Parks
'Heart of the Community' Program Awards Placemaking Grants
Southwest Airlines and the project for Public Spaces continue their partnership on the Heart of the Community program, awarding placemaking grants to six cities around the country.
'50 Parks' Program Improves Los Angeles' Parks Disparity
Los Angeles is known for a few magnificent parks—but they are hard to reach and concentrated in affluent areas. The 50 Parks program, however, is delivering on its titular promise.
Not All Parks Are Created Equal
Parks almost always sound like a good idea. But some are vacant while others are transformative. Here's a list of ten recently completed projects that fall solidly in the latter category.
New Park, Developments Reshaping Downtown East in Minneapolis
A new park and lots of new development will follow the under-construction stadium for the Vikings on the eastern side of Minneapolis urban core.
The Power of Play in the Public Square
Paris represents the best of grand architecture and city planning, from the Eiffel Tower to the Champs-Elysées. Yet, underneath these places, are small parks that bring together Paris' diverse populations through the power of play.
An App for California State Parks
California's Department of Parks and Recreation is getting into the app business. It is hoped that CaliParks will help improve access to the state's parks for young people and minorities.
A Call for Reimagined Schoolyards
In recent years, tactical urbanism has helped reinvent many streets and sidewalks in center cities, creating new public spaces. But many spaces remain untouched. Anuj Gupta argues that reinvented schoolyards can be the next great public spaces.
Durham, NC Moving ahead with High-Profile Projects
Durham City Council members may be ready to take on new debt to fund a list of big-ticket parks and transportation projects which would help keep pace with growth and enhance the community.
A Planner's look at Public Exercise and Fitness Infrastructure
Los Angeles offers many free or affordable alternatives to private gyms for exercise. Clement Lau, a Los Angeles County parks and recreation planner, goes on to review these resources in Los Angeles' public fitness infrastructure.
What is a 'Placemaker' (Besides an Overused Buzzword)?
Placemaking is an overused term and under-comprehended subcategory of the urban design and planning fields. Howard Blackson explains what it means and how it has evolved in his own career.
Parks—or Playgrounds for Billionaires?
New York may be the most famous example of the parks becoming the most conspicuous signifiers of neighborhoods for the haves, versus the have-nots, but Inga Saffron hopes that cities everywhere can find ways to even the playing fields.
Land Swap could Bring Obama Presidential Library to Chicago's South Side
Chicago is putting the pieces in place to land the Obama Library. One proposal hinges on the availability of parkland on the South Side near the University of Chicago.
Report: San Francisco's City Parks Worth $959 Million
The Trust for Public Land’s Center for City Park Excellence released a report placing the value of San Francisco's park system at $959 million.
New Round of Design Proposals for St. Petersburg's Off-Shore Park
After an initial failure of public approval, St. Petersburg went back to the drawing board to design new plans for an off-shore park on the historic St. Petersburg Pier.
Report Highlights the Role of Biodiversity of Urban Scavengers
Cities are full of ants, mice, rats, and other animals that scavenge on the trash of human beings. A new report from North Carolina State University analyzes how biodiversity influences the productivity of these creatures.
Op-Ed: Billionaire Philanthropy Defeats Democratic Process
Following the splashy announcement of media mogul Barry Diller's plans to finance a $170 million park at Manhattan's Pier 54, a New York Times column renews the call for more equity in open space around New York City.
Crowdfunding Civic Spaces
Although crowdfunding initially developed to support artists and entrepreneurs, crowdfunding sites are funding a growing number of public space projects.
London's Garden Bridge Gates Public Access
The approval process is revealing more details about a garden bridge designed by Thomas Heatherwick in London—what has emerged is less a park than a tourist attraction.
$170 Million Park Would Replace Manhattan's Pier 54
With designs by architect Thomas Heatherwick and Landscape Architect Mathews Nielsen, a park proposal for the Hudson River would make a splashy addition to the neighborhood that boasts the south end of the High Line.
Why Developers Love Parks—the High Line in New York as an Example
The High Line is proving to be a powerful catalyst for development but the same can be true for nearly all parks (less perhaps the starchitect-designed projects near the High Line), explains former Empire State Development Corp VP Carol Berens.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
