Public Art
Giant Legs Sculpture Kicks Off Land Use Debate
The WSJ reports on tensions over a 16-foot-tall sculpture prominently displayed in a private yard in the artsy village of Sag Harbor, and the larger debate of whether art should be exempt from traditional land use rules and regulations.
Bringing a Favela to Life With Vibrant Colors
Two artists have teamed with a favela in Rio de Janeiro to use bright colors to re-frame the slum as a more vibrant area.
Public Art and the Do-It-Yourself City
Jonna McKone profiles various public art projects across the U.S. and Canada, showing that participation in such projects indicates that some residents are taking an increasingly vested interest in the cities they live in.
What Good is Public Art?
San Diego's mayor has announced he's recommending the city pull the plug on art funding for the time being, triggering a debate over the role of public art in society.
Art Event Brings in Bucks for Grand Rapids
"Art works," says Jason Schupbach of the NEA. And in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it really does, where the yearly ArtPrize event draws in an estimated $5-7 million in economic impact each year.
Stairway to Never
WebUrbanist looks at 15 sculptures that use the architectural form of stairways to express a deeper meaning.
The Hypothetical Futures of Empty Buildings
To draw attention to unused buildings lying fallow in cities like New Orleans, writer Rob Walker has created the "Hypothetical Development Organization" to render possible future uses and designs.
Community Transforms Street Overnight
Local residents bring life back a desolate line of shops in Oak Cliff, a streetcar suburb of Dallas, overnight. The intention of the Better Block project is to demonstrate the value of pedestrian friendly spaces and encourage future investments.
Temporary Autonomous Zones Alter Public Space in The UK
The increase in outdoor music festivals, guerrilla gardening, temporary restaurants, cinemas and pop-up shops are all examples of "a growing appetite for transforming our apparently prosaic, profit-led landscape into something else."
100 Acres of Art
100 Acres is the name (and size?) of a new park in Indianapolis that is a "hybrid of landscape, art, and architecture," according to Edward Blake, of Landscape Studio, the designers.
Camouflaged Public Art
Culver City, California has put together a map illustrating the locations of all the public art pieces around the town, including Joshua Callaghan's "Almost Invisible Boxes" - utility boxes painted to disappear into the scenery.
An Urban Forest
A white box labeled "Unlimited Urban Woods" stands in the plaza of a modern office building in Amsterdam. Step inside, and an endless vista of trees stretches out before you.
Priority Seating for Chatters
A public art project that appeared in Brisbane, Australia proposes a "priority seating area for people who want conversation" in order to encourage friendly chatter on public buses.
Art and Mystery in a Public Space
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has created a magical zen landscape in a plaza at the University of Milan, using stones, fabric, and light.
Pianos in Public Places
A public art piece titled "Play Me, I'm Yours" entails putting pianos in public spaces around Manhattan (27 in all) for anyone to sit down and bang out a tune.
What Motivates Street Art?
Are street artists inspired by the desire to improve their environment, or to comment on the banality of it?
Guerrilla Sharrows
In Los Angeles, wheat-pasted posters that indicate bike lanes have been cropping up on utility boxes all over the city.
Sculptures Rise in Iowa, Distract From City's Woes
A Des Moines venture capitalist and his wife have donated a reported $40 million worth of large public sculptures for a sculpture park, part of a significant redevelopment effort by the city.
Public Art Flourishing in Northwest
New public art projects are popping up across the Pacific Northwest. Some of Seattle’s traffic signal boxes are getting a makeover, as artists add decorative touches to them.
'An Explosion of Creativity' in Grand Rapids
The ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan resulted in 1,262 artists temporarily installing their pieces in 159 venues around downtown. The public picks the winner.
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
