Green Space

Seattle’s New Overlook Walk Offers Ample Park Space Near Pike Place Market
The elevated park and event space replaces part of the demolished Alaskan Way Viaduct, connecting the city’s famous Pike Place Market to the waterfront.

Singapore: A Model for Longevity and Quality of Life
Singapore's remarkable rise in life expectancy, driven by government policies on health, green spaces, and social cohesion, has earned it the distinction of being named the world's sixth “Blue Zone.”

California Secures $360 Million in Federal Funding for Parks, Habitat Restoration, and Clean Transportation
This funding will drive transformative projects across the state, improving access to green spaces, protecting natural ecosystems, and advancing sustainable transportation initiatives.

New Study Shows How Urban Trees Improve Public Health
Louisville's Green Heart project demonstrates that strategically planting trees in underserved neighborhoods can significantly reduce inflammation levels, highlighting the health benefits of urban greenery through a novel, data-driven approach.

Advancing Sustainability and Resilience Through Parks
The Urban Land Institute offers fact sheets describing five innovative ways that parks can reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate threats while advancing health, equity, and quality of life in urban areas.

‘Parks After Dark’ Helps LA County Communities Thrive
Los Angeles County's popular Parks After Dark program continues to serve communities in need and offer multiple important benefits, as documented in a recent UCLA study.

Sibling Study Highlights Impact of Green Neighborhoods on Public Health
More evidence that access to green spaces and walkable communities improve public health outcomes.

Regenerating and Healing Land Through Parks
Through thoughtful planning and restoration efforts, parks can help heal degraded land, meeting multiple community needs, improving soil quality, restoring native vegetation, and creating habitats for wildlife.

Planting Trees Where They are Most Needed
Recently, the U.S. Forest Service awarded over $1 billion in competitive grants to expand equitable access to trees and their benefits. Grantees include Los Angeles County and TreePeople, who are working to plant trees where they are most needed.

Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.

LA County Releases Draft Community Forest Management Plan
LA County's Chief Sustainability Office just released the discussion draft of Room to Grow, the first Community Forest Management Plan for the county.

Creating More Green Schoolyards in Los Angeles
Led by the Trust for Public Land, the “28×28” Initiative seeks to green 28 schools in Los Angeles by the 2028 Olympics.

Rewilding the Golf Course
How former golf courses are being transformed from manicured lawns to vibrant habitats.

Planning for Trees in Los Angeles
The County and City of Los Angeles are working together on community engagement efforts for their Urban Forest Management Plans (UFMPs).

The Importance of Botanical Gardens
Southern California is home to some of the best botanical gardens around. TimeOut just released its list of the top Japanese and botanical gardens, mansion and institution gardens, and urban and hidden gardens.

Applying Trauma-Informed Design to Cities
How trauma-informed urbanism can make cities and their residents healthier and more resilient.

Healing Neighborhoods Through Park Equity
Learn more about ways to improve park equity with Norma García-González, the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, and Catherine Nagel, the executive director of the City Parks Alliance.

Green Spaces Benefit Neighborhoods—When Residents can Reach Them
A study comparing green space and walkability scores found that, without effective access to local parks, residents of greener neighborhoods don’t reap the health benefits.

Tenderloin Greenway Closer to Reality
The Golden Gate Greenway will provide much-needed permanent park and community space in the dense neighborhood.

Urban Design for Sustainability
The way we build cities can have significant impacts on public health and equity.
Pagination
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service