Public Spaces
Controversial Public Art Piece Given the Boot
Vancouverites send a sculpture packing, stirring up a debate over the role of public art.
Municipal WiFi: Boon or Boondoggle?
Santa Monica, CA is succeeding where other larger cities have failed, creating a public WiFi system that actually makes money.
Cloning Speaker's Corner
A charity in Britain wants to replicate the success of London's heavily used Speaker's Corner in other parts of the country to encourage public interaction and discussion. Some say it's an idea that could never be.
Lawrence Halprin Opines on Redesign of His Charlottesville Mall
Many of famed landscape architect Lawrence Halprin's optimistic 1970s public spaces are being updated and reconsidered. Historic preservationists fight back, but supporters say, "It's a living, breathing space, not a museum."
One Man's Legacy in L.A.
William Fulton reflects on the lasting impact of L.A. developer Robert Maguire III on the city.
Keeping Public Space Public In Knoxville
Downtown Knoxville has seen many improvements in recent years. This column calls on the city to be careful how it lets private interests use downtown's new public spaces.
New 'Living Room' for Kansas City
Columnist E. Thomas McClanahan reviews a new public space in Kansas City, and finds a lot to like in the urban design.
Eminent Domain Through A Lense
A provocative new exhibition at the New York Public Library challenges new bans on taking pictures in public space, and proposes the idea that photography is in some ways an exercise of eminent domain.
Oklahoma City Highway to Be Replaced with Park
At one time, Oklahoma City is doing two things many cities have only hoped to: the city's getting rid of one of its aging inner-city highways and replacing it with a park.
New Train Tunnel Ads Irk Riders, Draw Revenue
Flashing lights on the walls on train tunnels that display a 15-second video to passengers have been introduced in L.A., bringing new revenue to the area's transit agency, but bothering some riders. Some say the ads intrude on public space.
Make Public Art Public
Pubilc art should be guided by public input, according to this commentary.
Street Signs And Traffic Islands As Art?
A Los Angeles activist and artist has taken to placing street signs mimicking the city's no parking signs on traffic islands, declaring them parks.
From Dump to Park in Cairo
Cairo's first new green space in more than 100 years has opened -- on top of a 500-year old garbage dump.
Transforming A Bus Stop Into A Community Space
To build a sense of community and improve long neglected but heavily used bus stops, a community group in South Los Angeles has begun creating colorful outdoor living rooms to give residents a place to sit and chat.
'Guerrilla Gardeners' Taking Over Neglected Public Places
Vacant lots and underutilized dirt patches are the the romping grounds of a new breed of activists. Known as "guerrilla gardeners", groups of people all over the world are reclaiming their cities' public spaces and landscapes by planting seeds.
Planning Juno
Many viewers may not fully appreciate movies as a visual story-telling medium, but that fact came home to me dramatically the other night while watching “Juno,” the off beat, smart and funny film that just snagged a best screenplay Oscar. The deliberate use of architecture and public spaces, in particular, was quite effective although you probably won’t find these references in plot summaries or synopses.
Best Ideas of the Week
From public transit to public parks to public space, this past week brought a lot of interesting and innovative ideas in the world of urban planning.
The New Graffiti
Using laser technology, two artists have created a new type of "temporary graffiti" -- light shows that use public places as canvasses for their laser art.
Market Woes Stifle 'Great Park' Progress
Three years after Irvine, California's "Great Park" was approved, development of the planned public spaces, homes and businesses has struggled to move forward. The housing crisis is being blamed for the lack of action.
Toronto Mulls Corporate Sponsorship for Parks
Short on funding, Toronto's waterfront parks agency is considering a plan to sell the naming rights to the park's amenities, allowing corporate sponsors to add their name to such public features as walkways and play areas.
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
