Urban Parks
Olmsted Redux
Adrian Benepe was recently announced as the recipient of the 2014 Olmsted Medal. Like it or not, the well-deserved and appropriate recognition is one more in the seemingly endless list of honors for the transformation of New York's urban parks.
Does Beauty Still Matter?
The design of urban landscapes has become dominated by a growing call for them to be ecologically resilient. But isn't it important what they look like?
24 Hours in Manhattan's Winter Landscape
It is probably fair to say that most people think urban landscapes are at their best in the warm months. They may be right. But after a recent tromp through a frigid Manhattan, I am reminded how great cities can be in winter.
New Research Suggests Immersive Urban Parks Work Best
Looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in your neighborhood park? For a true mental vacation, head for the park with the densest vegetation, writes Eric Jaffe.
As New York Plants One Million Trees, Benefits—and Some Burdens—Grow
The city’s MillionTrees program fights asthma and global warming. But tightening maintenance budgets, increasingly severe weather and decades-old planting decisions complicate trees’ contribution.
The Largest Urban Park In America Coming To Chicago
A new park in Chicago aims to turn 140,000 acres of under-used and post industrial land along the Second City's southern rim into the country's largest urban park. Governor Pat Quinn hopes to add private funding to the $17m allotted by the state.
Public Parks to Cover Highways in Hamburg
The City of Hamburg, Germany is planning on building elevated public parks on sections of the to-be-expanded A7 (Highway 7), which is considered one of the most important north-south connectors in Germany.
NPR Tours The High Line With Its Founders
The two founders of New York's famous High Line give NPR an exclusive tour of the park and provide the inside scoop on the creation of the park.
Urban Parks for Healthy Cities
Urban parks have an important role to play in solving the health and fitness crisis, but too many acres of parkland are not helping people become healthier. How can park systems be designed to be better-used and live up to their potential?
Repurposed Railyard Becomes Award-Winning Park
The City Parks blog looks at Santa Fe Railyard Park and Plaza, one of the winners of this year's Rudy Bruner Awards for Urban Excellence.
Rebuilding an Atlanta Park
The National Recreation and Parks Association is on a mission to fix up neglected parks around the country. Atlanta and D.C. are the first to benefit from their new program, "Parks Build Community."
Improvisation Under the Freeway
A spectacular series of recent photos from Seattle's Colonnade Park built beneath highway I-5 tell the story of adapted urban space.
Parks Vs. Density
In Toronto, a developer is balking at the zoning that would force him to build a podium-style building out to the sidewalk, and wants to build a park with a tower instead. Can open space and density coexist?
Urban Park Commended for Revitalizing Detroit
The Urban Land Institute recently awarded Campus Martius Park in Detroit the 2010 Urban Open Space Award for helping to rejuvenate the historic city center.
Turning "Redfields" Into Urban Parks
Jonathan Lerner gives an extensive analysis of the benefits of turning failed commercial properties, or "redfields", into strategically-picked park land for revitalization purposes. Some conversion would be permanent, some just land banking.
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.
Reviews and Reflections on the Best New Urban Parks
The New Republic offers a look and review of some of the nation's best new urban parks.
Parks Are A Wise Investment In Tough Times
At a time when families across the country are facing fewer choices for fun, ambitious park projects like those in St. Louis, Detroit and Houston are "bringing urban centers back to life," according to JoAnn Greco.
Reviving Struggling Urban Areas with Parks
Three cities -- St. Louis, Houston and Detroit -- have gained new urban parks that are playing big roles in reviving parts of town.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
