Overlook Walk Finally Opens as the New Seattle Waterfront’s Centerpiece
The new pedestrian connection, park, and gathering space all in one was envisioned as a key component of Seattle's new waterfront since work started on the project over a decade ago.
An Urbanist’s Guide to the U District Station Area
Already the destination for many transit riders, the U District Station offers the most reasons to visit for light rail riders on its opening,...
Pioneer Square Habitat Beach Opens, Hope Alive for More Public Space Next Door
This weekend, Seattle's Office of the Waterfront quietly opened a stretch of rocky beach in Pioneer Square, just south of Colman Dock. The small...
Op-Ed: Parks Need More Mini Soccer Pitches, Fewer Empty Lawns
Activate underused parks with soccer pitches and courts for basketball, pickleball, and tennis to bring people out and foster social cohesion. RAVE is building 26 community fields around the metro in time for the 2026 World Cup. But we shouldn't stop there.
The Promise and Potential Pitfalls of Google’s Smart City in Toronto
Sidewalk Labs is Google’s (ahem, Alphabet’s) secretive department focused on developing ‘smart cities.’ In 2017, the company was awarded an opportunity to reimagine the...
Fridaygram: From Railway Yards and Dilapidated Parking Lots to Millennium Park
In 1998, the Mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley announced a vision to redevelop the rail tracks and dilapidated surface car park that consumed...
Renton Seeks to Create a New Urban Neighborhood Around Planned Transit
Renton wants to spur development around the planned Sound Transit bus rapid transit station in South Renton. But considerable hurdles stand in the way of creating a truly multimodal neighborhood in that location.
Fridaygram: Happy Holidays
As we wish you happy holidays, we thought we would share some of the ways different cities decorate and use public spaces at this time...