Green Space
Urban Golf Courses: Publicly Subsidized, Privately Enjoyed
City golf courses, paid for by public dollars, are rarely used by the vast majority of residents. Some advocates want to see them opened to the public as parks or repurposed for housing.
How Cities Can Support Urban Gardeners
Urban agriculture can provide green spaces, fresh food, and healthy activities, but urban gardeners and foragers face many obstacles.
Even Small Urban Green Spaces Boost Biodiversity
A recent study from the University of Melbourne demonstrates the positive impacts small urban greening projects can have on city ecosystems.
Opinion: How to Fund Better Houston Parks
Houston’s iconic signature parks mask a major underinvestment in green spaces for most of the city’s neighborhoods, according to a new report.
Parks Departments Try to Build New Green Spaces on Shrinking Budgets
Even as the role of parks and urban green space in public and ecological health becomes more apparent, city budgets are hard-pressed to meet the costs of park construction and maintenance.
Advancing Park Equity Through Needs Assessments
City Parks Alliance, in partnership with Prevention Institute, recently hosted a webinar about park equity and collaboration, focusing on the Los Angeles Countywide Parks Needs Assessment.
The Resiliency of Urban Wildlife
A wide-ranging research study highlights the various qualities that make animal species living in urban environments thrive—and how biodiversity improves the health of our cities.
How to Avoid Green Gentrification
New parks are great—but some projects displace the very people the green spaces are meant to serve.
Expanding Schoolyard Greening in California
To protect kids from extreme heat, California just distributed another $73 million to local school districts to transform schoolyards by converting blacktops to green spaces, planting trees, and other related efforts.
Op-Ed: How to Make Over Pennsylvania Avenue
The Washington, D.C. street briefly regained its former vibrancy during the pandemic. A proposed redesign could bring it back once again.
Parks and Recreation as a Health Solution
New research by the Trust for Public Land explores connections between urban parks and health, building on prior research and offering insights such as the growing importance of partnerships with health organizations.
Washington Cities Balance Housing Development and Tree Canopy
Cities like Seattle and Bellingham are working to increase housing density while also preserving urban trees and green spaces.
Expressway Expansion Could Threaten Brooklyn Bridge Park
Supporters of the waterfront park worry NYCDOT’s plan to potentially widen the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway could reduce green space in “one of the most expensive urban parks ever built.”
Los Angeles County Parks Department Releases Five-Year Strategic Plan
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation recently completed a strategic plan which details goals, strategies, and actions that reflect the agency's commitment to advancing equity.
Backlash to San Francisco Development Spotlights City’s Conflicting Priorities
Residents of the Bayview neighborhood say they support new housing, but object to a proposed building that would replace one of the area’s only green spaces.
Data-Driven Effort to Re-envision Conservation and Prioritize Vulnerable Communities
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+), which focuses on environmental conservation and restoration, regional recreation, and rural recreation.
Identifying and Improving Schools Most In Need of Greening
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has developed an index to help identify the schools that are most in need of greening resources.
How Urban Trees Save Lives
New research shows a strong connection between a healthy urban tree canopy and lowered mortality rates.
Winners of the 2022 American Society of Landscape Architects
The Society’s annual awards highlight projects focused on reconnecting communities to the landscape and creating healthy community spaces.
Investing in Green Schoolyards
California's budget now includes an unprecedented investment of $150 million to create green schoolyards and schoolyard forests at K-12 schools across the state.
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
