Public Space
Art Invades New Delhi, Comments On Changing City
Public art installations around New Delhi highlights the challenges of preserving India's heritage amidst development. 'We ask people to think about constructing a modern city and the accompanying extinction and loss,' says artist Ravi Agrawal.
New York City's Ever-Evolving Union Square
Controversy surrounds a $20 million redesign of New York City's Union Square Park.
The Social In Security
The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai are inspiring calls for heightened security and a less open society. Himanshu Burte argues that this is the wrong approach, and that throwing up boundaries would be a mistake.
Friday Funny: Spit City
Officials in Sarasota, Florida have thrown out a 100-year old rule against spitting in public, despite some concerns about public health.
Farmer's Markets Bucking the Trend
Architect Richard Reep argues that farmer's markets in Orlando are creating public space in areas that have all but rejected the idea of common ground.
Patches of Grass Attract Unexpected Users
In Abu Dhabi, medians and 'leftover spaces' are attracting unanticipated users playing soccer, exercising or just hanging out. Planners are grappling with why people use these spaces and the public parks they've designed are less successful.
Mumbai After Terrorist Attacks
As Mumbai recovers from the recent terrorist attacks, social worker Katia Savchuk reflects on how cities can be resilient to terrorism.
'Natural' Vs. Corporate Cultural Districts
Cooltown Studios looks at what makes a shiny new corporate district different from an organically-grown one.
Concrete Poems
St. Paul, Minnesota's artist-in-residence has instituted a program where poems are imprinted into sidewalks throughout the city.
Planning a Better Public Space in San Francisco
Planners and parks officials in San Francisco are making moves to reimagine currently underused public space in the heart of the city as a new civic park and gathering place.
Pioneer Square, 25 Years On
Portland's Pioneer Square, designed back in 1983, is still looked t as a model of successful public space design. Landscape Architect Doug Macy looks back on the thought that went into the design.
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.
Neighbors Complain and Cops Crack Down on Outdoor Exercise Hotspot
A grassy median in a tony Santa Monica neighborhood has been a hotspot for local fitness buffs looking for a nice place to workout for years. But residents tired of the constant outdoor gym that invades their street are complaining to the city.
Homeless at the Mall
A reporter goes undercover as a homeless person to find out what happens when the indigent pay a visit to L.A.'s first corporate-controlled public park.
Preserving Land to Save Money
Voters in suburban Minnesota will vote on whether to invest $10 million to preserve a closed golf course. Or they could save the $10 million and allow a developer to build houses. But many say it will be cheaper in the long term to buy now.
A Plea for Pedestrians in Pakistan
In this editorial, Ibne Ahmad of Rawalpindi, Pakistan claims that cars are significantly impacting the quality of life there, and that pedestrians and public space need to be reclaimed for the sake of equality.
Bench Urbanism
Christopher Hume looks at the welcoming power of benches in seating-heavy Montreal, and argues that other cities need to take the simple step of planting more benches to make urban areas more lively and attractive.
Prague Plans Pedestrian Zones, Excludes Homeless
Prague is building on prosperity and tourism by creating new public-private spaces for shopping and entertainment. Detractors are concerned that they are destroying real public space, and are paired with greater control on unwanted users.
Traffic Lanes Turned Pedestrian Plazas
Public plazas have been cropping up along Broadway and Madison Square in New York, occupying spaces that were once traffic lanes.
In Wake of Hurricane, New Beachfront Property Faces Seizure
An obscure law in Texas outlawing buildings on public beachfront could be invoked to seize hundreds of properties. Hurricane Ike has pushed the tide line closer to many homes, making them subject to the law even if they weren't damaged.
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
