The Vital Pleasure of Existing in Public

How much do people in your community go about their lives in public or in private?

Herriges, Public Space, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 5, 2022public space, Florida, urbanism, walkability

Bad Benches (and Other Park Problems)

Some misguided attempts to enhance the local park in Brainerd, MN, has actually made it a worse place to be.

The Coming Tsunami of Park Infrastructure Needs

Rather than building new parks, it’s time we #DoTheMath on the ones we’ve already got.

Anywhere Can Be Somewhere (and Other Walking Lessons)

When it comes to creating strong neighborhoods, there are some valuable lessons to be had from slowing down the pace and seeking novelty in the ordinary.

Potty Talk

Let's talk about public facilities. What do they say about our cities and about the various layers of our society?

Member Post, Public Space, Sanphillippo, Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoMay 18, 2021public space, public health

Leaving Value on the Table

Why do large-scale developers bother making cool mockups for their spaces, only to end up with a bland end product?

Herriges, Public Space, Urban Design, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 14, 2021urban design, granularity, public space

Neighborhood Revival: A Pandemic Perspective

If your town or city is going to be stronger and more resilient, its neighborhoods need to thrive. Here are 5 ways to help your neighborhood live up to its full potential.

In a Post-Pandemic World, Parklets Should Stay Parked

Towns and cities are converting parking spaces into “parklets” as a temporary social distancing resource. But the benefits of parklets will outlast the pandemic.

Parking, Public Space, Top StoryJohn J. MetroJuly 23, 2020Parks, parklet, public space, coronavirus

If the revolution came to your town, would people know where to go?

Ongoing demonstrations sparked by the murder of George Floyd have Americans considering as never before the role of our public spaces in movements for social change.

David Sim of "Soft City": Making the Places We Live More Human

People might think of city life as necessarily “hard.” But the creative director at a Copenhagen-based urban design firm begs to differ. There are a few simple principles that can “soften” our city, drawing us closer together and radically improving our quality of life.

In Defense of Public Spaces

Public spaces are often shortchanged in government budgets. Yet they provide outsized benefits compared to how little our communities usually invest in them. Public spaces should be celebrated and protected. Here are four reasons why.

Public Space, Top StorySteve MacDouellOctober 7, 2019New York, public space, libraries, commons, eric klinenberg, parks

Plan for Spontaneity

It’s a paradox, but cities can set the stage for the unscripted. These playful surprises cater both to young and the young-at-heart, and they endear the community to visitors and residents alike.

Horbovetz, Urban DesignArian HorbovetzAugust 20, 2019public space, Parks, Chicago, Tactical Urbanism, children, family

Guerrilla Gardening: How this Strong Towns Group Took an Incremental Approach to Creating a Park

Learn how Stronger Denton—a Denton-based, Strong Towns Local Conversation—took an incremental approach to invest in a park in downtown Denton.

Top Story, Success StoryStronger DentonJune 26, 2019Parks, Parks and Recreation, public space, Tactical Urbanism, gardening

You Can’t Feel ’Em, if You Can’t See ’Em

Our cities increasingly isolate us from those who are unlike us. To rekindle civic trust and empathy, we must make communities where people enjoy mixing it up with others: where they will live a portion of their lives in public, not because they are forced to do so, but because it is delightful to do so.

Top StoryCarol ColettaNovember 28, 2018community building, public space, social trust, social capital

A Forest on the Freeway: "Innerbelt National Forest" Swaps Concrete for Community

What do you do with an old freeway in the heart of your city that never should have been built? In Akron, it’s become an experimental pop-up park that is stitching the city back together.

Akron, Top StoryKailey SherrickNovember 27, 2018public space, Tactical Urbanism, pop-up

Can Paint Help Prevent Crime in a Troubled Neighborhood Park?

Something as small as public art can help transform the public’s perception of a troubled neighborhood park. It’s a testament to the power of bottom-up, incremental change.

WIlson, Top Story, Public Art, #StrongCitizensKea WilsonAugust 29, 2018small bets, public space, Parks, mural

Remaking Akron's Main Street

Akron, Ohio’s Main Street Corridor project will produce a safer and more attractive street, with more space for people, activities and public art. But this dramatic, expensive overhaul is not an end in itself. If it’s going to deliver on its promises, it must be viewed as a beginning.

Akron, Schweitzer, Urban Design, Top StoryMark SchweitzerAugust 22, 2018streets, walkability, public space, TIGER, infrastructure cost

Faith Communities Can Help Build Vibrant Neighborhoods

Communities of faith stand in an important position to support vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods; and in recent years, some have stepped up to the challenge at a variety of different scales.