• Italian coastal towns: The power of public spaces

    A few simple policy steps rooted in design and public access have dramatically improved a stretch of the Adriatic coast. Similar ideas could be implemented in US towns.
    Two and half years ago I retired and my wife and I moved to Italy permanently. Following extensive research and multiple visits in previous years, we found a house and a village that perfectly suited our needs and preferences. The region we live in is called Le Marche. Although situated in the...Read more

  • Ten great public squares

    Here are ten of the best public spaces at the heart of cities in America, plus honorable mentions.
    It seems only right that we should feature great public squares on Public Square . Squares are the outdoor living rooms of cities worldwide, and they have been planned at the center of the best North American cities for half of a millennium. The Law of the Indies required settlements to be built...Read more

  • Reflections on 10 Years of the NYC plaza program

    Seventy-four public spaces have been created out of underutilized parts of the city street network in the last decade.
    In 2007, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlanNYC made a bold commitment that all New Yorkers would live within a 10-minute walk of an open space. Rather than give that goal to the Parks Department as might seem obvious, the plan’s visionary crafters assigned it instead to the Department of...Read more

  • Placemaking is more than a niche market

    Placemaking is not a design endeavor. Or a business proposition. Or a public health pursuit. Or an equity concern. Or an avenue for culture and the arts. It’s all of these things.
    When I first developed my interest in placemaking twenty years ago it was driven by design. I was a brand advertising person which, by necessity, involves the study of behavior. Not just of people but of their context. Where and how people choose to live, I learned, provided a lot of insight into...Read more