Kristopher Fortin

Los Angeles Designer Julie Kim thinks the city is missing out on an opportunity at public transit hubs to create an environment that promotes interaction. So, Kim spruces up a bus stop with a coffee table and flowers and video records the results.

Cities plan to cut off individual parking garages is a gamble, says Josie Garthwaite in National Geographic -- yet making it impossible to park is one of the few yet most effective tools that reduces driving.

Graffiti has cropped up this year in metropolitan areas like Los Angles to smaller communities like Florence, Alabama. The rise in graffiti has prompted a debate that it may reflect that anxiety and alienation are growing from the recession.

"Carmageddon" was a bust, yet for mass transit advocates it was an opportunity to build momentum toward a trend of more car-less days, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Preservation will have to include a more diverse and multi-ethnic population in order to stay relevant, writes Kenneth Caldwell for The Architect's Newspaper.