In densely built, high-cost cities, the space around and beneath highways is now seen not as a hopeless barrier but as an opportunity. Cities around the world are reclaiming these “el-spaces” for the benefit of the public, transforming highway corridors into skate trails, safe pedestrian connections, and green spaces.

OJB Landscape Architecture released concept designs for downtown Omaha’s new riverfront park, which is part of a master plan to revitalize underutilized, industrial areas adjacent to the Missouri River. The proposal would span both sides of the river, unifying Omaha and Council Bluffs into a regional destination.

The Atlanta BeltLine’s original master plan outlined ambitions to create 5,600 affordable housing units along the trail over a 25-year period. Brian McGowan, who stepped into the project’s CEO role amid concerns of undelivered affordability promises, wants to increase the promised number of affordable units to 10,000.

Twenty years ago, the U.S. Green Building Council piloted its LEED certification, which has reshaped architecture and real estate. But how much does it dent buildings’ energy use?

The architectural firm Mecanoo has unveiled their plans to transform a former railway line in Taichung, Taiwan into a bio-diverse green corridor. The firm envisions that the one-mile linear park will improve pedestrian and cyclist connectivity and support conservation of the area’s biodiversity.

Toni Griffin, one of the prominent black women in architecture and design, is leading her students at Harvard in envisioning and designing the “just city.” An exhibition of her work featured a Just City Index, which she describes as a tool for communities and cities to use for crafting their own definitions of justice.

Affordability has become a growing concern for some residents in Durham, North Carolina since the city announced its plans to build a 1.7-mile greenway stretching from downtown to Old North Durham.

In recent years, sports arenas have become showcases for green design. Their physical and cultural prominence means that green stadiums are shining a light on the complex and critical issue of climate change.

With similar public space projects being increasingly scrutinized for fueling gentrification in surrounding neighborhoods, the real challenge for Philly’s Rail Park is not just fundraising enough to build a crown jewel park for the city, but one that equitably serves the surrounding community.

The proposed Sydney Harbour High Line would connect several major public spaces by creating a 2-mile walking path along the railroad between the Lavender Bay and Waverton stations in Sydney’s North Shore. Unlike many similar rails-to-trails projects, trains would continue to run adjacent to the pedestrian walkway.