When is a brownfield not a brownfield? When it's transformed by art works, as in two U.S. cities.
"One art installation is opening next year and will be permanent; the other was temporary while officials worked out final plans for a park on the site. Both examples show that wonderful things can happen when a formerly contaminated industrial site is cleaned up and rededicated to public use.
Sculpture in Seattle
With the city's real estate market red hot at the height of the dot-com boom, there was no lack of potential buyers. (One developer had completed preliminary designs for a hotel, 800 housing units, and 250,000 square feet of office space.) But others believed that the land's best use was as a much-needed park linking downtown to the waterfront. At the same time, the Seattle Art Museum was looking for an outdoor space downtown in which to display sculpture.
LA's Not A Cornfield
When is a cornfield not a cornfield? In one of the most unusual art projects ever to come out of Los Angeles-and certainly one of the biggest-a team directed by Los Angeles artist Lauren Bon planted one million corn seeds in a 32-acre site in the heart of downtown in the spring of 2005. The project was funded by the Annenberg Foundation, of which Bon is a trustee."
FULL STORY: Brownfields to Art Parks
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.
San Antonio Remains Affordable as City Grows
The city’s active efforts to keep housing costs down through housing reforms and coordinated efforts among city agencies and developers have kept it one of the most affordable in the nation despite its rapid population growth.
What Forest Service Cuts Mean for Cities
U.S. Forest Service employees work on projects that have impacts far beyond remote, rural wilderness areas.
North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.
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.
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