Placemaking | This Big City

Jun

Espai Germanetes: Activating Vacant Space in the Middle of Barcelona

Categories: Europe, Placemaking, Planning

by Tere Garcia

Nowadays, citizens all over the world are driving initiatives to improve their immediate urban environment. These actions help to promote a process of naturalization of the city through the improvement of green areas, reclaiming public spaces or supporting acclimation of wild species to the buildings where they have their lair. Read more

May

São Paulo Transforms Parklets into Public Policy

Categories: Latin America, Placemaking, Planning

Tags: cc, São Paulo

Comments: 1

by Igor Rodriques

A temporary parklets experiment took place in parts of São Paulo last year, with the initiative being widely applauded by citizens. Now as a result of a recent legislation change, São Paulo has rules for the creation and maintenance of parklets, the first Latin American public policy on the issue. Read more

Apr

Temporary Cities: Introducing Our Next #citytalk

Categories: Placemaking, Planning

Tags: cc, citytalk

Comments: No

by Joe Peach

Is temporariness the most important contemporary urban issue? (And yes, temporariness is indeed a word). When architect, researcher and friend of This Big City Alison Killing got in touch asking us that very question, we couldn't help but think it was the ideal topic for our next #citytalk tweetchat. Read more

Mar

The National Park Project Aiming to Change the Landscape of St. Louis

Categories: Placemaking, Planning, Urban Scale, USA and Canada

Comments: No

by Kyle Rogler

Take one of the most iconic modern monuments of America, analyze the original design by a world-famous architect, identify all the site issues, coordinate with multiple national, state, and local agencies, and have it completed by 2015. St. Louis is facing a challenge, to say the least. Read more

Mar

Malls are Not Public Spaces: What #Rolezinhos Can Teach Us About Urban Design

Categories: Latin America, Placemaking, Planning

Tags: cc

Comments: No

by Igor Rodriques

In January, a Brazilian flashmob trend made international news. With the controversy quietening, now is a good time to look at one of the most important urban planning topics highlighted during the event: shopping malls as recreational spaces and their function in the city . Read more

Feb

Citizen Placemaking Project Rethinks Public Space in Cologne

Categories: Europe, Placemaking, Planning

Tags: cc, cologne

Comments: No

by Christian Fahl

A market square in Cologne has been a surprising hub for antisocial activity. Now local citizens want to do something about it - and they've got plenty of ideas. Read more

Jan

From NYC to BOI: How Walkability Contributes to City Sustainability

Categories: Placemaking, Planning, USA and Canada

Comments: No

by Robert Dalton

It’s easy to overlook how walkability contributes to a sustainable city, but this quality can make a small city prosperous and turn a large city into a true treasure. Let’s compare two US cities and their walkability. Read more

Nov

Pop-Up Planning: New Methods for Transforming the Public Process

Categories: Placemaking, Planning

Tags: cc, LA, Los Angeles, tactical urbanism

Comments: 1

by Amber Hawkes

The City of Santa Monica and Los Angeles-based urban designers Melendrez recently brought the idea of pop-up tactical urbanism into the planning process with a festival/workshop/installation called Pop-Up MANGo. Read more

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