New London, Connecticut, like many victims of the 1970s, was saddled with a harsh, ineffective public plaza at the heart of its downtown. Planners are working to return the plaza to its historic form.
"Longtime residents and visitors to New London remember the great open area known as the Parade in front of the historic railroad station. The Parade was a classic public plaza, a space for gatherings, a hub where people coming into the city by boat, train, bus or car could meet or be met.
But as was so often the case in Connecticut's cities, an unfortunate 1970s redesign of the area raised the plaza, crowded out usable space and separated the Parade from the rest of downtown.
Instead of having a public space that enhanced the area, the city was left with a smaller, less inviting and more dangerous space that detracted from the city's geographical integrity."
FULL STORY: Love the Parade

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
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Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
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Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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