New Jersey's Newark Museum is world class, but middle-class fear and suburban sprawl have left it underused.
"Why was so fabulous a collection unable to draw a crowd on a Saturday afternoon? Alas, the Newark Museum is an aging inner-city temple to art that appears to have outlived its clientele. In fact, the museum behaves as though it's slightly embarrassed to display its wares, which also include major collections of African and Tibetan art: It doesn't even sell a handbook of its holdings at the museum store."
"The [Newark's] decline now appears to have halted, but you don't need a census taker to tell you that something is still terribly wrong: All you have to do is take the five-minute walk from the downtown train station to the handsome New Jersey Performing Arts Center, noticing along the way that none of the newer, post-riot buildings has street-level windows. The architecture of Newark is a fever chart of middle-class fear."
[Editor's note: This story is accessible online without subscription for a period of seven days after publication.]
FULL STORY: Visit to an Empty Museum

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.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Diego Swaps Parking Lane for Kid-Friendly Mini Park
The block-long greenway will feature interactive play equipment and landscaping.

Tracking the Invisible: Methane Leaks From LA’s Neighborhood Oil Sites
Environmental advocates are using infrared technology to monitor and document methane leaks from neighborhood oil sites, filling regulatory gaps and pushing for stronger protections to safeguard community health and the climate.

Montana Bill Promotes Parking Reform
A bill before the Montana state senate would bar cities from requiring more than one parking spot per new housing unit.
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.
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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