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Policing Public Space: Last weekend, another police shooting put the unequal way that people are policed in American public spaces into stark terms. On the streets of Kenosha, WI, police shot Jacob Blake, a Black 29-year-old man, four times in the back as he tried to enter his car, where his three sons watched on (Vox). Blake is now paralyzed from the waist down.
After a viral video of the incident drew protests, a white 17-year-old boy shot three protestors with a semi-automatic rifle during a scuffle, killing two of them. Responding police officers did not detain or fire on the shooter.
Muncie, All-American City: Project for Public Spaces fellow Jane Ellery was part of a team that was recently won the recognition of All-America City for the city of Muncie, IN, from the National Civic League. This honor recognizes Muncie’s work in inclusive civic engagement to address health and well-being and create stronger connections among residents, businesses, and nonprofit and government leaders (Muncie Journal).
Keep the Suburbs Weird: During this election, President Trump has made "protecting the suburbs" a key part of his campaign, but most suburbs aren't the homogenous, single-family places his administration depicts (Brookings). In fact, as author Jason Diamond's argues in his new book The Sprawl, the suburbs are more diverse, culturally rich, and strange than some urbanists might think (CityLab).
From Polluted Waterway to a String of Pearls: In 2015, Project for Public Spaces produced a report for Middletown, CT, that proposed transforming a polluted waterfront into a string of connected destinations for the whole community. Today, remediation is underway to bring that vision to life (Middletown Press).
To Tree or Not to Tree? Can planting trees make a city more equitable (CityLab)? Consider asking residents first (CityLab).
Google Gets Granular: Google Maps, which has become a ubiquitous way for many people to navigate the public realm, is getting a visual overhaul worldwide, finally letting users distinguish forest from floodplain, and desert from snowfield (The Guardian). Perhaps most interestingly for placemakers, though, selected urban areas will also add tiny street-level details, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and accurate road widths.
What Killed Quayside? Google Sidewalk Labs bet big on their smart city project in Toronto, ON, Canada, and lost big time. Does their defeat by a handful of activists mark the end of an era of tech optimism (OneZero)?
New Leadership at ASLA: The American Society of Landscape Architects announced this month the selection of Torey Carter-Conneen as its new CEO (ASLA). “I’m honored, humbled and incredibly excited to help the Society and the landscape architecture profession forge a new path forward to effectively address the growing challenges of the climate crisis, the urgent need for racial and social justice, and the stark realities and disruption of social norms caused by a global pandemic,” says Carter-Conneen.
Red Hot: New research demonstrates how the racist housing policy of redlining has concentrated the urban heat island effect in neighborhoods of color, raising temperatures 5°F on average higher than other neighborhoods (New York Times).
Farmers Markets Are Essential: In some ways, celebrating National Farmers Market Week earlier this month felt bittersweet. While farmers markets are often viewed as a privilege for the well-off, the pandemic has cemented them as essential businesses that increase access to local, healthy food for everyone. Yet, even before the coronavirus, not enough support, funding, and resources have been directed to the organizations and individuals that run markets (Farmers Market Coalition).
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