Public Spaces
New York City's Public Parks Add Ping Pong Tables
New outdoor, publicly accessible ping pong tables are taking hold in New York City, adding an extra element of health and activity to some of the city's public parks.
The Commons Commodified?
The "commons" are increasingly falling into the hands of private owners, prompting Jay Walljasper to what it means to have commonly shared spaces in the modern world.
The Internet vs. the City
Will digital communications make cities obsolete, or can online connections actually complement the face-to-face interactions and the cities that support them?
The Contradictions of Regulating Temporary Spaces
As popularity of "temporary urbanism" initiatives rises, there are increasingly efforts to regulate these sites. Jonna McKone of TheCityFix analyzes the trend.
Revitalizing an Historic Plaza in El Paso
San Jacinto Plaza is the historic heart of El Paso, Texas. City officials are planning a major redevelopment of the plaza, perhaps even expanding its traditional borders and using New York's Bryant Park rebirth as a model.
The Importance of Quality Streetscapes
This piece from Next American City looks at plans to dramatically rework streetscapes in Boston, and cheers the effort.
Our Capitol's Lack: A Great Public Square
Critic Philip Kennicott attends a lecture by architect Robert Gatje on great public squares and bemoans the fact that Washington, D.C. has a serious lack of them.
The Conflicting Needs of Tourists and Residents
A new Independence Mall stands in the historic heart of Philadelphia, a decade after the old mall's demolition. According to The Inquirer's Inga Saffron, the new space has been a major boon for tourists but has alienated many city residents.
What Do Good Public Spaces Look Like?
Deborah Marton, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space, asks, "Obviously public space should be beautiful and well designed for circulation, but what else should it do?"
Ugly L.A. Deserves a Makeover
Los Angeles is ugly. But it doesn't have to be, argues Sam Lubell.
Park Funding Problems? Privatize
More parks in the U.S. should fight funding issues through privatization, writes John Stossel.
Cities Putting Public Spaces Up for Sponsorship
Hundreds of public spaces -- from public parks to subway stations -- are open for bids from sponsors for naming rights.
The Blossoming of Barcelona
Jay Walljasper says that Barcelona, once looked upon as a dirty, second-rate city now is a must-see like Paris or Rome. How did the Spanish turn Barcelona around?
Public Space is Essential for Democracy
Architecture critic Sarah Williams Goldhagen says that streets can't create public interaction in the way that unstructured spaces like urban parks can.
The Best Public Spaces in the U.S.
The American Planning Association has released its 2010 selections for great public spaces, streets and neighborhoods, ranging from a sculpture garden in Alabama to New York's transformed Bryant Park.
Reducing Crime With Public Spaces in London
Officials in London are relying on the creation of 86 new public spaces throughout the city to cut down on criminal behavior.
The Predictability of Humans in Public Spaces
Jan Gehl sits down with Greg Linsday to talk about his new book, Cities for People, if Phoenix could take lessons from New York, and "the needs of the urban habitat of homo sapiens."
Pedestrian-Only Zone Proposed for San Diego
With the centennial of the Panama-California Exposition that created San Diego's Balboa Square approaching, the city is considering turning back the neighborhood to its former car-free glory.
The Beauty of Public Spaces
A new book by Robert Gatje gives public squares and piazzas the coffee-table treatment, meticulously detailing what makes these historic spaces work.
Temporary Autonomous Zones Alter Public Space in The UK
The increase in outdoor music festivals, guerrilla gardening, temporary restaurants, cinemas and pop-up shops are all examples of "a growing appetite for transforming our apparently prosaic, profit-led landscape into something else."
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
