In Seattle's Green Lake neighborhood, a local with a wicked sense of humor has taken planning into his/her own hands, posting a plan to turn an empty eyesore of a lot into a public park.
Not just any public park: this plan imagines a pit full of brightly-colored plastic balls for kids of all ages to play around in. From the sign, posted on the chain link fence surrounding the empty lot:
"DPD is conducting an environmental review of the following project:
To construct one ground-level ball pit pond containing 1,200,00 cu. ft. of rainbow plastic balls."
"Existing ramp to be converted into 40 ft. slide. Addendum to the downtown height & density laws has been submitted."
FULL STORY: Prankster reimagines 3-yr-old eyesore construction site as giant happy playspace
Friday Funny: Squirrelly Passenger Causes UK Train Cancellation
Planetizen’s Friday Funny stories are often satirical, but this nutty story from Reuters is 100 percent genuine.
Friday Funny: Gated Community Doubles Down
The Onion skewers suburbia.
Friday Funny: How Much Parking Does That Parking Spot Need?
The Onion takes parking requirements to their logical conclusion.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
How Smart Street Lights Can Help Cities Achieve Sustainability Goals
Switching to energy-efficient LEDs and using tech to program when and how street lighting operates can save cities millions in electricity expenses and bring down carbon emissions.
NOAA: Southwest ‘Megadrought’ to Persist
Roughly 40 percent of the 48 lower U.S. states are currently in some state of ‘abnormally dry conditions.’
Jersey City Program Offers Battery Swaps for Electric Bikes and Scooters
Residents can swap depleted batteries for fully charged ones as well as charge and park their devices at two pilot sites.
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.
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