Thomas Balsley has designed more Privately-Owned Public Spaces (POPS) in New York than anyone. In this op-ed he expresses his support for continuing to encourage the creation of these spaces, regardless of the ownership issues.
"Almost 90 acres of POPS have been installed throughout the densely developed island of Manhattan, without a cent of public financing. Imagine what the city would have had to pay to acquire the land to build and then maintain even half of these!", writes Balsley.
Balsley praises the design of Zuccotti Park, site of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and talks about the balance of security and cleanliness with accessibilty and comfort:
"Putting aside the legal and constitutional issues that have been the focus of the Zuccotti debate, design really can help balance the competing imperatives of openness and order. And in fact Zuccotti Park's particular design manages this relatively well-it certainly can't be faulted for having made the recent situation any worse. In theory, if Zuccotti had been designed more as a kind of sanctuary, as opposed to a single open space, it may have been less attractive for such a large gathering."
FULL STORY: What to Do With Zuccotti Park? The Designer Behind More POPS Than Anyone Has Some Ideas
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
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.
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?
San Francisco Turns On California’s First Speed Cameras
The city is the first in the state to use automated traffic enforcement to reduce speeding and traffic deaths.
Shaping LA’s Future: Public Voting Opens for LA2050 Grants
The LA2050 Grants Challenge invites Angelenos to vote on the top issues facing Los Angeles, helping direct $3 million in funding to organizations working to build a more connected and resilient region.
Chicago Transit Agencies on Brink of Major Crisis
Without additional funding, regional transit agencies will be forced to cut services by 40 percent.
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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