Next City surveys the most ambitious examples of park design from a year of ambitious projects.
Rachel Dovey takes a look back at what was a big year for parks in 2015 by presenting a list of the "most ambitious public spaces of 2015." The list surveys locations as far apart on geographic and cultural spectrums as Los Angeles, Texas, and Beirut. Each of the parks listed are supplemented with explainer text and links to access more information:
- The Yanaguana Garden, San Antonio
- 50 Parks Initiative, Los Angeles
- First Ward Park, Charlotte
- Horsh Beirut, Beirut
- Bayou Greenways, Houston
- Magical Bridge Playground, Palo Alto
- Luther Ely Smith Square, St. Louis
FULL STORY: City Park Design Is Getting More Ambitious
First Look: Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan Adopted in L.A.
The Los Angeles City Council approved environmental review documents for the long-awaited Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan, clearing the way to remake a defunct reservoir into active green and park space.
Trends in Community Park Landscape Design and Planning
Urban park planning and design needs to deliver a lot of community benefit from a small amount of space. The lessons that emerge
Programming Over Serenity Favored in 21st Century Park Design
The new urban public realm in the United States is highly programmed—some of that design approach reflects the trends of culture and some reflects a history of violence and bad for PR for parks at the end of the 20th century.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.
Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.
Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
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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Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
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Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service