Landscape Architecture
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?
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Guide to Boston's Green Treasures Released
Following up on their acclaimed guide to D.C., the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has published the "Landscape Architect’s Guide to Boston". Go beyond the Freedom Trail and discover what makes Boston a long-time urban innovator.
Playground Preservation: Protecting the Cultural History of Slides and Swings
Writing for the blog of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Kaitlin O’Shea presents a brief history of the formal playground and explores the challenges of preserving these relics of our cultural history without compromising child safety.
Who Makes Better Parks, Planners or Landscape Architects?
Successful parks require good design in both the physical and the social realms. However according to Los Angeles County Planner Dr. Clement Lau, the former too often overshadows the latter.
Can Designers Turn a D.C. Park into the City's "Town Square"?
At Franklin Park, a group of Washington city planners and their team of consultants are seeking to succeed where others have failed - revive an old D.C. park - and provide a model for similar spaces in the process.
ASLA Assembles Reservoir of Resources on Health Benefits of Nature
For years, science has been catching up to the intuitive wisdom that spending time in, or adjacent to, nature has physical and mental health benefits. The ASLA has collected a trove of this research in one easy to navigate website.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
