Public Parks
New Park to Bloom Under Bay Bridge
Where the Bay Bridge touches down in San Francisco, a new plan is in the works to turn a motley collection of underused spaces into a vibrant park.
Can A New L.A. Park Please Everyone?
Christopher Hawthorne says that new Civic Park in downtown Los Angeles, which breaks ground this morning, "shows the strain" of trying to reconcile differing visions, but it also has "a coherent aesthetic identity."
Underpass Finds New Life As Park
The land underneath a Toronto highway overpass will be converted into a neighborhood park. Officials hope it will spark the revival of one of the city's underused waterfront neighborhoods.
Pittsburgh's US Steel Roof Reimagined as a Public Space
Other cities have opened up tall buildings to the public; Pittsburgh envisions doing the same with US Steel, which has a 1-acre flat roof.
Filling In The Holes From The Big Dig
Boston's Big Dig was supposed to result in a series of glorious, connected public spaces. Two years after the project's completion, the state is finally making the connections a reality.
Getting Creative About Finding Places for Parks
New York City is developing a handful of new parks on industrial lands and otherwise underused spaces. Urban Omnibus talks with Adrian Benepe, the city's commissioner of parks and recreation about the new projects.
Berlin Airport to Be Reborn as Public Park
A historic airfield in Berlin will be transformed over the next year into the city's largest park.
Top Cities for Active People
Outside Magazine ranks the top 10 U.S. cities for people who like to exercise and be outdoors.
Emphasizing the Urban Angle of National Parks
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has said he wants to bring park programs back into the lives of urban dwellers. This piece argues that a good place for him to start is one of the few urban national parks at St. Louis' Gateway Arch.
A Walk On The High Line
Managing Editor Tim Halbur reviews The High Line, the much-lauded new linear park in Manhattan.
Rediscovering the River
Chicago's river has often played second fiddle to its lakefront. A new riverwalk hopes to change that.
Finding Public Space Wherever They Can in Cairo
Dense Cairo has few sanctioned public spaces. So residents make do wherever they can.
The Story of the High Line
The Sundance Channel has produced a series of short films profiling the landscape architects, officials, activists, writers, and Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon about how the High Line park came to be.
Orange County's Great Park Crawls Forward
This post from Governing looks at the long planning process of the Orange County Great Park, a 1,347 acre public park that's been in the works for 7 years. Comprehensive design plans were recently approved and construction is set to begin.
Parks Are Good For Your Health
Researchers in Scotland have concluded that areas without parks and green space have an increased risk of death and illness.
Camping in Public Parks Allowed in British Columbia
A supreme court judge in British Columbia has ruled that homeless people can legally camp on public property such as parks.
Woman Dedicates Life to Fixing Local Park
Viviana Franco became a planner so she could reform a park 100 ft. from her childhood home in Hawthorne, CA. But her quest has become mired in local politics as the site was sold in a local auction.
The Park-Poor City
This article from LA Weekly looks at L.A.'s parks deficit and what some are trying to do to address it.
The Interactive Playground
Architect David Rockwell has some new ideas about what makes a good public playground. With movable, buildable foam blocks, his experimental playground in Brooklyn gets kids actively and creatively involved in their play.
Do Cities Have Room For Golf Courses?
Stakeholders in Austin debate the future of a public golf course in the center of town while the University of Texas, owner of the land, debates whether to seek greater profits off the land. Neighbors champion the course as vital open space.
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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Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
