The Power of Placemaking
Why the social, political, and emotional dimensions of public spaces matter, and how people themselves play a central role in creating them.
Landscape Architecture: A Reading List
A survey of classic and contemporary works revealing how cities, materials, power, and ecology shape landscapes—and how design can create healthier, more just places.
Designing for Community and Climate in Los Angeles
How can we design public spaces that help people thrive and connect—with each other and with their environment?
Greening Philly’s Neglected Lots
Spearheaded by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, an urban beautification program transformed neighborhoods in the city of brotherly love.
Tonka Bean: The Tale of a Contested Commodity
The rise and fall of the sweet-smelling seeds of Dipteryx odorata stands in stark contrast to the tree’s lasting presence in global markets.
Urgent Notification: It’s Time to Play Cross Reference
This month’s crossword puzzle kindly requests your attention.
Sustainable Building Effort Reaches New Heights with Wooden Skyscrapers
Wood engineered for strength and safety offers architects an alternative to carbon-intensive steel and concrete.
Cancún and the Making of Modern “Gringolandia”
Created from almost nothing, Cancún has become a tourist playground that both celebrates and obscures the history of the Yucatán and its peoples.
What Do Gardens and Murder Have in Common?
Writers have long plotted murder mysteries in gardens of all sorts. What makes these fertile grounds for detective fiction?
Building Community and Urban Tree Canopy
Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, Black communities and other reformers in New York City recognized the ameliorative social effects of greening urban spaces.