Public Space

The Head of New York's Streets Revolution

Grist's Sarah Goodyear talks with New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan about her work in the city -- and what other cities can learn from it.

December 23, 2010 - Grist

The Anti-Robert Moses

Esquire profiles New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, highlighting her impact on the city's public spaces.

November 26, 2010 - Esquire

Questioning A 'High Line' for Jersey City

A proposal for a "High Line"-like park in Jersey City has some locals deeply concerned about the project's large price tag.

November 12, 2010 - The New York Times

Private Development Bringing Quality Public Space

The relocation of a museum in San Francisco offers a model for how private developments can create quality public space, writes John King.

October 20, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

'Inchvesting' in the Future of Detroit

A group in Detroit has begun an effort to sell of one-inch parcels of land in the city for $1.

October 13, 2010 - Boing Boing

Pilot Projects Are Nice, But Not As Nice As Permanence

Despite the quality of temporary public spaces being created in San Francisco, their use of funding sources and lack of permanence could hurt efforts to build permanent public spaces, according to this piece from the San Francisco Chronicle.

September 28, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

A New Waterfront in the Works for Seattle

Seattle is panning to tear down an aging viaduct that runs along its waterfront and replace it with a tunnel beneath downtown. When the viaduct falls, the city is looking to increase public space on a new waterfront.

September 28, 2010 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Indianapolis Plans Street Redesign Ahead of Super Bowl Hosting

The city of Indianapolis is using its hosting duties for the 2012 Super Bowl to rework one of its main streets into a new public space.

September 21, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

Creating Livable Cities

This episode of The Diane Rehm Show explores efforts underway to make the world's cities more livable.

September 17, 2010 - The Diane Rehm Show

Brownfields Into Beaches

Alex Bozikovic hits the beach with his son at a new public space in Toronto: Sugar Beach, an urban park built on a former industrial site.

September 8, 2010 - No Mean City

Recreating European-Style Cafe Life in America

In Portland, patterns of urban use are emerging that are similar to the European-style neighborhood bar as a community gathering place.

August 30, 2010 - EnzymePDX.com

Miami Approves 50-story Electronic Signs

The Miami City Commission has controversially approved a pair of 50-story electronic signs to be built atop a parking garage next to the City's Arsht Performing Arts Center.

July 30, 2010 - Miami Herald

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.

June 9, 2010 - The Denver Post

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.

June 3, 2010 - Grist

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.

May 26, 2010 - twin city sidewalks

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.

May 10, 2010 - Nate Berg

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.

April 20, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

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.

April 15, 2010 - Richard Light

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.

February 18, 2010 - Treehugger

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.

February 16, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.