Landscape Architecture

10 Ways Cities Are Turning Back Time

It's back to the future for global cities, now that we've realized what a mess the 20th century was.

November 20, 2013 - Future Cities

"Inner Harbor 2.0" Charts a Course for Baltimore's Pioneering Project

As portions of the nation's pioneering waterfront redevelopment and "festival marketplace" turn 40, Baltimore's Inner Harbor is showing its age. A new master plan for the state's premier attraction focuses on improving its public spaces.

November 18, 2013 - The Baltimore Sun

Southern California's Great Park Gets a Colossal Cut

Landscape architect Ken Smith's bold vision for a Central Park-like open space in Irvine has been hobbled by funding shortfalls. Seeking a way to move forward, the city is considering cutting key elements in favor of a developer-led proposal.

November 12, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Amsterdam Will Harvest Urine for Green Roofs

As part of a campaign for International Water Week, Amsterdam's water corporation, Waternet, will use struvite from donated urine in order to fertilize the city's green roofs.

November 10, 2013 - Future Cities

A Ghastly Example of "Bike-Washing"

Could a 1,300-mile bike path along the length of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline quell the concerns of environmentalists? A "tongue-in-cheek" design put forth by SWA group doesn't appear to have won admirers on either side of the debate.

October 31, 2013 - Bloomberg

D.C.'s Guerrilla Gardener Gets His Revenge

Many D.C. commuters were saddened to learn in July that hundreds of flowers surreptitiously planted at an area Metro station would be removed by officials. But has the city's "Phantom Planter" had the last laugh?

October 29, 2013 - The Washington Post

Mayoral Candidate Portrays Plans for Pittsburgh's Grand Boulevard

Bill Peduto isn't waiting for his presumptive election as Pittsburgh's mayor next month to detail his vision for creating a more livable city. He's calling for an 11-block stretch of Smithfield Street in Downtown to become a grand boulevard.

October 22, 2013 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

NYC Releases New Street Design Manual

New York City's Department of Transportation has officially released the second update to its Street Design Manual, providing specifics on new and forthcoming alterations to the city's streets and street furniture.

October 22, 2013 - Future Cities

child playing in Peavey Plaza fountain in Minneapolis

“Make Love, Not Worse”: On the State of Landscape Preservation

Charles Birnbaum, founder of TCLF, discusses the challenges with preserving and managing significant Modernist landscapes, lifting the veil on the field’s key contributors, and why its easier to love a landscape than a building.

October 21, 2013 - Charles Birnbaum

Want to Encourage Exercise? Just Put Up Better Signs

According to a recent Rand Corp. study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, fancy redesigns or new equipment may not be necessary to spark more usage in existing parks. Adding a few signs may do the trick.

October 20, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Design Matters

Creating parks that benefit and reflect the needs of the communities that use them is the goal for both planners and landscape architects. Programming is a big part of this. So is design.

October 18, 2013 - Mark Hough

Top 100 City Innovators Worldwide

To celebrate its first anniversary, Future Cities has assembled a list of the top 100 city innovators making the biggest difference across a range of industries and specialties.

October 15, 2013 - Future Cities

Minneapolis' Influential Modernist "Park Plaza" Saved from Demolition

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) have reached a settlement with the City of Minneapolis to preserve and rehabilitate Peavey Plaza, ending a lawsuit brought by the groups to prevent demolition.

October 8, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

urban swing art piece in montreal

Is the Urban Swing the New Thing?

From Austin to Copenhagen, swings of varying shapes and sizes are adding a bit of whimsy, refreshment, and visual interest to urban environments. And they're not just for children!

October 7, 2013 - This City Life

Could Minneapolis' Skyways Actually Enliven the City's Streetscape?

Although they've been derided by urbanists near and far, Minneapolitans overwhelmingly support the city's Skyways. James Corner Field Operations embraces the skyway system as a key element in its proposal for the city's Nicollet Mall Redesign.

October 7, 2013 - Streets MN

Modular Street Squares Turn NYC's "Leftover" Spaces into Public Amenities

New York City's 5.3 million square feet of “leftover” street space provides a prime opportunity to create public amenities and a more resilient city. Eric Tan and his colleagues at Gensler have created modular "Street Squares" to fill the void.

October 4, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Urban Forestry Gets State-of-the-Art Assistance with LiDAR Technology

Advanced remote sensing technologies are providing cities and planners across the United States with new tools to assess urban tree canopy and develop more effective urban reforestation efforts.

October 4, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Year's Best in Landscape Architecture Announced

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) announced the winners of its 2013 Professional Awards and Student Awards today. 33 projects were selected for recognition out of more than 534 entries.

October 1, 2013 - ASLA

One of America's Most Influential Landscape Architects Dies at 78

Innovative landscape architect James van Sweden, who along with Wolfgang Oehme created the “New American Garden” style of design, died last week at his home in Washington D.C.

September 26, 2013 - ASLA The Dirt

Can Urban Forests Save the Planet?

Urban forests may possess the power to battle climate change. We just have to figure out what is more important: quantity or quality?

September 19, 2013 - Mark Hough

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.