Scioto Mile, Columbus Ohio

The beautiful Scioto Mile in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Promenade, parks, open space, recreation. The city took a stretch of slow moving muddy water that was held back by a dam and transformed it into this. These sorts of investments improve qualify of life and inspire investment in surrounding neighborhoods. I wish City and County of LA could get moving on the LA River master plan. 

Pop Up Parks

Or is it pocket park? Pop up pocket park? Tactical urbanism? Whatever you call it, installations like this one in downtown Los Angeles are intended to reclaim the street for public space with little financial investment. Some complain that the temporary nature of these interventions and do not create any lasting impact, but their benefit is that they encourage people to imagine the ways in which their neighborhoods could be different and how they can make better use of public space. That is a good thing. This installation temporarily removes some on street parking. It doesn't have to eliminate parking on the entire block and it doesn't eliminate cars entirely. It just puts cars in their place and reduces their dominance. Not sure how I feel about the stationary bikes though. Maybe a little too cute.

Urban Open Space

This is picture of "Lake Elizabeth" in Allegheny Commons Park on Pittsburgh's North side. The downtown Pittsburgh skyline is in the background. This is a beautiful bit of open space in an area of the city that has seen a good deal of improvement in the past decade or so. This space is an urban respite, but the view connects you to the city. This is an incredible community asset. It it vitally important that cities preserve places like this and create them in existing neighborhoods where it is possible.

Grand Park

One of the newer great public spaces in Los Angeles is Downtown's Grand Park. These are some shots from the lunch hour when I was downtown recently for jury duty. A Farmers Market, yoga class, and just sitting and enjoying the weather. This space fills a need not just for the court employees and other government workers whose offices line the park. It has great potential. 25,000 people showed up for New Year's Eve this year (last year?).

Beverly Hills

"Beverly Canon Gardens." Part of the Montage Hotel development in Beverly Hills. A public park (built over a public parking garage) that is sometimes closed for private events. A lovely spot. A public amenity the was built as part of a private development. (But it doesn't make up for the fact that BH is fighting the subway extension as well ad bike lanes on Santa Monica, and dedicated bus lanes on Wilshire.)

What Was Once a Parking Lot...

A former parking lot in Pittsburgh becomes a popular park and outdoor living area and a place worth caring about.  From the city's web site:

Used as a parking lot for decades, the five-acre Schenley Plaza was restored to its intended use by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and its community partners in 2006. A second phase of the Plaza's revitalization, the restoration of the Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain, was completed in 2008. Future plans for the site include the restoration of the Magee Memorial Fountain in front of the Carnegie Library.  A full-service restaurant, The Porch at Schenley, opened in the Plaza's northwest corner in the fall of 2011.

Scroll down the bottom of this link to see incredible the parking lot "before" picture.

When I visited it was a very hot day. Most people were competing for the shady spots with the exception of some sunbathers. In hindsight, I should have gone back in the evening to see if the unshaded tables were being used.