In 2012, Chicago residents were asked to participate in the process of planning the city’s cultural future. The city has long been home to world-class cultural venues, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as localized neighborhood cultural events and festivals. With the intention of expanding the tremendous cultural capital Chicago has, in [...]
Home to the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, the Carnegie Museums and Library, Phipps Conservatory, and the expansive Schenley Park, Oakland, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a product of the City Beautiful movement. It is a center of knowledge, art, and culture, enriched by its civic spaces and ample greenery. The University of [...]
Like many of its Bay Area counterparts, Oakland, California is a city full of diverse neighborhoods, comprised of unique identities blending and interacting to form one of the region’s primary destinations. Temescal is one such example where you can see the local history while experiencing the recently emerged culinary and art scenes that have come [...]
In a global economy, where places are in tight competition for investors, companies, workforce, and tourists, creating a place brand has become a powerful tool. Cities like Paris, London, and New York have distinctive features that tell a story about their urbanity, history and lifestyle. These images are commonly created not by accident, but are [...]
The propulsion of urban planning is vital this day in age. Innovation and ideas must be at constant work and implementation, in order to create a positive vision. Within the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, the group 2015Vision, has embraced this platform and embodied key ideas in innovative design. This group is compiled of local business leaders [...]
It’s no secret that in order to attract investors, companies, and tourists, cities are under increasing pressure to stand out. More and more cities make use of social media to create a positive image and strengthen their place in the global competition of attractive cities. Imagine, you are in charge of your city’s social media [...]
As the prices of gas skyrocket and a sustainable lifestyle is ever so important to adopt, alternative forms of transportation are key in our society, although sometimes a challenge to implement. Lincoln has stepped up to this challenge however, and truly exhibited how urban planning, paired with branding techniques, can create a buzz as well [...]
When you think of a mecca for public transportation, often times your mindset shifts to large cities; New York City, Tokyo, London all stick out to me. A new city is emerging, that is the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, which was named one of the top smart cities for transportation by the Natural Resources Defense Council. While Lincoln [...]
Cheap labour is good, but free labour is even better. With the emergence of ever evolving social media platforms, many of the world’s industries are formulating creatively inexpensive strategies for optimal gain. However, when it comes to the tourism industry, the utilisation of platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are either non existent or tepidly innovative. [...]
In July of 2012, Target opened a brand new location in downtown Chicago, in architect Louis Sullivan’s famed Carson Pirie Scott building. Critics were left to wonder if the landmark building’s character could be preserved with such a corporate tenant, yet the remarkable cast-iron façade remains intact, and the exterior corporate branding is less obtrusive [...]
A big Global Site Plans welcome to our newest blogger, Luis Letzner from Berlin, Germany. Originally from Berlin, Luise Letzner currently pursues a Masters at HafenCity University in Hamburg, Germany, in Urban Planning. She also holds a B.A. in European Studies from Malmö University, Sweden, where she focused on inner-city redevelopment projects, place branding, and [...]
June Mountain is located approximately 20 miles (31 kilometers) north of the town of Mammoth Lakes, California. Opened in 1961, the ski area provides the economic epicenter of June Lake, CA, a small, unincorporated community in Mono County. Unfortunately, on June 21, 2012, the day that the mountain was supposed to open for summer activities, [...]
Summer has arrived in Canada’s Okanagan valley, and with the warmer weather, people are venturing outside to enjoy the many parks in Kelowna. Among these is Mission Creek Regional Park and Greenway, arguably the most visited park in the city. It includes an educational centre, salmon spawning channel, picnic areas, and a playground. The greenway [...]
From a simple submissions post on my college jobs board, I began my writing internship for Global Site Plans in May 2011. As an undergrad I had dipped my feet in creative writing, authoring several articles for student publications, however blogging for The Grid was to be a new experience unlike any I had undertaken [...]
How important is measuring park use for urban planners? Should it be of concern to planners when a neighborhood park is empty or underutilized? I live next to Jaycee Park, a park that is exploding with noise daily. This recently renovated park proves the importance of parks as essential for community building. When parks cater [...]
I have been a writer for The Grid for over a year and this will be my last writing. I am grateful to Renee Van Staveren, Global Site Plans, and The Grid staff for this opportunity. A lot has been learned through my own research and also through the writings of my peers. The topics [...]
Zoning, the main form in which land use is regulated in the United States, is a controversial form of urban planning. Property owners do not like being told what they can and cannot do with their land and view use restrictions as a violation of their property rights. Those in favor of zoning view it [...]
Camelback Mountain is one of the many mountain ranges surrounding what Arizonians call “the valley”. The Valley is a flat area of Arizona desert that is home to 4 million of the state’s 6 million inhabitants. The valley includes Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Chandler, among others that, together, make up a sprawling [...]
Planning participation is a requirement in most American states, and many municipalities realize its power; a sense of ownership in the community for an initiative can be a determining factor in the success of any plan. To distribute and gather information to and from the community there are essentially three routes. Depending on the community [...]
Planning should be participatory; however, it’s often very difficult to get stakeholders to contribute to planning processes. Mail-in survey return rates are low, and more often than not, residents don’t want to sit through a Saturday morning design charette. Marketing online and social media platforms give urban planners and architects a set of contemporary tools [...]
