The #BlackFridayParking Exception That Proves the Rule

Most parking lots on Black Friday are not going to be full. Here’s one retail complex that’s an exception—but it just proves that having “enough” parking is always less important than creating a place people want to be.

Copy What You Know Works

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to create places that aren’t bad—and that should be the first and foremost goal for a city.

The problem with forcing developers to provide open space

When we force private developers to provide "open space," they typically do a mediocre job of it.

Andrew Price, Top StoryAndrew PriceJuly 25, 2017greenspace, Parks

Why greenspace is different from a park

Greenspace is not the same as a park. This example from Jersey City, NJ shows you why that's the case and how to build better parks in the process.

Andrew Price, Top EvergreenAndrew PriceMay 22, 2017Parks, greenspace

Strong Towns Have Great Public Spaces

Collectively valuing all public places—and adequately supporting them—is essential to fostering livable and prosperous communities.

Member Post, Top StoryVirginia SmallMarch 22, 2017Parks, Project for Public Spaces, greenspace

Infrastructure Contest: Frederick Douglass Stride Toward Freedom Garden

Diverse community members use their talents to beautify a vacant lot and fill it with a garden, library, seating and more.

Strong TownsOctober 24, 2016greenspace, community building, infracontsub, infrastructure contest

Patterns of Home, Importance of Homeyness

You cannot build a place of enduring value that isn't homey, that isn't loved.

Where Every Citizen's Heart Can Sing

What if our goal wasn’t to build the most stuff in the shortest amount of time for the least amount of money?

When a chairbomb gets evicted

Last week, Sarah Goodyear from CityLab interviewed me about the project. Her first question was this: When you did your chairbombing, were you worried at all about the police confronting you? The landowner? My answer: In this case, not really. AND THEN! Here was the scene this week at the market...

Field Notes, Top Story, #PlaceIDontWanttoSitGracen JohnsonSeptember 16, 2015chair bomb, farmer's market, seating, greenspace, places4

Making Places Where I Want To Sit (Part 2)

As a follow up to previous posts, here's what I did this weekend with my wonderful neighbors, plus step-by-step instructions for how you can do it in your community too.

Places Where I Don't Want to Sit

The idea of asking developers to contribute to public space is excellent (perhaps essential). By the looks of it, this has resulted in millions upon millions of dollars invested in places to sit or frolic. Too bad it keeps ending up in places where no one would actually want to linger... Imagine if we took all that wasted investment and directed it toward building more spaces that make people happy.