As urban parks across the country are being created and refurbished thanks in large part to private philanthropy (e.g. the High Line and Millennium Park), Charles Birnbaum asks who will come to the rescue of Boston's famed Emerald Necklace.
According to Birnbaum, originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. between 1878 and 1895, and with later design involvement by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., the Emerald Necklace in Boston was among the (if not the) first urban greenways in the world and was considered by the elder Olmsted as the most important work of his career.
However, whereas the fine arts museums situated on the park have benefited from substantial investment in the past decade, the necklace has suffered from competing causes for philanthropy.
"Bostonians, as we've seen, are rightfully proud of their major art institutions, so why doesn't that translate to the masterwork of one of their greatest artists? Where are the public-private partnerships? Where are the Boston equivalents of major philanthropists like Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg who donated $35 million to New York's High Line? When it comes to philanthropy for Boston's parks, is there a grass ceiling?"
FULL STORY: City Shaping V: Can Philanthropy for Boston's Parks Break Through the Grass Ceiling?
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.