Digital connection is no substitute for the vitality and community created by open, pleasant public squares and plazas.

According to an article by Alan Ehrenhalt in Governing, the importance of public plazas as centers for social life, from ancient Mesopotamia to Portland, Oregon, is “impossible to dispute.” Yet, despite the continued popularity of places like Manhattan’s Washington Square, Jackson Square in New Orleans, or Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, “We sometimes forget the importance of central squares in even the largest American cities.”
Ehrenhalt mentions several ambitious projects planned in small towns that hope to reinvigorate their stagnant public squares, such as a $100 million town square in Xenia, Ohio, whose original square was destroyed by a tornado. Ehrenhalt admits that projects like this may not go as planned, “But the mere fact that [they are] being discussed should count as an achievement,” Ehrenhalt writes.
In an age of constant virtual connection, Ehrenhalt asks, do we still need these physical spaces? “A number of urban planners have argued that we do need them, and that we can create them out of what might seem the least promising material.” According to David Gensler, “open space and town squares humanize and invigorate cities and are essential to the health and welfare of the people who live and work in them.” The lasting appeal of Jackson Square, Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square, and others signal that this continues to ring true.
FULL STORY: The Town Squares We Used to Have — and Could Have Again

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.

Proposed Bill Would Direct Funds to Road Safety
The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act was spurred by the death of a U.S. diplomat who was killed on her bicycle.
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