Public Spaces
Astor Place Slated for Improvement
New York's DOT is proposing a new plan to transform Astor Place from feeling like a freeway median to a pedestrian-friendly public space.
Cuckoo Clock Comes To City Square
A Dallas suburb considers whether to change its sign regulations to allow a massive cuckoo clock in a public space. European cities often have them, but American cities rarely do.
Paris 'Beach' Opens
The annual transformation of riverbanks to beaches has begun in Paris, where the River Seine becomes a widely visited outdoor public space known as Paris Plages.
A Car-Free Avenue Grows in Brooklyn
New York City's car-free "Summer Streets" events are proving to be popular. A three-and-a-half minute video offers a look at Saturday's Williamsburg Walks event on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
Some Say National Mall Needs Renovation
Washington D.C.'s National Mall is crumbling. Many say now's the time to start thinking about a new future for one of America's most prized public spaces.
The Park-Poor City
This article from LA Weekly looks at L.A.'s parks deficit and what some are trying to do to address it.
Guerrilla Gardeners
Guerrilla gardening- planting flowers and edibles in untended pockets of cities- is a growing phenomenon. This article looks at a group of Toronto residents who've turned ugly medians into lush gardens.
Ads in Public Places Raise Money, Concerns
In an effort to raise extra money, cities and counties in Florida have been selling advertising in public spaces. Some say it's a good way to get extra revenue, but others worry about the visual pollution of public areas.
The Importance of Posters in Public Life
Street posters play an important role in participatory civic life, according to this article from re:place magazine.
Prague Hopes to Clean Up its Public Space
With tourist season in full effect, the Czech city of Prague is hoping to clean up its notoriously dirty streets with a new ban on littering and urinating in public places.
Why Preserve a Failed Public Place?
In this column, landscape architect Bill Thompson, FASLA, takes a look at the shortcomings of Boston's City Hall Plaza as a public space and what he feels are misguided efforts to preserve it.
Protests as Union Square Gets Privatized
New York's Union Square is the scene of a lively protest featuring Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. At stake is the square's pavilion, which is set to be transformed into a restaurant.
Skirting Process, Bremerton Makes Beautiful Public Spaces
Landscape architect Gary Sexton worked on a tight budget and dodged commissions and regulations to create a beautiful vision for downtown Bremerton (near Seattle).
New San Francisco Parks Key to Neighborhood Vibrancy
Two new parks in San Francisco show how great neighborhoods are defined by their public spaces, according to this article from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Cap and Play
This commentary from the Los Angeles Times calls for creation of a central park for the city, made by putting a "cap" over a section of freeway.
Activists 'Depave' Dead Parking Lot
This film from Streetsblog looks at a community effort in Portland to remove pavement from unused parking lots.
Eroding Beach Sparks Property Rights Battle
As a Texas beach erodes and the waves come closer to shore, homeowners are scrambling to figure out what to do when the public beach invades their private property.
Soccer Fans Join Together for Street 'Carnivals'
"Football Carnivals" are on the rise in Germany, where the community viewing buzz from the 2006 World Cup has hung around and revived itself for the current European Championship.
Portland Goes Car-Free, For a While
For six hours this Sunday, streets in North Portland will be off-limits to cars.
Ambitious City Center Plan Moves Forward
Despite the economic downturn, city officials in Spokane Valley, WA move forward with a plan to build something the city has always lacked: a true city center.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
