Green Space

Seattle skyline panorama seen from Kerry Park at sunset in golden evening light with Mount Rainier in the background, Washington State, United States of America

Washington Cities Balance Housing Development and Tree Canopy

Cities like Seattle and Bellingham are working to increase housing density while also preserving urban trees and green spaces.

May 3, 2023 - The Urbanist

View of joggers on Brooklyn Bridge Park trail in foreground with Brooklyn-Queens Expressway traffic in background and brick buildings behind the highway

Expressway Expansion Could Threaten Brooklyn Bridge Park

Supporters of the waterfront park worry NYCDOT’s plan to potentially widen the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway could reduce green space in “one of the most expensive urban parks ever built.”

April 6, 2023 - StreetsBlog NYC

Dirt walking trail with blue ocean on one side and green hillside on the other in Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Los Angeles County Parks Department Releases Five-Year Strategic Plan

The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation recently completed a strategic plan which details goals, strategies, and actions that reflect the agency's commitment to advancing equity.

March 16, 2023 - Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation

San Francisco, California

Backlash to San Francisco Development Spotlights City’s Conflicting Priorities

Residents of the Bayview neighborhood say they support new housing, but object to a proposed building that would replace one of the area’s only green spaces.

March 15, 2023 - San Francisco Examiner

Concrete walking and biking trail winding through trees and bushes

Data-Driven Effort to Re-envision Conservation and Prioritize Vulnerable Communities

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+), which focuses on environmental conservation and restoration, regional recreation, and rural recreation.

December 28, 2022 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

A school blacktop is viewed from bird’s eye view. The blacktop is adorned with painting and colors for games. but no children are present.

Identifying and Improving Schools Most In Need of Greening

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has developed an index to help identify the schools that are most in need of greening resources.

December 19, 2022 - Los Angeles Unified School District

Urban separated bike lane with street trees on one side and cars parked on the other

How Urban Trees Save Lives

New research shows a strong connection between a healthy urban tree canopy and lowered mortality rates.

December 1, 2022 - Congress For New Urbanism

Quarry House nestled among trees in Park City, Utah

Winners of the 2022 American Society of Landscape Architects

The Society’s annual awards highlight projects focused on reconnecting communities to the landscape and creating healthy community spaces.

October 4, 2022 - American Society Of Landscape Architects

Schoolyard with leafy green trees surrounded by benches

Investing in Green Schoolyards

California's budget now includes an unprecedented investment of $150 million to create green schoolyards and schoolyard forests at K-12 schools across the state.

September 20, 2022 - Green Schoolyards America blog

High Line park NYC - Manhattan - New York City

Unsurprisingly, People Enjoy Walking More in Safe, Green Spaces

New research shows that people are likely to walk more in places that are both walkable and green.

June 15, 2022 - NCSU News

Empty Parking Lot

Depave Paradise: Reclaiming Parking Lots for Park Space

The promoters of a new park hope to provide a model for how replacing surface parking lots with green space can mitigate urban heat and boost urban biodiversity.

June 7, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

Green roof in Rotterdam, The Netherlands

How Rotterdam’s Green Rooftops Fight Urban Heat

An elevated park in Rotterdam shows how green roofs can cool cities and create public parks in tight quarters.

June 5, 2022 - Surface Magazine

Hopscotch squares on concrete schoolyard with basketball hoop in background

The Social and Economic Benefits of Green Schoolyards

New research suggests that switching from asphalt to green, park-like schoolyards brings economic benefits in addition to public health improvements.

May 26, 2022 - Trust for Public Land

Manhattan, New York City, New York

NYC 25x25 Plan Would Reclaim ‘13 Central Parks’ From Cars

A plan backed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams would repurpose 25 percent of the city’s street space for multimodal transportation and pedestrian plazas.

May 17, 2022 - Electrek

Rittenhouse Square, a park in Philadelphia, framed by large buildings.

Parks as a Weapon Against Climate Change

The 2022 ParkScore finds that cities are increasingly employing green space as a tool for mitigating heat and extreme weather effects, but the distribution of parks remains inequitable.

May 16, 2022 - Trust for Public Land

Low-saturation image of a concrete schoolyard with basketball hoop

'Greening' L.A.'s Schoolyards

Advocates for increasing green space on school campuses say giving students a more healthy outdoor environment can also reduce the urban heat island effect and improve public health in historically underserved communities.

March 29, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

View of lake at Earvin "Magic" Johnson Park

Magic Johnson Park to Reopen in February

A much-needed park in South Los Angeles will reopen to the public after undergoing major renovations.

February 1, 2022 - MIG

Rendering of the proposed Farm Hub at The Great Park, Ontario

Massive New Park Coming to the Inland Empire

A 3.5-mile long greenway will bring trails, recreational facilities, and open space to Ontario, in San Bernardino County, California.

January 11, 2022 - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

An aerial view of the Toronto Hunt Club and golf course, located along Lake Ontario amid residential homes in Toronto.

Toronto Searching for a Future for its Public Golf Courses

Amid calls to convert the city's golf courses to other uses, Toronto, Ontario city staff are trying to figure out a middle ground between competing interests.

January 9, 2022 - Toronto Star

Children Playing

How Urban Design Affects Children's Cognitive Development

A European study suggests that good urban design can affect cognitive and motor function development in young children.

November 30, 2021 - Barcelona Institute for Global Health

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.