A Renewed Focus on Water Fountains. For the Ottoman's "providing drinking water was a philanthropic duty." Today, Istanbul is returning this idea and restoring the city's historic water fountains, which used to serve as community meeting points. (CityLab) Across the world, Minneapolis and San Francisco are two cities also looking to bring back the humble water fountain to promote equitable access to water. (Next City) Placemaking Rooted in Identity. Urban planner Ebony Walden explores the potential for placemaking projects with values "rooted in equity and Black prosperity and created [with] a vision for homeownership, entrepreneurship, and cultural arts rooted in African American history and culture." Walden gathers inspiration from Miami's Domino Park in Little Havana, which has a nostalgic Cuban atmosphere, as well as the Homecoming art project highlighting Black stories in Pittsburgh's Hill Neighborhood. (Next City) The Rise & Fall of the Pedestrian Mall. One of the most popular news items in last week's "Placemaking Playbook" covered the elevated cycleways of the late 19th century. Another great idea, ripe for a comeback, is the pedestrian malls of the 1970s. Researchers found that the following factors would aid their success this time around: the presence of a college, the pre-existence of foot traffic, a dense local population, and shorter, more varied lengths. (Bloomberg) |
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