Public Space
How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope
Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.
San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway
The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Private Donations Propel Early Restoration of Palisades Playground
Los Angeles has secured over $1.3 million in private funding to restore the Pacific Palisades playground months ahead of schedule, creating a modern, accessible space that supports community healing after recent wildfires.
San Diego Swaps Parking Lane for Kid-Friendly Mini Park
The block-long greenway will feature interactive play equipment and landscaping.
Survey: US Public Spaces Not Meeting Community Needs
A lack of funding prevents many U.S. parks and public spaces from playing a more significant role in helping residents meet daily needs.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
The Panacea of Outdoor Human Movement
Humans relish in over-complicating things, but the sweetest and healthiest things in life are the simplest.
Nightlife and the 15-Minute City
Plans for compact, walkable cities often don’t address nighttime concerns like transportation and lighting, which can make neighborhoods more vibrant and safe around the clock.
Report: The State of Public Spaces
A 50-year-old institution takes stock of placemaking in the public realm today.
Community-Led Initiatives To Beautify and Reclaim Neglected Areas
Explore successful community-led initiatives that revitalize neglected urban spaces, fostering beauty and reclaiming areas for public benefit and enjoyment.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Public Libraries May Be More Relevant Than Ever
Libraries around the country are expanding their services in an effort to become ‘third spaces’ for the community.
Neurodivergence and the City
Researchers are starting to understand how people with conditions like autism experience cities differently — and how to design for the neurodiverse brain.
Building Secure Yet Welcoming Public Spaces
Strategies for securing public spaces from vehicle attacks and other acts of terrorism without sacrificing accessible, vibrant urban places.
Opinion: Delivery Robots Need Regulation Now
Ride-hailing and scooter companies blindsided cities. They shouldn’t let delivery robots do the same.
Charlestown, Indiana Announces City Square Improvement Project
Charlestown, Indiana announces a City Square Improvement Project after its Redevelopment Commission acquires a vacant 20-year-old building in the Jennings Plaza downtown.
Opinion: Public Restrooms Shouldn’t Be Starbucks’ Problem
The outrage over the chain’s decision to limit the use of its bathrooms should prompt more questions about why the U.S. lacks public restrooms.
Parks as Community Lifelines: Supporting Residents During Times of Crisis
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation demonstrates how parks serve as vital community infrastructure by adapting to crises, offering public health services, disaster relief, and essential support for residents in need.
I Help Plan Cap Parks; Here’s What Austin Can Learn from Other Cities
How freeway capping projects can literally and metaphorically bridge urban divides.
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
