An Interconnected Park Web: How Greenways Create Healthy Communities

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Coleen Gentles

We recently came across an article by Randall Arendt discussing how greenway networks are the “useful bridge between ‘new urbanism’ and conservation design.”  His article talks about using greenways as the connector to parks, neighborhoods, schools and mixed-use centers, allowing for urban and rural ideas to merge and produce a superior hybrid community form.  He argues that [...]

Filed under: green infrastructure, health, planning, transportation | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Cities with Health Promoting Park Systems Provide Mixed Uses and Adequate Programming

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Peter Harnik

An excerpt from The Trust for Public Land’s report From Fitness Zones to the Medical Mile: How Urban Park Systems Can Best Promote Health and Wellness. We wrote a preview of this report in an earlier post. In this post, we look at a mixture of uses and a maximum amount of programming. Mixing uses in parks [...]

Filed under: facilities, green infrastructure, health, partnerships, planning, programming | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

From Bluebelts to Greenbelts: Converting Wetlands and Stormwater Storage Ponds to Parkland

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Peter Harnik

An eleventh excerpt from the recently released book published by Island Press called Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities. In this post, we look at some cities who have created parkland from wetlands and stormwater storage ponds. For environmental, financial, and legal reasons, urban stormwater management is getting much more attention – and the result is helping to [...]

Filed under: green infrastructure, planning, renewal | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

“A Design that Celebrates the People”: Normal, IL Traffic Circle Wins Smart Growth Award as New Civic Space

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Coleen Gentles

Earlier this month, EPA announced the winners of the 2011 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.  We are excited to report that Normal, Illinois is the recipient of the award in the Civic Places category for their traffic roundabout. We’ve written before about how the town’s new traffic circle has successfully managed traffic flow at [...]

Filed under: green infrastructure, planning, transportation | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

City Parks Alliance Seeks Nominations for “Frontline Parks” Section on Website

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Angelina

“FRONTLINE PARKS” highlights urban parks that are creating economic, environmental and social capital through new kinds of partnerships.  This feature on CPA’s website (www.cityparksalliance.org) promotes inspiring examples of urban park excellence, innovation, and stewardship across the country. Twelve parks – one each month – will be featured on CPA’s website home page in 2012.  Each [...]

Filed under: crime & safety, economics, employment, funding, green infrastructure, health, maintenance/management, partnerships, planning, programming, transportation | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

“Freedom’s Fortress” Finally Free to be a National Monument

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Coleen Gentles

Earlier this month, President Obama used his authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia a National Monument. The significance of President Obama’s Proclamation cannot be overstated; it is the first time he has used this authority and Fort Monroe is a unique and historically important military base worth federal [...]

Filed under: green infrastructure, planning | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Civic Center and Rotary Centennial Selected as Frontline Parks

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Angelina

Each month, City Parks Alliance recognizes two “Frontline Parks” to promote and highlight inspiring examples of urban park excellence, innovation, and stewardship across the country. The program also seeks to highlight examples of the challenges facing our cities’ parks as a result of shrinking municipal budgets, land use pressures, and urban neighborhood decay. Civic Center Park Civic [...]

Filed under: economics, funding, green infrastructure, maintenance/management, partnerships, planning | Leave a Comment »

To Form a More Perfect Union Station: Redesigning Columbus Plaza for Pedestrians

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Coleen Gentles

Washington, D.C.’s Union Station is a major destination for tourists and commuters, with about 29 million people visiting it each year.  As a first glimpse of the city for many people traveling by rail or car, Union Station was designed as a grand entryway to the nation’s capital.  It’s classical Beaux-Arts architecture influenced other popular [...]

Filed under: green infrastructure, planning, renewal, transportation | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Revitalizing D.C.’s “Forgotten River” with Parks and Trails

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Ryan Donahue

Urban rivers, though cities often owe them their very existence, are accustomed to neglect. The enduring image of the 1969 inferno on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River, a catastrophe that helped launch the modern environmental movement, is perhaps the most striking example, though many others have suffered through less dramatic but equally devastating decay. Washington, DC has [...]

Filed under: funding, planning, renewal, transportation | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

From Dumps to Destinations: Converting Landfills to Parks

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Peter Harnik

A tenth excerpt from the recently released book published by Island Press called Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities. In this post, we look at some cities who have created parkland from capped landfills. New parks can be fashioned out of old garbage dumps. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Balloon Park in Albuquerque, Cesar Chavez Park in [...]

Filed under: green infrastructure, planning, renewal | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.