Parks

Governors Island

The State of New York City's Parks

A new report by the Center for an Urban Future signals the need for attention to the Big Apple's parks before they are beyond repair.

June 28, 2018 - Center For An Urban Future

Central Park - Manhattan, New York

Private Developers Building More Public Parks in New York City

Private developers are building parks around New York to satisfy zoning laws.

June 15, 2018 - The New York Times

Domino Sugar Refinery

A New Riverfront Park in New York City

A new park on the East River in Williamsburg adds "one hell of an amenity" to Brooklyn.

June 7, 2018 - Gothamist

Atlanta to Use Transportation Sales Tax Money on Park Expansion

Transportation tax funding has suddenly been diverted to a park project in Atlanta, and a few voices want to know why. The project still gained approval, however.

May 25, 2018 - SaportaReport

Lake Calhoun

Ranking the Best U.S. Cities for Parks

The 2018 ParkScore is now available.

May 24, 2018 - Trust for Public Land

California Coas

How Best to Pay for Park, Wildlife, and Water Improvements

Only one of the five propositions on California's June primary ballot is a general obligation bond measure. Prop. 68 authorizes $4 billion for projects benefiting parks and water quality. Opponents prefer a pay-as-you-go approach using general funds.

May 23, 2018 - The Mercury News

Cleveland 4th Street St. Patrick's

Can Density Prevent Diabetes?

In Australia, a new study will determine the best ways to make high-density developments healthy places to live.

May 7, 2018 - Diabetes.co.uk

High Line park NYC - Manhattan - New York City

Pittsburgh's Version of the High Line Takes Off

Pittsburgh is betting on its own version of New York City's famed elevated park, based on a 500-foot-long raised roadway connecting two warehouses.

May 4, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Philadelphia

Review: Philadelphia's Iconic Love Park Gets a Major Makeover

Architecture Critic Inga Saffron gives a less-than-stellar review of the newly revealed revamp of Philadelphia's Love Park.

April 26, 2018 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

LA Ciclavia

Public Space Arms Race

Battles for inclusion and exclusion in the life of the city more often end in stand-offs than in skirmishes.

April 23, 2018 - Urban Omnibus

Seattle Freeway Park

Seattle Plans Remodel of World’s First Freeway Cap Park

The Brutalist design by a famed landscape architect will be preserved, but not without better visibility and improved lighting.

April 19, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Dallas skyline

Dallas Breaks Ground on Yet Another Downtown Park

Pacific Plaza will the fourth park built in the center of the city in the last decade, and there are still plans for three more.

April 18, 2018 - Dallas Morning News

Riverfront Open Space

Mayor Emanuel Wants to Open More of the Chicago River to the Public

Plans to double the length of publicly accessible riverfront will be included in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's State of the City address tonight.

April 16, 2018 - Chicago Sun Times

Off the Beaten Path

Designing comfort stations to accommodate more than 60 million annual New York State Parks visitors — representing many different genders, backgrounds, and accessibility needs — is no simple task.

April 5, 2018 - Urban Omnibus

Portland Park Planning

Master Plan Aims to Reduce Car Trips in Portland's Washington Park

Washington Park is described as the jewel in the crown of Portland's park system. The city recently updated its master plan for the first time since 1981.

April 4, 2018 - Bike Portland

Kayaking in the LA River

The Need for an Equitable L.A. River Revitalization

Jon Christensen urges Los Angeles to ensure that new park amenities serve, rather than displace, the river's low-income communities.

March 2, 2018 - CityLab

Children Playing

Urban Planning Insights From Your Inner Child (or Your Actual Child)

Los Angeles County park planner and parent Clement Lau writes about how 'playing' and parenting has given him insight into the urban environment that he applies in his profession.

February 12, 2018 - UrbDeZine

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis Finds a Loophole to Rid Two Parks of Confederate Monuments

A victory for local control: Memphis city leaders found a way to rid their city of two racist monuments, over the objection of the State Legislature.

December 25, 2017 - The Commercial Appeal

New York Public Art

The 'Deliberately Unkind' Public Art of the High Line

"You could be forgiven for reading the art as a message to less-than-opulent New Yorkers: You’ve lost your place," writes Michael Friedman.

November 16, 2017 - CityLab

Normal, Illinois

National Partners Launch the 10-Minute Walk to a Park Campaign

The 10-Minute Walk to a Park Campaign launched earlier this month.

October 31, 2017 - The Huffington Post

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.