Public Space
Party in the Graveyard
The Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado is trying to lighten up what is typically a somber setting by scheduling concerts and other cultural events at the graveyard.
Countering Car-Orientation
Cities around the world are trying to undo decades of car-oriented planning. Lester Brown takes a look at the trend and finds some models for other global cities to follow.
Sesame Street = Bad Urbanism?
People always think that because he advocates for better public spaces and density that Bill Lindeke wants something like the closely-knit community of Sesame Street. Step back, says Lindeke.
The Infrastructural Benefit of South Africa's World Cup
Next month's World Cup in South Africa will bring a lot of attention to the country, and a lot of opportunity. Though many hope the country will see an economic benefit, the biggest impact is likely to be the creation of urban infrastructure.
Public Space Creation in Three Midwestern Cities
This piece from The Architect's Newspaper takes a look at three midwestern cities that have recently benefited from outside investments in their urban centers.
The Agora from Athens to Atlanta: Public Space as Marketplace, Park and Center of Urban Life
The popularity of the agora, or central marketplace, has waxed and waned throughout the centuries. Park designer Richard Light looks back at the history and meaning of the agora from Ancient Greece to today.
Abandoned Train Infrastructure Becomes Amusement Park
The abandoned infrastructure for an inner-city rail project in Lima, Peru, has been adapted into a playful amusement park.
San Francisco Looks At Converting Parking to Public Space
Inspired by the home-grown Park(ing) Day parking spot conversion event, the city of San Francisco is launching a pilot project to convert street parking in its North Beach neighborhood to outdoor dining areas and public spaces.
Waterfront Park Opens in Tampa
A new 8-acre park has opened on the waterfront of downtown Tampa, Florida, the first of three downtown projects opening downtown this year.
Iraq Beyond Baghdad
Basra and Mosul are Iraq's second- and third-largest cities. In this post, Iraqi journalists talk about the two cities, their evolving public realms and the security issues they face.
Public Space, Art, and Advertising
An artist collective in New York City is on a mission to blot out advertising in public space, covering it over with their art projects.
Creating Urban Connections Between Dubai's Icons
The Burj Khalifa has opened in Dubai. Now, locals say, the development of the city's public life must begin.
The Value Of Public Spaces - Spontaneous Celebration!
In this video, a seemingly spontaneous celebration of Hanukkah erupts in a normally sedate Jerusalem public space as masses of people demonstrate their dancing skills to the initial bewilderment, then delight of onlookers.
Yellow Ribbons Banned On Town Green
The display of yellow ribbons in remembrance of friends and family serving far away goes back hundreds of years. Dr. Gavin Finley has an interesting website on the history. The American Folklore Center at The Library of Congress has more intriguing history and also cites the 1949 John Wayne and Joanne Dru film, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.
Mixier Use
A recent event organized by Good Magazine, Sheridan/Hawkes Collaborative and The Public Studio brought together about 30 civic-minded designers, planners and architects to come up with some ways to improve the urban environment of Los Angeles. It was a big question to tackle in one afternoon, with a huge array of possible solutions. The crowd was split up into five separate groups and surprisingly, each came up with a similar answer: taco trucks. OK, not taco trucks specifically, but the essence of taco trucks and what they bring to the city.
Bilbao Beyond the Guggenheim
Bilbao is known for the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum. But there's a living city behind that iconic architecture, and local officials are trying to prove it with a new public park.
Austin Considers Density Bonus
City officials in Austin are considering a new incentive for builders willing to include public spaces in new projects.
Landscape Architecture and the Creation of Public Space
Landscape architecture is in the spotlight, as planners and officials place increasing amounts of energy and emphasis on the creation of shared public spaces.
The Gardens of Baghdad
This piece from The New York Times looks at the role of private gardens and public-facing landscaping in the city of Baghdad.
A Backyard Battle: Trials of a Garden-Variety NIMBY
Nandita Godbole advocates for parks and greenspaces around Atlanta. But when faced with a struggle over keeping her own quarter-acre backyard open and free, she found she was powerless.
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 Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
