Two competing initiatives seek to change city regulations for residential and commercial development on the city's parklands and open spaces.

Two measures aiming for this November's ballot will ask Denver residents to vote for or against development on protected green space. "One measure would prohibit commercial and housing construction without voter approval on any parks and city-owned land protected by a conservation easement, including the 155-acre former Park Hill Golf Course, where development has been blocked since 1997," reports Bruce Finley in the Denver Post. "A counter-measure that also has cleared initial review, put forward by the Westside Investment Partners developers who own the Park Hill land, would change the definition of “conservation easement” to make an exception for this property — and could apply to other protected open space."
Currently, "[s]tate law governs conservation easements and lifting restrictions requires a state court order. A state judge first must determine conservation is impossible." Despite this, officials are exploring the potential for a mixed-use development at Park Hill. Despite growing voter support for ballot measures that demand open space in and around Denver, "green space hasn’t kept pace with population growth and development. About 8% of Denver is designated as parks, compared with 20% and greater in other large U.S. cities." Park Hill, financed by a $2 million easement voted on by taxpayers in 1997, is the city's largest open space and a much-needed parkland in northeast Denver, "an area that city maps identify as relatively deficient in park space and where heat islands amplify temperatures."

How Sharrows Became Cycling’s Most Hated Symbol
Originally designed as a low-cost way to encourage safer road sharing between bikes and cars, the sharrow has become a symbol of the lack of commitment to protected bike infrastructure in many cities.

Keanu Reeves Set to Play Daniel Burnham in ‘The Devil in the White City’
Planning is going to get a new level of star power as a limited series adaptation of The Devil in the White City gets ready for television screens in 2024.

Marrying Urban Identity and Economic Prosperity
A new book posits that truly successful communities have a strong economic base and a firmly rooted sense of place.

Sports Stadiums Bring Few Economic Benefits
While their developers often tout jobs and local economic development as benefits of major stadium projects, research shows these venues often make little impact on local economies.

A How-To for ‘Freeway Fighters’
Ten recommendations for effective freeway removal advocacy.

Miami Rapid Transit Project Moves Forward
The county completed the draft environmental impact study for a monorail and people mover planned as part of its rapid transit system.
McKenna
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
Kinexus Group
Cohousing Association of the US
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Rail~Volution
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
City of Mesa
Town of Gilbert, Arizona
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.