Pushing back on a version of futurism that imagines cities as a collection of iconic structures devoid of people and interactions.
"The current trajectory of urbanization and city-building is not going to get us where we need to go," writes Ethan Kent. "In fact, if you google 'The Future of Cities,' the images that come up reflect a dominant vision, and a caricatured extrapolation of what is currently being built in the 'most developed' human settlements."
Those caricatures are the impetus for the Future of Places program, led by UN-Habitat and the Project for Public Spaces. The program, as described by the post, wants to shift the thinking about the future of cities away from objects and toward places.
The remainder of the article provides resources and recommendations for how such effects can be achieved, calling especially on past research and products from the Project for Public Spaces.
FULL STORY: A THRIVING FUTURE OF PLACES: PLACEMAKING AS THE NEW URBAN AGENDA
Survey: US Public Spaces Not Meeting Community Needs
A lack of funding prevents many U.S. parks and public spaces from playing a more significant role in helping residents meet daily needs.
Denver City Summit 2016: Place, Culture, Meaning
Keynote speeches and break-out sessions at this year's Rocky Mountain City Summit implicated the importance of cultural knowledge for planning inclusive and equitable cities.
Countering Car-Orientation
Cities around the world are trying to undo decades of car-oriented planning. Lester Brown takes a look at the trend and finds some models for other global cities to follow.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
Grassroots Dutch Movement Replaces Pavement With Green Space
Neighbors engage in a practice known as “tegelwippen,” picking up paving stones and replacing them with permeable surfaces, often with the support of local governments.
Seattle Builds Subway-Sized Tunnel — for Stormwater
The $700 million ‘stormwater subway’ is designed to handle overflows during storms, which contain toxic runoff from roadways and vehicles.
Feds Clear Homeless Encampment in Oregon Forest
The action displaced over 100 people living on national forest land near Bend, Oregon.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions