aesthetics
The Value of Beauty at Bus Stops
While some rail stations get the starchitect treatment, most bus stops fail to offer aesthetic value. One study suggests this is a mistake.
Op-Ed: What Can Be Done About Toronto's Drabness?
After decades of "just-good-enough when it comes to design," now may be the time for Toronto to take steps to upgrade its aesthetics.
Study: How Beauty Is a Boon for Cities
Richard Florida discusses a study finding a range of connections between a city or neighborhood's aesthetic appeal and its economic health.
Maryland Positions Itself as Nation's Leader in Offshore Wind Power
In a few years, Maryland is expected to be the nation's leader in offshore renewable wind power made possible by the Public Service Commission's approval on May 11 of credits to two projects by U.S. Wind and Skipjack Offshore Energy.
Billboards Covered With Photos of the Beautiful Vistas They're Blocking
Jennifer Bolande has created a series of billboards that perfectly line up with the mountain views they block on a highway in Palm Springs, California.
Are the Skies Like Wilderness, and Do Drones Belong?
Love 'em or hate 'em, drones are coming. But is the issue of aesthetics getting enough treatment in the drone wars?
Why Are Utilities So Ugly?
A landscape architect in Tucson shares a professional lament: intrusive, ugly utilities.
Not All Preservationists Are NIMBYs
In the quest for density and infill, preservationists often stand beside those who want static cities. But both preservation and density can be ideologies, and thoughtful land use demands a nuanced middle ground.
San Francisco's Electric Bus Pollution Problem
There are no emissions of pollutants or noise from these electric buses that receive power from overhead wires; but it's the wires that are viewed by some as visual pollution. Powered from the city's hydroelectric dam, they are truly carbon-free.
The Three Elements That Attract People to Place
Addressing Minneapolis business leaders last week, Katherine Loflin, lead consultant to the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community Project, explained the key factors that drive people's attachment to a city and how to lure young professionals.
Steve Jobs' Legacy and the Return of Civic Beauty
Planners, architects, and developers made America ugly in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, opines Ross Douthat. In this piece, he questions whether or not the aesthetic revival led by Steve Jobs could be applied to our buildings and spaces.
Why People Love Their Communities
Appreciation of diversity, social offerings, and aesthetics trump jobs, economy, and safety according to a new survey by Gallup/Knight.
Preservationists Concerned About Visual Blight from Streetcars
Portland has them. So does Charlotte. But in the nation's capital, streetcar overhead wires are under fire from historic preservationists.
Can Beauty Be Regulated?
Roger Scruton compares American and European ways of regulating aesthetics in buildings.
The Importance of Beauty
A study by Richard Florida and others concludes that the beauty of a place is a highly significant factor in community satisfaction.
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.
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority
Placer County
Skagit Transit
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
