New York

Getting Creative About Finding Places for Parks

New York City is developing a handful of new parks on industrial lands and otherwise underused spaces. Urban Omnibus talks with Adrian Benepe, the city's commissioner of parks and recreation about the new projects.

September 21, 2009 - Urban Omnibus

Public Art Thrives in Hard Times in Manhattan

A public art park has sprung up on a corner in Manhattan on loan from a local developer waiting to build on the land.

September 18, 2009 - The New York Times

Jeff Speck reviews the NY Street Design Manual

Suburban Nation co-author Jeff Speck cracks the new New York Street Design Manual and finds a lot of useful material and some that falls short.

September 16, 2009 - Design Observer

Controversial Rezoning in Harlem, A Year Later

Controversy surrounded the 125th St. Rezoning, which locals thought would cause rampant gentrification. One year later, little has changed.

September 16, 2009 - City Limits

The Role of Artists in the Creation of Public Space

Public space plays an important role in cities. Essential to creating good public spaces, according to this commentary from The Nation, is the art community.

September 13, 2009 - The Nation

What's Happening - And Not Happening - At Ground Zero

Eight years after terrorists felled the World Trade Center towers in New York City, progress on rebuilding the site has been slow and mired in controversy.

September 11, 2009 - Architectural Record

New York City's Data Collection Chopped in Half

New York City has for decades collected data about itself through more than 2,500 statistical indicators. But now, that number has been chopped down to about 1,200. Officials say it creates a streamlined look at the city, but others call it a loss.

September 11, 2009 - The New York Times

MTA Struggles to Relocate Residents

As construction on the Second Avenue subway in New York City is set to begin next year, MTA and current residents struggle to answer the question of where to relocate the people in its way.

September 9, 2009 - The New York Times

High Line Assessment District Dropped

Plans to create an assessment district near New York City's new High Line linear park have been dropped.

September 1, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

Parks Are Cash Cows

A new report claims that Central Park in New York added $1 billion to the economy in 2007, and the new High Line park added $4 billion in new real estate developments.

August 28, 2009 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

New Lincoln Center Fountain Has Preservationists Irked

The iconic Philip Johnson-designed fountain in front of New York's Lincoln Center is getting a makeover. The new fountain has some preservationists peeved.

August 27, 2009 - The New York Times

Suburban Banks More Inviting....To Robbers

In an odd twist of the urban vs. suburban debate, here's an interesting nuance - bank robbers are finding the open atmosphere of suburban banks to be more appealing than the bulletproof glass-protected tellers that one often sees in busy urban areas.

August 24, 2009 - The New York Times - N.Y/Region

The Middle Ground Between Moses and Jacobs

This article from Triple Canopy looks at the unrealized urban planning ideas of former New York City Mayor John Lindsay, which were somewhere in between Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses.

August 24, 2009 - Triple Canopy

Brooklyn's Warehouse Roof Garden

This video from Reuters looks at a new rooftop garden in Brooklyn. Covering 6,000 square feet, the flourishing garden provides fresh produce to local restaurants.

August 21, 2009 - Reuters (on-line)

Centralizing the Garment Center to Save It

As manufacturing continues to move overseas and offices fetch higher rents, NYC's Garment Center is struggling, threatening NYC's reputation as a fashion hub. City officials, manufacturers, labor unions, and designers weigh in on how to save it.

August 20, 2009 - New York Times

Biking is New York's Fastest-Growing Mode of Transport

Bicycles are on the rise in New York City, where more and more people are making bikes a major part of their transportation diet. City officials say it's the fastest-growing mode of transport.

August 19, 2009 - WCBS

Michael Bloomberg: The Un-Moses

The New Yorker offers a long profile of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and highlights his efforts to "undo" the work of Robert Moses.

August 19, 2009 - The New Yorker

Wild Manhattan in Pictures

Matt Jensen's photographs reveal views of a natural Manhattan that are a little hard to believe. [Slideshow]

August 13, 2009 - Huffington Post

Affluent Suburb Agrees to Affordable Housing Overhaul

Westchester County, NY will be required to invest in the provision of affordable housing units in communities that lack minorities. Furthermore, they will have to actively market these units towards minority populations.

August 12, 2009 - The New York Times

Living A No-Impact Lifestyle in Manhattan

Writer Colin Beavan set a goal for his family to live a year in New York with no impact on the environment. A new documentary film follows their travails as meat, cosmetics, and trash bags get packed away.

August 10, 2009 - WorldChanging

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.