The promoters of a new park hope to provide a model for how replacing surface parking lots with green space can mitigate urban heat and boost urban biodiversity.

Writing in Greater Greater Washington, Wyatt Gordon describes plans for a new park in one of Richmond, Virginia’s most park-poor areas. “By converting a 381 space surface parking lot into a new public park, the Science Museum of Virginia hopes to show folks that the city can rebuild a more comfortable and climate resilient future for its main boulevard if only we’re willing to depave it.”
With only 7 percent of city land used for parks and green space, Richmond has less equitable access to green space than most U.S. cities, according to the Trust for Public Land. As Gordon points out, “A closer look reveals that the issue may be worse than the data shows as parcels counted as greenspace include cemeteries, road medians, and schoolyards that may not actually allow for safe or public access.”
Dr. Jeremy Hoffman, chief scientist at the Science Museum, plans to monitor changes in air and surface temperatures as the project moves forward. “The long-term hope is that other property owners and state institutions in the area with large surface lots may see the value of depaving and similarly shift their parking underground, stack it in a deck, or get rid of it altogether as Broad Street transitions to a more transit-oriented area.”
FULL STORY: From parking to a park: can one Richmond surface lot prove the value of depaving?

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
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Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.

Chicagoland Transit Agencies Call for State Funding as Budget Shortfall Looms
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Panel: Minneapolis Zoning Updates Should Reflect Mixed-Use Future
A discussion of post-pandemic changes in work and commuting concluded that the city’s overhaul of its zoning code should be less restrictive with land uses.
Princeton Planning
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Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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City of Lomita
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.