The New York Times City Critic ventures to Battery Park City to check out the city's newest and greenest library, yet occupying only 10,000 sq. ft. in a multi-story building, and comes away mightily impressed. Check out the photo slide-show.
The community library had been long in planning. Having Goldman-Sachs relocate to Battery Park City in 1995 and make sizable contributions to the community sealed the deal.
"The existence of this beautiful 10,000-square-foot library, which opened on March 18, prompts so many questions, including how could such state-of-the-art technologies be marshaled in service of the old-fashioned act of book reading?
Instead of the comforting mustiness of older libraries, the whole space is filled with oxygen and light, streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows and bouncing off the blond wood floors (made from lumber salvaged during the manufacturing of window frames, thank you)."
"They wanted as much as possible for this branch to be a showcase for how pleasant and how interesting a branch can be," said Tim Furzer, who oversaw the project for the firm 1100 Architect. It worked. "
View the slideshow with a special emphasis on children, their parents, and of course, green technology and materials.
FULL STORY: A Library That Most Can Only Dream Of

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions