Pocket Parks
Creative Ways to Activate Roofless Buildings and Vacant Lots
Pocket parks aren’t the only way to repurpose underused urban spaces.
Envisioning a New Park in East Los Angeles
Los Angeles County is working towards transforming underutilized land into a vibrant pocket park in the City Terrace neighborhood of East LA.
Tiny Parks Make Big Impact in Hong Kong
New pocket parks provide valuable opportunities for residents to play and gather in the territory's dense neighborhoods.
Houston Residents Want to Build Pocket Parks on City-Owned Lots
In a park-poor neighborhood, vacant lots provide an untapped opportunity for small-scale parks.
Philadelphia Park Designed for, not Against, People Experiencing Homelessness
In an effort to make public spaces more inclusive, a new pocket park in the Callowhill neighborhood will seek input from people experiencing homelessness on how to make the space more welcoming and functional.
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.
On the Value of Small Spaces in Remaking the Public Realm
San Francisco Chronicle Architecture Critic John King reviews, and celebrates, the recent string of small projects that reclaim public space in the city, calling them "modest works of true ambition."
Pilot Parklet Program Finds Fans in L.A., May Expand
Before its launch, a skeptic in car-crazy L.A. might have wondered whether a pilot program to transform parking spaces into pocket parks would have much success. But, to the delight of backers, the parklets have been a hit and may expand citywide.
L.A. Opens its First Pilot Parklet
With the opening last weekend of the city's first pilot parklet in the neighborhood of Eagle Rock, Los Angeles is hoping to join the ranks of cities hopping on the low-cost trend in public space creation.
The Best of the Vest: The World's Greatest Pocket Parks
Paris, Barcelona, New York City...Cleveland? Like the oft-hidden urban oasis that are the subject of this article, you may come across some surprises in Crai S. Bower's list of the best cities for pocket parks.
Potholes as Parks?
Writing in Grist, Chuck Wolfe provides a counterintuitive look at what to do about potholes and how they could become "the universal darlings of walkable urbanism".
$600,00 Pocket Park Completed, Then Bulldozed to Build School
Jessica Garrison reports on how the City of Los Angeles spent $600k designing and building a park that no one ever got to use when it was claimed as a site for a public school.
From Foreclosed Home to Pocket Park
The city of Pacoima, CA is going ahead with a new program that transforms foreclosed homes into pocket parks. Vacant lots are being considered in addition to 10 foreclosed sites.
Pocket Parks Coming to Los Angeles
Last week, Mayor Villaraigosa presented his vision for a more livable L.A., including the addition of fifty pocket parks.
Make No Big Plans
Looking at "urban acupuncture", a recent movement that eschews massive urban renewal projects in favor of smaller interventions.
The Impact of a Curved Park Bench
Sally Augustin stumbled upon a curved park bench at the heart of a public space, and found herself drawn into the brilliance of its curves.
Pocket Parks: Packed With Peanuts?
The Planters company has revealed plans to assist cities in designing and building urban pocket parks in underused land. In return, the parks will include branding from the company, including a Mr. Peanut statue sitting on a peanut bench.
The Year of the Small
Critic Inga Saffron says that the interesting architecture and urban design is happening on the small scale: small parks, small houses and small plans.
Halloween Costumes for Urban Planners - 3rd Edition
It's Halloween time again, the day when dressing up in silly costumes is required of every conscionable person. Some opt for the scary ghost or the sexy nurse, but others, more thoughtful others, make more of this opportunity.
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 Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
