Public Space
Feature
Regulating alcohol in the public realm.
A new book from the "Rethinking Streets" series identifies 25 quick redesigns cities can use to reconfigure streets for the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rethinking Streets During COVID-19
COVID-19 restrictions have highlighted the importance of abundant, multi-use open spaces accessible to all.
San Francisco Chronicle
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo approved a new plan to revitalize the Champs Élysées ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The Guardian
If the combined effects of winter's cold and the pandemic has you bummed, check out this community-building exercise in the frozen North.
PlaceShakers
Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles County offered the "Wishing Tree" for visitors to share their wishes and hopes for 2021. The public response was overwhelming, with over 10,000 notes hung on the tree in a matter of weeks.
Los Angeles Times
California has reversed its decision to close playgrounds as part of the state's stay-at-home order after some legislators and parents complained and argued that children need outdoor play for their health and well-being.
CALmatters
Public spaces have become more important than ever. Here are five case studies of innovative and safely designed programming that engages people of all ages and backgrounds.
Reimagining the Civic Commons
Much of communal life now takes place virtually in digital spaces that feel public but are not. The internet needs to be more like our public parks, libraries, and public squares.
Wired
Outdoor dining is going to hang out for a bit.
Eater Seattle
Beaches and parks on Oahu are closed to the public once again as the city attempts to control the spread of COVID-19.
The Honolulu Star Advertiser
The first chapter of a forthcoming report form VibeLab, a nightlife consultancy firm, makes a variety of pertinent suggestions for facilitating al fresco events and safely regulating crowds in a new context.
Bloomberg CityLab
Local parks and green spaces that enable safe social distancing have never been more important to people living in cities. The Trust for Public Land has released a new report showing their importance and the challenges they are facing.
The Washington Post
It has been over 25 years since urban planning professor Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris discussed the idea of "mobile parks" to meet recreational needs. The idea is still relevant today.
Parks & Recreation Magazine
An urban planner in Vancouver defines the roots of racism in city building, and calls on urban planners to be more effective anti-racist allies.
The Tyee
The second most populous city in California, San Diego, wants to revolutionize its approach to planning parks and open space.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
The Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius has taken an incredible step in reopening for business while requiring strict social distancing practices.
The Guardian
Feature
One of the dominant themes to emerge from the spread of COVID-19 is the conflict between the need to be in nature for health and well-being while avoiding public space as much as possible to prevent the spread.
The first phases of a plan to remake the downtown Los Angeles plaza into a more inviting, accessible public space are going to kick off soon.
Curbed Los Angeles
A closer marriage between planning and landscape architecture would mean strong connections between the processes of policy making and place making.
ASLA The Dirt
