Planning Pool

Here in Vancouver, It is starting to look a lot like spring. The sun in shining and local children have taken up their stations playing in the park and performing skateboard tricks in the streets.

Appropriately for the season, hot topics in this week’s NewsPool include: planning for a child-friendly public realm in Spain, Massachusetts, and the Pacific Northwest, overweight American buildings on an energy diet, and streetcars, which remain a hot topic at any time of the year.

Three of this week’s selected posts look at elements of child-friendly cities in Europe and North America, from parks and community gardens to play in to meaningful involvement in planning processes.

Polis – Cities for Children

A Spanish project called the City of Children … Continue Reading

Creative Commons Photo by Sean Munson

In recent months, many governments have decided to spend their way out of the current recession. The United States has seen a scramble to fund “shovel ready” projects that will create the most short term jobs, regardless of the usual criteria of worthiness. It’s the same old story – politicians taking the easiest, most expedient option. But word comes from Spain of the benefits of looking ahead. The Wall Street Journal printed an article last Monday about the success of the Spanish high speed passenger rail network, named AVE (meaning both Spanish high speed and bird). It’s the kind of epic, transformative project that requires not only billions of dollars but also the will … Continue Reading