Joe C. Stuart donated parkland to the city of Cleveland, Tennessee in 1979 under the stipulation that it be used as a place for quiet contemplation. The city has since built a bandstand and held concerts there, and Stuart's heirs aren't happy.
When do the deed requirements on donated public land expire? Apparently never, as the heirs of the man who donated the Johnston Memorial Park push back on the city to use the park only as he wished. The politics are playing out, writes reporter Randall Higgins:
"In January, the council approved a motion by Councilman George Poe that the downtown park be treated just like any other city park or that the city return the property to the family.
On Monday, family members approached the council with a counteroffer that would allow the Veterans Day ceremony and Evening Shade concerts to stay in the park and asking the city to schedule renovations to bring the park back into compliance with the original deed.
The council rejected the counteroffer."
Read the full story: Cleveland, Johnston heirs at impasse on city park use
Trump's DC 'beautification' efforts threaten historic skate spots
The city is taking more aggressive measures to prevent skateboarders from using unsanctioned public spaces.
Public Pools: A Threatened Amenity?
Municipal pools offer important benefits to urban residents, but some cities are struggling to keep them open.
City Parks as Cooling Centers
Strategies for making parks cool, inviting community cooling centers during extreme heat.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor
Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority