A respite from the stresses of city life, 'lungs' that cleanse the air and cool surrounding streets, places for connecting with other citizens, or grounds for artistic expression and commemoration; the world's best parks accomplish all of the above.

"A well-designed park is more than green space in the midst of a concrete jungle—it makes a city lovable and livable," observes Kristin Conard. "The most beautiful combine meadows, woodlands, ponds, lakes, and streams with museums and other man-made attractions."
"For city dwellers and tourists alike, an urban park becomes a shared backyard. 'It’s a place to meet friends; it’s a place to have celebrations with families if you’re in small apartments, say in New York,' says Setha Low, director of the Public Space Research Group and author of Rethinking Urban Parks: Public Space and Cultural Diversity."
Central Park in New York, along with Vancouver's Stanley Park and Osaka's Namba Parks, are among those selected by Conard and her colleagues at Travel + Leisure as the "World's Most Beautiful City Parks".
FULL STORY: World's Most Beautiful City Parks

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

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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