New pocket parks provide valuable opportunities for residents to play and gather in the territory's dense neighborhoods.

Pocket parks or micro parks may be small, but they can positively impact communities when creatively designed and strategically sited. Design Trust, a non-profit that supports design-based programs, has been redesigning four of Hong Kong's micro parks to transform public spaces in densely populated neighborhoods. As Rebecca Cairns of CNN writes in this article, in contrast to many parks in the city which have the same generic look, Design Trust has broken the mold by creating distinct designs that can showcase communities' unique histories and stories.
Play is at the center of Design Trust's first project, Yi Pei Square, which is located in Tsuen Wan and opened in April 2021. The long, thin courtyard is surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings and was a paved area, mostly used as a footpath. Design Trust transformed the 10,010-square-foot site into a "communal living room" with play areas, exercise zones and benches. Involving the community was a critical part of the process. Creating prototypes of different elements of the park, the Design Trust team held exhibitions in co-working spaces and malls to test their ideas and engaged residents in feedback sessions where children suggested games, and the shape and size of playground structures.
To learn more about and see pictures of the vibrant pocket parks created by Design Trust, please read the source article.
FULL STORY: Hong Kong's colorful new 'pocket parks' are revitalizing public spaces

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

Bend Eliminates Parking Minimums
The city is complying with an Oregon state mandate that some cities have challenged in court.

How Virginia Counties Use Zoning to Stifle Development
Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.

Seattle Brings Free Transit to Public Housing
Linking transit programs to housing can lower administrative costs and streamline the process for riders.

Columbus Could Lower Downtown Speed Limits
The city council will vote on a proposal to lower speed limits to 25 miles per hour to improve safety and make downtown more walkable and welcoming to pedestrians.

Traffic Safety Bills Proposed in Washington’s State Legislature
As traffic fatalities continue to climb in Washington and around the country, three proposed state bills would prohibit some right turns on red, reduce the BAC limit for DUI arrests, and require more young drivers to take driver’s education courses.
York County Government
York County, Human Resources
Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
City of Piedmont, CA
City of Morganton
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.