Parks

Market Woes Stifle 'Great Park' Progress

Three years after Irvine, California's "Great Park" was approved, development of the planned public spaces, homes and businesses has struggled to move forward. The housing crisis is being blamed for the lack of action.

April 17, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

A New Era Of Urban Parks?

In response to the growing demand for urban greenspace, cities around the nation on working on plans for large new parks -- rivaling the urban park boom during the 19th or early 20th century.

April 14, 2008 - USA Today

Park And Play

Parking structures topped off with synthetic fields offer a practical solution for areas where parking and recreation space is in short supply.

April 5, 2008 - Athletic Business

Funding Bureaucracy Highlights L.A.'s Parks Deficit

The city of Los Angeles is currently sitting on more than $130 million dollars intended to build parks. But those funds are tied to council districts high in development, leaving districts with little development high and dry.

March 30, 2008 - LA Weekly

Public Art Succeeds in Inspiring Consideration of Public Spaces

A public art exhibit in a Baltimore park has elicited complaints and compliments from various voices in the city. But like it or not, the art is good for the city's consideration of and connection to its public spaces, according to this editorial.

March 25, 2008 - The Baltimore Sun

Best Ideas of the Week

We all know there's a lot of planning going on around the world. Much of it is poor, short-sighted and generally just no good. But there are also some really great ideas being developed and adopted, and they should be considered by cities and communities all over the world as instructive examples of good planning. Here are what I think are some of the best ideas in urban planning from the last week.

March 21, 2008 - Nate Berg

Citizens Hope to Kick Off-Road Park Off Track

Controversy over noise and property values have pitted homeowners against city officials with plans to build an off-road vehicle park in Juneau, Alaska.

March 20, 2008 - Juneau Empire

Miami Parks Plan Looks Beyond Parks

Officials in Miami-Dade County have just released their parks master plan, an ambitious proposal that looks to go beyond creating park space by redefining the region's public realm.

March 17, 2008 - The Miami Herald

City's 'Lungs' Paved Over

Urban projects have resulted in the paving over of significant chunks of parkland in Melbourne, Australia -- land set aside more than 150 years ago to act as the city's lungs.

March 11, 2008 - The Age

Public Spaces Key to Flint's Rebirth

With a focus on public spaces, Flint, Michigan, is looking to revitalize itself.

March 7, 2008 - Making Places

5 Proven Ways to Preserve Open Space

What is your county doing to preserve open spaces important to your community? And is it effective? If the answers to those questions are "not enough" and "no", read on and take these effective strategies to your lawmakers.

March 5, 2008 - The Daily Green

Art, Access, and History on Seattle's Waterfront

Last month, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design hosted a regional session in partnership with the University of Washington, and we were fortunate that the session’s organizers were able to secure meeting space in the entry pavilion to the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park.

August 30, 2007 - Jess Zimbabwe

Wanted: More Urban Parks in Los Angeles

Author D.J. Waldie calls for the creation of more open space in park poor Los Angeles.

October 5, 2005 - Los Angeles Times

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