Parks and other types of urban green spaces are often perceived as nice-to-haves rather than must-haves. However, as I have argued and shared in numerous articles (like Nurturing Neighborhoods), urban green spaces contribute significantly to the quality of life in communities and offer benefits well beyond their boundaries. For those who share this perspective or want to learn more about the relationship between parks and health equity, I suggest reading the book Urban Green Spaces – Public Health and Sustainability in the United States (2019) by Viniece Jennings, Matthew H. E. M. Browning, and Alessandro Rigolon. The intended audience for the book includes researchers, students, and practitioners in urban planning, parks and recreation, public health, and other fields. As a park planner and ‘plannerd,’ I found this book to be a page-turner and finished it in one sitting during a flight. Highlighted below are three issues that stood out to me: [Read more…] about Book Review: Urban Green Spaces
Review
Gateway Arch National Park: A Visual Tour
Have you been to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis? Do you know that the iconic stainless steel structure is the world’s tallest arch, the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere, and the tallest publicly accessible building in the State of Missouri? I recently visited the Arch which is the centerpiece of the Gateway Arch National Park, previously known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and came away impressed by both the monument and its newly renovated surroundings. [Read more…] about Gateway Arch National Park: A Visual Tour
Views from the Top: 10 High-Rises Worth Visiting
Do you like to travel and explore different cities? I certainly do. While I travel mostly for pleasure (rather than for work), the planner in me cannot help but observe, study, and evaluate the places I visit. While much of this observing, studying, and evaluating take place on foot at the street level, I also try to find high-above vantage points that offer the best views of a city. [Read more…] about Views from the Top: 10 High-Rises Worth Visiting
Anecdotes on the Urban Design of Utopia: Part II of III of the Utopia 500th Anniversary Series
Welcome back to the Island of Utopia! Part I began the first installment of a three-article series commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the publishing of St. Thomas More’s classic book, Utopia. In Part I, the word “Utopia” was defined and several of the key geographic features of More’s fictional Island of Utopia were described. In Part II, we’ll delve into the some of the urban design characteristics of Utopian cities. [Read more…] about Anecdotes on the Urban Design of Utopia: Part II of III of the Utopia 500th Anniversary Series
Documentary Review: City of Gold
Are you a “foodie“? Do you live in the Los Angeles area? Are you a regular reader of the L.A. Times? If you answered yes to all three questions, then you have probably heard of acclaimed food critic Jonathan Gold. I recently watched City of Gold which I initially thought was just a documentary about Gold and his culinary adventures. However, as I was watching the movie, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that its focus was not solely on the Pulitzer-winning writer and his favorite restaurants; City of Gold also reveals Gold’s love for Los Angeles and how he has essentially experienced the diversity and vastness of the city through food. [Read more…] about Documentary Review: City of Gold
A Museum for Architects and Planners
When I mentioned to some friends that I would be vacationing in Washington, D.C., most of them told me about the Smithsonian museums which offer free admissions. While I did end up visiting a few of these amazing museums, I also went to one that nobody suggested: the National Building Museum. This museum is dedicated to the interpretation of the history and impact of the built environment, and is perfect for architects, planners, landscape architects, and designers. (I knew about the museum because it helped to organize a symposium on Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. that I attended a few years ago). Here are some highlights of the museum: [Read more…] about A Museum for Architects and Planners
Exhibit Review: Nature Connects at the South Coast Botanic Garden
Do you enjoy LEGOs and nature? If yes, then I have the perfect exhibit to recommend to you. Over the weekend, I visited the South Coast Botanic Garden with my family to see the Nature Connects exhibit. [Read more…] about Exhibit Review: Nature Connects at the South Coast Botanic Garden
Documentary Review: Redemption
Have you ever wondered how people make a living by collecting cans and bottles from trash cans? Do you want to learn more about “canning” and how “canners” survive in New York City? Do you enjoy documentaries? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, I highly recommend that you watch HBO’s Redemption (2012) which was directed and produced by Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill. [Read more…] about Documentary Review: Redemption
APA Conference: Lessons from Disneyland
As a plannerd, I am naturally drawn to events like the American Planning Association (APA) conferences. However, when I told my wife that this year’s APA California Conference would be held at Disneyland, she was actually more excited than me and made sure that we would be going! [Read more…] about APA Conference: Lessons from Disneyland
Tracking the Movement of Angelenos
Have you heard of the exercise app called “Human“? I only learned about it last week when I read an article on CityLab that discusses how the app encourages people to exercise or be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day and in doing so, collects very interesting data on how people move in different cities. The article presents maps taken from Human’s website for the cities of Amsterdam and Houston to illustrate how data collected through the app validate the reputation of the two cities: Amsterdam as a bike-loving city, and Houston as a place where people love their cars and don’t walk much. [Read more…] about Tracking the Movement of Angelenos