-Opened After Six-Year Wait
Named as one of the APA's Great Public Spaces in 2008, Mellon Square in Pittsburgh was badly in need of repair. Earlier this month, the park completed a $10 million restoration process that launched in 2009.
Holocaust Memorial Opens in Columbus, Ohio
Stephanie Aurora Lewis describes the Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial, opened to the public earlier this month on the south lawn of the Ohio Statehouse.

Olmsted Redux
Adrian Benepe was recently announced as the recipient of the 2014 Olmsted Medal. Like it or not, the well-deserved and appropriate recognition is one more in the seemingly endless list of honors for the transformation of New York's urban parks.
Pagination
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont