Public Art
Times Square "Meeting Bowls" Bring People Together
New street furniture being tested in the Broadway pedestrian zone attempts to create a semi-sheltered, intimate space in the middle of the glitz of 42nd St.
Why Public Art?
Public art plays a role in cities across the world. But what role exactly, and for what purpose? Glass House Conversations explores these questions in this series.
Urban Art Brightens Dull Sections of Toronto
A variety of unsanctioned urban art projects are scattered throughout Toronto, bringing life and energy to otherwise underused spaces.
Giant Marilyn Monroe Statue 'Not an Upgrade'
A new 26-foot statue of Marilyn Monroe -- recreating a famous film scene in which wind blows up the star's skirt -- has been unveiled in Chicago. Tourists seem to like it, but others argue it's too kitschy.
Los Angeles' Legacy of Murals is Disappearing
The legacy of Los Angeles murals has all but left the city, buried under sign ordinances, billboard policy and tagging. Tanner Blackman in the Dept. of City Planning Code Studies Section is working to free up the knot of regulation.
You Call That Public Art?
South Korea's law mandates developers to commission public art as 1% of the total cost of a proposed project. What the law does not specify is the level of taste that comes with it.
Artist Decorates Abandoned Bike, Gets Fined
Toronto artist Caroline Macfarlane found a rusted bicycle that had been locked to a bike rack for a very long time. She decided to make it into art, painting the whole bike neon pink and adding a basket of flowers. The city responded by fining her.
Street Artist JR Turns Stoops Into Portraits
Faces are appearing in Brooklyn, plastered along the slats of front stoops as part of a participatory public art project by famous French street artist JR.
Do You Approve or Disapprove of Public Art?
An independent group is seeking to "ignite essential discussions about art in Los Angeles" by getting locals to put APPROVE or DISAPPROVE stickers on public art around the city.
Art Commission Sends Artists Back to the Drawing Board
The capper to the San Pablo Avenue Streetscape Project is to be a public art project that would line the boulevard. But the art commission in charge has rejected the artists' plans as "poorly done" and wants them to come back with a new concept.
Why Public Art?
Does public art make a difference, and how? ASLA's The Dirt blog looks at all the ways public art is effective, from job creation and real estate value to cultural cache and tourism.
Infamous Cabrini-Green Projects To Be Demolished
As the Chicago Housing Authority begins demolishing the now-vacant urban renewal project, artist Jan Tichy is preparing an art installation to on commemorate the site reflecting on the themes of home, housing, and community.
Walmarts in Miniature
Artist Tracy Snelling makes obsessively detailed miniature reconstructions of mundane landscapes like liquor stores, strip clubs, McDonalds and Walmarts.
The Art of Overhead Wires
Photographer Andreas Gefeller has taken a series of photographs of clumps of overhead wires in Japan. The photos highlighting the chaos of the clusters by isolating them in space.
Cities: Art and the Creative Class Aren't Going to Save You
Thomas Sevcik says that hoping for an economic benefit by attracting the creative class and artists is a wrongheaded strategy.
Participation Through Stickers: What Do You Wish This Was?
A simple sticker that says "I WISH THIS WAS" gives New Orleans residents a way to comment directly on their communities.
Giant Legs Sculpture Kicks Off Land Use Debate
The WSJ reports on tensions over a 16-foot-tall sculpture prominently displayed in a private yard in the artsy village of Sag Harbor, and the larger debate of whether art should be exempt from traditional land use rules and regulations.
Bringing a Favela to Life With Vibrant Colors
Two artists have teamed with a favela in Rio de Janeiro to use bright colors to re-frame the slum as a more vibrant area.
Public Art and the Do-It-Yourself City
Jonna McKone profiles various public art projects across the U.S. and Canada, showing that participation in such projects indicates that some residents are taking an increasingly vested interest in the cities they live in.
What Good is Public Art?
San Diego's mayor has announced he's recommending the city pull the plug on art funding for the time being, triggering a debate over the role of public art in society.
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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