Open Space
Seattle Mulls Selling Surplus Open Space
A 13-acre site considered excess by the city of Seattle could be sold to the highest bidder or become a park
L.A. County's Strategy for Better Park Planning Explained
Los Angeles County's Community Parks and Recreation Plans (CPRPs) are an evolved methodology to process a broad range of data to better site and design community parks. CPRPs are explained by L.A. County park planner Clement Lau
Ohio Supreme Court Comes to the Rescue of Municipal Golf in Cincinnati
The Ohio Supreme Court had to intervene in the complicated issue of municipal golf courses managed by private operators. In the end, Cincinnati's municipal golf courses will keep their property tax exemptions.
Dallas Has Two New Long-Term Plans for Parks
The city of Dallas recently approved a new Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan and the city's first Recreation Master Plan. The comp plan updated the previous Renaissance Plan.
Keeping Indianapolis Beautiful With Pocket Parks
A local non-profit recently announced funding for the development of five public green spaces in the coming year. The projects represent incremental progress toward a larger, shared vision.
Local Parks Provide $140 Billion in Economic Activity
Parks aren't always justified in economic terms, but a new report finds $140 billion reasons why parks are a positive addition to local communities.
With Texas Sprawl: Fewer Places to Roam
An outdoors enthusiast laments the explosive sprawl that is quickly sucking up places to hunt and fish in the state of Texas.
Washington, D.C.'s Downtown Playground Desert
D.C.'s fast-growing downtown neighborhoods have new restaurants, offices and apartments—but few playgrounds. With thousands of children expected to be born in the District in the next five years, where will they all play?
'Heart of the Community' Program Awards Placemaking Grants
Southwest Airlines and the project for Public Spaces continue their partnership on the Heart of the Community program, awarding placemaking grants to six cities around the country.
Not All Parks Are Created Equal
Parks almost always sound like a good idea. But some are vacant while others are transformative. Here's a list of ten recently completed projects that fall solidly in the latter category.
Dallas Mulling Proposals for a Redesigned Fair Park
The future of Dallas is very much under consideration. Case in point: an effort to redesign and plan the 277 acres of Fair Park with the potential to offer improved public access to a critical area east of Downtown.
Colorado Legislation would Limit Eminent Domain Powers
Property rights and open space preservation will clash once again in Colorado, if a new bill preventing counties from seizing private property for the creation of open space moves forward.
San Francisco's Presidio Celebrated for Bridging Nature and Culture
The Presidio is, and will remain, a source of San Francisco's most contentious planning and design proposals. But the reason for the controversy isn't all bad, according to John King: "everyone sees their own potential paradise."
Land Swap could Bring Obama Presidential Library to Chicago's South Side
Chicago is putting the pieces in place to land the Obama Library. One proposal hinges on the availability of parkland on the South Side near the University of Chicago.
$2 Million Gift to Help Preserve 1,000 Acres of Forest in Connecticut
The Trust for Public land scored a major funding victory in an effort to save 1,000 acres of forest known as The Preserve in Connecticut.
Could the Silver Spring Transit Center Get a Park After All?
Developments in a story from earlier in the year—the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is receptive to the ideas of local political leaders for a park near the beleaguered Silver Spring Transit Center.
'RiverFit': A Pop-Up Fitness Park in Memphis
Hoping to combat the city's dismal rankings in obesity, public and private partners launched the RiverFit pop-up fitness park along the Mississippi River in September.
54-Acre Park Planned for Bozeman, Montana
The Trust for Public Land is working with the city of Bozeman on a master planning process for a large park on the north side of town, with connections to the city's history as a railroad town and an agricultural center.
Olmsted Alive! 'Emerald Necklace' Plan Proposed for Los Angeles
Inspired by a park system proposal by Frederick Law Olmsted from 1930 to build a network of parks and open space throughout the city, a coalition of advocates is reviving the idea of connecting people and parks throughout Los Angeles.
Revisiting the Common Sense Elements of City Life
Chuck Wolfe revisits five instances of how we can learn from the urbanism we already have.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
