Parks

Federal Government May Fund Urban Parks

New legislation looks to boost the federal government's investment in urban parks for the first time in eight years.

December 5, 2009 - Gotham Gazette

One Step Towards Orange County's Great Park

The Orange Country Great Park has received the official go-ahead, with a dedication of $65 million for the first phase of construction.

November 29, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

Promise Takes Root in Dallas' Newest Park

A new multiuse park in Dallas, the first of four of its kind, is giving the downtown community a reason to celebrate.

November 21, 2009 - Dallas Morning News

A Little Green Goes A Long Way

St. Louis' Citygarden Sculpture Park is already being compared to NYC's High Line for its success in revitalizing a previously unused parcel of land.

November 19, 2009 - Fast Company

The Park Prescription

One doctor has begun advising her patients to simply take a walk in the park to improve their overall health. And as she describes in this article, she's not alone.

November 18, 2009 - The Washington Post

Making Gritty Pretty

Cities around the world are finding that turning industrial ruins into green public space is far more cost effective and fun than tearing them down.

November 11, 2009 - The Walrus

Schwarzenegger to Receive Park Protection Award

Without even a hint of sarcasm, the National Park Trust is planning to give an award to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for protection of public lands.

October 22, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Connecting New York City's Immigrants With Parks

This piece from Urban Omnibus looks at a collaborative effort in New York City to get immigrant populations better engaged in the city's public parks.

October 18, 2009 - Urban Omnibus

5,000 New Acres of Parks

U.S. cities added 5,000 new acres of parkland over the past year, according to a new study by the Trust for Public Land.

October 16, 2009 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Big Plans in the O.C.

Ken Smith won an international design competition to turn a 1,300 acre former military base in Orange County, CA into an urban park to rival Central Park in NY. His plan is ambitious, and could be sunk by politics and finances.

October 2, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

Oklahoma City Releases Broad New Plan

A broad new plan has been unveiled in Oklahoma City. Included in the plan is a new 70-acre downtown park and a raft of transit improvements.

September 22, 2009 - The Oklahoman

Park(ing) Day 2009

Last Friday was Park(ing) Day 2009, a growing movement where city parking spaces are transformed into miniature parks as a comment on public space (and the lack thereof). Here's a glimpse into Seattle's version.

September 22, 2009 - Northwest Hub

San Francisco's Fast Park Movement

New parks are popping up with a quickness in San Francisco, where planners have fast-tracked the conversion of street spaces into pedestrian parks.

September 22, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

California Environmental Groups Hope to Save State Parks with DMV Fees

Major environmental groups hope this year's park closures, caused by the California budget crisis, will inspire support for parks at the ballot box next year.

September 15, 2009 - San Jose Mercury News

Pavement to Parks Sees Progress in San Francisco

The city of San Francisco has barricaded two new large swatches of land to be used as part of its Pavement to Parks projects, and is enjoying a flood of support from residents, businesses, politicians, and local educational institutions.

September 9, 2009 - SF Streetsblog

New Parks Across US Boom, Dazzle

Neal Peirce says this is a 'bonanza decade' for parks, thanks to the many benefits of parks to cities and a 'wow' factor found in some of the newest parks around the U.S., including St. Louis' Citygarden and Manhattan's High Line Park.

September 8, 2009 - Citiwire.net

The Early Bird Gets The... Picnic Table?

Competition was stiff for prime picnic spots in a Washington, D.C. park this Labor Day, prompting locals to set up as early as 2:30am. Is this an indicator of a growing need for public parks and civic spaces?

September 8, 2009 - The Washington Post

From Garbage Mountain to Amphitheatre

A new 50,000 seat amphitheater is being planned for construction in Tel Aviv's new urban park, which was built on top of a garbage dump.

September 4, 2009 - Haaretz

How the Economy Could Hurt Atlanta's Beltline

Atlanta's Beltline project is one of the most ambitious transportation plans the city has seen in decades, but the downturn in the economy could wreak havoc on its progress.

September 4, 2009 - The Signal

High Line Assessment District Dropped

Plans to create an assessment district near New York City's new High Line linear park have been dropped.

September 1, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

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.