Public Schools
Atlanta to Open School Properties as Public Parks
A new pilot program in Atlanta will test a joint-use arrangement that opens public school properties in the evenings and on weekends to provide park space for the public. The effect would be significant.
Study: Kids Do Worse in Schools Near Traffic
Moving to a school with higher levels of traffic pollution could impact students' academic performance, according to new research.
How Texas Could Create Equity for the Disabled
Twenty-eight years after the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Texas has plenty of work to do if it's going to provide opportunity to Americans struggling with disabilities.
Baltimore Having Trouble Heating its Public Schools
Baltimore schools are the oldest in Maryland, and they need massive improvements to their heating and cooling systems. Management hasn't been up to the task of undertaking the repairs.
The Sharing Economy Comes to Urban Public Schools
How one firm is integrating sharing economy principles to bolster Chicago's public schools.
Hard to Get to Class in Charter-Only New Orleans
In a district now comprised entirely of charter schools, many New Orleans children face hour-plus journeys. This makes for increased stress on low-income families and a potential rise in chronic absenteeism.
The Neighborhood Effect: How Place Impacts Upward Mobility
A new blog post from Jonathan Rothwell discusses the impact of neighborhoods on upward mobility.
Gentrification Provides an Opportunity to Diversify Urban Schools
Segregated schools are an enduring problem in urban America. But with young affluent (often white) professionals flocking to cities, and enrolling their children in public schools, a historic opportunity exists to create diverse schools.
'Stuck' in the City, Chicago Parents Yearn for Better Schools
A sluggish housing market has stemmed the flow of young parents into Chicago's suburbs, putting pressure on city officials to make public schools better, John Pletz reports.
$600,00 Pocket Park Completed, Then Bulldozed to Build School
Jessica Garrison reports on how the City of Los Angeles spent $600k designing and building a park that no one ever got to use when it was claimed as a site for a public school.
Sustainable Communities…What’s Missing?
As planners, we try to live the urban lifestyle, minimize our carbon footprint, and even grow our own vegetables. I once saw a colleague wearing a button which read “Riding transit is sexy.” Lose the car, bike or walk to work. Hey, if you’re adventurous, you can even take the bus. But this is easier said than done. I’ve lived in New Haven, Boston, Philadelphia, and now Miami. And as every year passes, I find it more and more challenging to cling to my planning ideals.
Two Separate Problems
Conventional wisdom dictates that middle-class families would find urban schools more tempting if we only “fixed the schools”- a concept that implies that urban public schools are simply unable to educate anyone, because they are either horribly underfunded (in the liberal version of this claim) or horribly mismanaged (in the conservative version).
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
