Parks

Apologies for being a little late on this one, but apparently last Saturday was the fourth annual 'Take Our Children to the Park...and Leave Them There Day.' Sounds crazy right? Lenore Skenazy argues why it may be the smartest thing you do all week.

May 21, 2013 - Slate

For a city known for concrete and freeways, Houston has made great strides investing in parks and green spaces. With several new parks completed and in the works, and older ones being renovated, the transformation is garnering national attention.

May 6, 2013 - Houston Chronicle

Some argue that if something is not directly contributing to our public coffers, why protect it? Perhaps it’s worth broadening our understanding of the services – and tax implications – provided by parks.

April 11, 2013 - Steven Snell

Scientists have long theorized that natural settings can help us manage the stress induced by urban living. New research made possible by advances in EEG technology has confirmed the restorative effects of parks.

March 28, 2013 - The New York Times

A new study analyzing the amenities in 165 parks in the four-county Kansas City metro region found that low-income neighborhoods suffer from a lack of play spaces, despite having more parks per capita, reports Emily Badger.

March 25, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Parks have long been likened to "the lungs of the city." But to better capture the totality of parks' role in our urban milieu a more apt metaphor is necessary.

February 19, 2013 - Steven Snell

Philadelphia spends $64 on parks and recreation facilities per resident, one of the lowest totals in the nation. Ryan Briggs uses the city as a lens to examine the growing impact of budget cuts to park systems on their surrounding communities.

January 22, 2013 - Next City

Broadening our definition of parks to recognize their role in preventative health care and promotion will only expand our awareness on how important they are to good neighbourhood design.

January 11, 2013 - Steven Snell

Alex Vuocolo reports on the new model of multi-stakeholder collaboration that is bringing acclaimed public spaces, and economic growth, to the city of Philadelphia.

September 28, 2012 - Next American City

The rapid development of Miami's Brickell neighborhood has left many residents without proper access to open space, a circumstance some are trying to remedy, despite astronomical land costs.

August 30, 2012 - NPR

Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa launched the city's "50 Parks Initiative," a public-private partnership that plans to add over 170 acres of new park space throughout the city's "park-poor population-dense" neighborhoods.

August 27, 2012 - Streetsblog LA

Brian Phelps reports on the power of urban landscaping to revitalize a flood-devastated city - Valencia, Spain.

July 4, 2012 - Metropolis

CityGardens is an award winning mobile app that can help tourists and residents find hidden parks and gardens in the middle of Paris.

June 14, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Can Jersey City duplicate the success of NYC's High Line? If they can get through the litigation, it could happen in the the form of The Embankment, a relic railroad running above an historic neighborhood. A preservation group leads the effort.

June 10, 2012 - WNYC

Will French takes a look at the success of Birmingham's downtown revitalization, which – in the absence of a waterfront – embraced its historic railroads, instead.

May 16, 2012 - Urban Land

Kaid Benfield laments the capital's "blah"-inspiring National Mall, and discusses three design competitions underway that could give it a second life.

April 20, 2012 - Switchboard

Pittsburgh is smoothing over the residue of its industrial past, turning an abandoned railway into a waterfront park, Paige Miller reports.

April 6, 2012 - Smart Growth America

Plans to transform New York's Tappan Zee Bridge into a park have captured the public's imagination, but some speculate it's just a pipe dream, Peter Applebome reports.

April 6, 2012 - The New York Times

As state authorities prepare to replace the aging bridge, local officials and interest groups propose an "exciting" alternative to demolition.

February 25, 2012 - New York Times

The City of Hamburg, Germany is planning on building elevated public parks on sections of the to-be-expanded A7 (Highway 7), which is considered one of the most important north-south connectors in Germany.

December 9, 2011 - TheCityFix.com