Ben Brown on placemaking implications of today's politics
"You know things are getting dicey when the outgoing president of the United States feels obliged to remind us there’s still hope for American democracy at about the same time the incomer is on Twitter alleging (again) that America’s democratic institutions are plotting against him."
"So just another day in the news. This one, Tuesday, January 10. President Obama was on stage in Chicago exhuming the 'yes we can' spirit. President Elect Donald Trump was at his favorite online podium calling allegations that the Russians are blackmailing him a 'witch hunt,' a conspiracy of government intelligent agencies and the mainstream media to undermine him."
For supporters of both Trump and Obama, "The difference in perspectives is the conviction that the other guys are the ones trapped in a bubble."
Brown has interesting perspective for what the decisive politics means for urban planners.
Read the full story: Bubble Burst Strategy No. 1: Do something. Now.
How Placemaking Lost its Way — And How it Can Get Back on Track
The term has often become diluted, getting attached to projects that don’t live up to its lofty aspirations.
String Lights are Secular! The Holiday Case for Year-round Placemaking
The holidays make streets and spaces warm, cozy, and welcoming. Why don’t we do that year round?
“Leveraging Place”: A Toolkit for Staying Loyal to the Places We Shape
Place speaks before we plan. We need to listen.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
This road in NYC is infamously dangerous — and Mamdani can't fix it
New York City's Ocean Parkway is known for reckless driving, but the power to implement safety measures lies with the state rather than the city.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority