The newly built Water Works Park and Pavilion incorporates elements of historic mills and provides amenities long absent from the city's waterfront.

Architecture critic Linda Mack describes Minneapolis' newest park, a "triumph" of redevelopment on the Mississippi River waterfront that finally gives residents a way to enjoy the view while having access to amenities like seating and public restrooms.
Built within the walls of two former mills, Water Works Park and Pavilion features walkways, benches, a playground, and the city's first Native American restaurant, a fitting tenant for a site that was sacred to the Dakota before white settlers came to the area. The development blends old and new elements to preserve sections of the historic buildings and utilize the remnants of the old mills to highlight the site's history as the engine of the city's economic growth. Mack writes,
Damon Farber Landscape Architects led the design team with HGA designing the pavilion, MacDonald and Mack as historic consultants, and the 106 Group as archaeologists. The Healing Place Collaborative brought in Dakota artists and language experts to design covers for the fire pits and interpret the rainwater collection and use of Native plants.
The property was purchased by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board in 1987, but sat in disrepair until a plan to build the park and pavilion finally took shape in 2011.
FULL STORY: Minneapolis’ newest park is like a front porch on the Mississippi River

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.

Minneapolis Bans Rent-Setting Software
Four cities have enacted restrictions on algorithmic software that can inflate rent costs.

Oakland to Add 244 New EV Chargers
Oakland plans to launch its new charging network at eight locations by the end of 2025.

Jane Goodall Inspires with Message of Hope, Resilience, and Environmental Action
Speaking in Pasadena, Jane Goodall offered a hopeful and inspirational message, urging global compassion, environmental responsibility, and the power of individual action to shape a better future.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland