Public Realm
Improving Beach Access and Environmental Protection in Galveston
The city of Galveston has more to do to live up to its own standards in accessing and protecting the gulf coast.
Los Angeles Could Broaden Homeless Sleeping Prohibition to a Quarter of the City
There won't be many places left to sleep for the massive population of homeless living in the city of Los Angeles.
Gender Bias in Urban Systems
A list of all the ways cities and infrastructure are designed for men, and at the expense of women.
New High-Rises in Boston Pick Up Where Development Left Off 40 Years Ago
A new development promises to transform a gritty part of the Back Bay, according to this article from the Boston Globe.
Walking Directions, Assisted by Augmented Reality
Augmented reality could boost safety for pedestrians, or it could add another layer of distraction between people and the real world.
New BART Fare Gates Raise Questions About Hostile Design
How far is BART willing to go to stop people from jumping fare gates? Social media users have called new fare gates "skull crushers" and "inverted guillotines."
New York City Settles in 'Historic' ADA Lawsuit
A lawsuit has forced New York City to invest significant funds and people power to making the public realm more accessible to people with disabilities.
An International Design Competition Reveals New Plans for Detroit's Cultural Center
Dubbed "Detroit Square," the newly revealed designs for ten blocks around 12 cultural and educational institutions will redesign the public realm for the human scale.
Watch: How to Remove Thousands of Parking Spaces
What the city of Amsterdam will gain by removing cars from on-street parking space.
Unequal Distribution of Shade Is Environmental Injustice
A longread, written by Sam Boch and published by Places Journal, has been creating a stir online and is highly recommended for those with an interest in intersections between social justice and urban design.
We Need More Words for Play
Could cities harness the power of play to build more healthy, resilient, and equitable communities, if only we had the words for it?
A 'Curious' New Report on Pedestrian Behavior in Public Spaces
The Seattle Department of Transportation recently released its first-ever public life study.
Op-Ed: Change the Bike Planning Calculus to Include Women's Safety
The gender gap in walking and biking is deep and wide in Seattle. Here's a call to action.
Court: It's Cruel and Unusual Punishment to Ban Homeless From Sleeping on Streets
A 2009 law that banned sleeping in public spaces has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court.
Transit Shelter Modernization Plan on the Shelf in Seattle
Transit advocates thought a public-private partnership to modernize transit shelters and enhance the public realm was a done deal.
San Francisco Taking a Proactive Approach to Poop
The problem of feces in the public realm is rampant in San Francisco, so the city is launching a new "Poop Patrol."
A Call to 'Reconnect With Our Streets'
Allison Arieff writes a passionate plea for Americans to ditch the car and reconnect with pedestrian experiences. There's even a car company helping pave the way for a new approach to streets.
Sidewalks and Footpaths 'Functionally Obsolete' in the Near Transportation Future
With so much attention devoted to how technology will change roadways and vehicles, less speculation has attended to the ways technology will change walking.
The Civic in the Suburbs
How to put the "park" back in the business park.
Mapping the Law of the Land: Curbside Access
More uses and modes than ever are fighting for curb space in growing cities. Here's an app to make sense of what you can do, and when, along this valued real estate.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
