Public Space
Public Space Arms Race
Battles for inclusion and exclusion in the life of the city more often end in stand-offs than in skirmishes.
Yes Sitting, Yes Skating, Yes Music
Where can teenagers hang out and be safe in public? Members of Yes Loitering, advocates for public spaces where youth can “hang out and be themselves” without fear of reprisal.
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.
The New 'Public Life Data Protocol' Aims to Revolutionize Public Life
The Gehl Institute, working with several public sector partners, has released an open source "Public Life Data Protocol."
Civic Space: Creating Community
What moves us about great public space is its ability to convene community. To provide an accessible place of solace and celebration. It’s not about the buildings, or even the streets. It’s about the experience. Susan Henderson on Savannah's squares.
Are Dog Parks Taking Space from People in Cities?
The number of dog parks in the United States has almost doubled since 2007. Some worry these spaces are not welcoming or could signal gentrification.
5 Ideas for the Milwaukee RiverWalk
The Milwaukee RiverWalk is already pretty great, but there's still work than can be done.
Do Confederate Statues Belong in Public Spaces?
In the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, resulting from the gathering of white supremacists and neo-Nazis, American cities are rethinking whether statues honoring the heroes of the Confederacy belong in public spaces.
Search the Location of the Nearest Confederate Monument
Public spaces are full of monuments to a rebellion fought to maintain slavery.
Charlottesville and the 'War Against Public Space'
A think-piece published by CityLab argues that public space, and the ideals it embodies, are under threat from the racist groups that gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia last weekend.
Six States Considered Laws to Make it Legal to Run Over Protestors This Year
A day of reckoning has come for state lawmakers who proposed protections for motorists who attack protestors from behind the wheels of their car. A tragedy at protests in Charlotte has cast new light on the dangerous potential of such laws.
Lawrence Halprin and the Public Realm: Can the United Nations Plaza Unite San Franciscans?
Since its inauguration in 1975, San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza has not served its intended purpose.
New Public Space Outside Wrigley Field Just Another Win for Chicago
Chicago Cubs fans looking to bask in the glory of the team's first World Series victory since 1908 will find a new public plaza and lawn next to the stadium. The plaza will be open to the public on non-baseball days too.
The World's Best City for Street Food Bans Street Food
The city of Bangkok, Thailand, is famous for its cheap and flavorful street food. City leaders, however, have decided that the city would be less appealing without street vendors.
Lawsuit Closes Popular Hiking Trail to the Hollywood Sign
Closing today: one of the most popular hiking trails in the Hollywood Hills, another case of the antipathy between public access and private property.
What a National Green Infrastructure Plan Looks Like
The American Society of Landscape Architects this week announced a list of green infrastructure priorities, full of specifics, without mentioning the Trump Administration.
Oregon Residents Could Soon Pay a Fee to Hit the Water
The state of Oregon will consider legislation that would raise $2.17 million a year by implementing a fee on non-motorized users of public waterways.
Sitting on the Walls Prohibited in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square
The list of prohibitions for the use of public spaces grows—this time to the seemingly innocuous and park-perfect activity of sitting.
Proposed Law Would Ban Unaccompanied Adults from City Playgrounds in L.A.
There is plenty of debate surrounding a proposed law that would prohibit adults from entering city-owned playgrounds unless in the company of children.
How To Turn a Contaminated Parking Lot Into a World-Class Public Space
Tulsa's Guthrie Green proves Tulsa, Oklahoma isn't just known for parking craters any longer.
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
