Why Public Spaces Are Crucial for 'the Future of the Human Race'
Though essential "for human exchange, upon which our communities, economy, democracy and society depend," public spaces have been under threat from a host of sources for the past century. For...
View Article10 Principles for Productive Public Spaces
A "best practices guide for those wishing to improve the economic, environmental and social health of their Publication Date: Wed, 09/19/2012
View ArticleDoes the High Line Signify a New Era of Urban Design?
Publication Date: Tue, 10/23/2012
View ArticleHow Cities Celebrate the Holidays
While commodious, crowded, and charming public spaces are the foundation of great cities, "[t]he best ones really come alive at this time of year," says Benfield.Publication Date: Fri, 12/21/2012
View ArticleHow Facebook Simulates Suburbia: Lessons for Building Public Spaces in the...
"We are wrong to treat them as two totally separate things," says John Tolva, the Chief Technology Officer for the city of Chicago, about information architects and traditional architects.Publication...
View ArticleSit and Stay a While: Imaginative Benches Populate NYC's Parks
"There are wooden chaises roomy enough for two. Bar-stool-style perches with river views. Communal work stations for laptop users. Huge granite slabs. Even hammocks.Publication Date: Mon, 07/01/2013
View ArticleStudying the Psychology of Sacred Green Spaces
In an increasingly urbanized world, we are bound to find a better connection with ourselves in nature than with our WiFi networks.Publication Date: Wed, 06/26/2013
View ArticleCompetition Aims to Shrink Miami's Public Space Deficit
"The 'Our Miami Public Space Challenge,'’ which launches Wednesday, is the brainchild of the Miami Foundation, which last year embarked on a comprehensive effort to help locals feel more love for the...
View ArticleCyclist Deaths Beg the Question: "Who is the City For?"
Roads, Jacobs argues, "civilise us" and reflect our societal priorities.Publication Date: Mon, 11/18/2013
View ArticleUnsafe Streets: Report Finds Pervasive Harassment on U.S. Streets
"Stop Street Harassment, a nonprofit working to end sexual harassment in public spaces, just released the first national study on street harassment.Publication Date: Mon, 06/09/2014
View ArticleWomen Bikers Ride to 'Take Back the Streets'
Andrews begins by sampling anecdotal evidence from women in four of the largest cities on the East Coast about their experiences with harassment while riding their bikes.Publication Date: Thu, 07/10/2014
View ArticleOp-Ed Criticizes Dog Owners' Use of Public Spaces in Chicago
A typical complaint of city-dwellers is a lack of space to run and walk their dogs, but there is another side of the story: that of the city dweller constantly put off by the site of urinating and...
View ArticleMaking Public Spaces Actually Public
Many a development agreement has been sweetened by the inclusion of privately owned public spaces (POPS), which are intended to provide community benefits at developers' expense.Publication Date: Fri,...
View ArticleGames Are for Kids (and Planners Too)
Minecraft has players across the globe busy building future cities. CIties recognize the potential of MineCraft as a tool for engaging the public in imagining the future of their city.
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One Developer's Appreciation of Landscape Architecture
Bryan Tuckey writes a love letter to the benefits of skillful landscape architecture. A sample from the paean:Publication Date: Mon, 08/31/2015
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Pavement Parks: a Better Parklet Alternative
Parklets are beloved of many urbanists, and Daniel Cohen argues they shouldn't be. Besides their minuscule size, parklets can be off-putting to pedestrians who confuse them for private...
View ArticleStreet Harassment: An Issue for Planners?
Women and men experience public spaces differently. It is all too common for women to experience street harassment when in public spaces. Nina Flores explores the ways that this issue is being...
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Landscape Architecture Unites Impact and Design
In an op-ed, Matt Shaw praises landscape architecture for successfully delivering on social impact as well as design innovation. The rest of the field, Shaw writes, appears split into two...
View ArticleLos Angeles to Redesign Its 'Worst Public Space'
For Next City, Josh Stephens discusses downtown L.A.'s unloved public square.Publication Date: Thu, 12/10/2015
View ArticleIn Pictures: Havana's Public Spaces
In 2006, Ethan Kent visited Havana, Cuba to investigate the city's unique public spaces and how residents use them. This image-filled article by Project for Public Spaces collects some of his...
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