Tag: Urban Planning
Thankful for Smart Environments
Each month in our Open Voices blog we share insight from leaders in our communities who are advancing what it means to have sacred, open green spaces in our cities. This November we share in recognition of the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Landscape Architects. A couple of years ago we talked with…
Social Capital and Placemaking: An Interview with Ethan Kent
Drawing from fifteen years of placemaking experience, Ethan Kent, of Project for Public Spaces (PPS) talks about how placemaking contributes to social capital and city governance, and has launched a new type of environmentalism. We were pleased to speak with Ethan about the importance of public engagement, planning and visioning to create human-scaled public places right…
Nature and Cities: An Interview with Armando Carbonell
About half of the world’s population currently lives in urban regions, making the future of our cities a topic of high priority in terms of social and environmental issues. That’s why this weekend, some of the chief thought leaders in the fields of urban design, development and planning are convening in Austin, Texas, for the…
Constructing a Happy City: An Interview with Charles Montgomery
Charles Montgomery will be the first to admit to you that he did not start off as an urban planner or a neuroscientist. He started his journey that led to his most recent book, Happy City, as a curious journalist wanting to learn more about what it means to be happy and how our environment,…
Mayors for Parks Coalition: Protecting Public Spaces
From Denver, CO to Fort Worth, TX, a new bipartisan coalition is on the rise to help support and protect public parks, trails and green spaces in urban areas. The Mayors for Parks coalition, a project from the City Parks Alliance, is aiming to remind Congress and the White House how critical parks are to…
Open Voices News Roundup: December 2
Every week, we bring you the latest news in placemaking, landscape architecture, the nature-mental health link, and much more. Check back each week for new roundups and items. How San Francisco Is Changing the Way People Think of Green Space “Tables and chairs sit neatly arranged on a wooden platform in the heart of San…
Recommended Reading: Boosting Immune Systems with Biodiversity
When you come down with a bad case of the sniffles or an unruly cough, our 21st century sensibilities say you need to wash your hands even more and make sure to get rid of all the germs. But research suggests that exposure to greater biodiversity, especially when it comes to bacteria and microbes, may…
A Look into Therapeutic Landscapes: An Interview with Naomi Sachs
Taking time to get in tune with your surroundings and learn to love nature has proven a therapeutic process for many, including Naomi Sachs. Sachs is Founding Director of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network and writes the corresponding blog, but has taken the research on connections between healing and nature a step further in her latest…
Open Voices News Roundup: October 14
Every week, we bring you the latest news in placemaking, landscape architecture, the nature-mental health link, and much more. Check back each week for new roundups and items. How Trees Can Boost a Home’s Sale Price “Maybe money grows on trees after all. In an analysis of 2,608 real-estate transactions over 10 months, researchers found…
Open Voices News Roundup: October 7
Every week, we bring you the latest news in placemaking, landscape architecture, the nature-mental health link, and much more. Check back each week for new roundups and items. Redesigning New York’s Hidden Public Spaces to Create A More Resilient City “It’s a little known fact that some 5.3 million square feet of “leftover” space courses…
