As the magnitude of climate challenges increases, communities need to continue to experiment with new approaches and proactively invest in more resilient stormwater infrastructure. If community leaders and infrastructure decision makers demonstrate—and communicate—the value of these investments, they may find it easier to pilot alternative projects and realize broader community benefits.

Several proposals in Atlanta suggest building greenery covers over sections of interstates—dubbed “hanging gardens,” or most frequently, “deck parks.” More than 30 cities in the US are seriously considering developing deck parks to meet growing demand for green space and walkability in urban areas.

Minneapolis is starting to see an influx of solar panel installations in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. This is an early result of a new program, “green zones,” which targets investments in these areas without displacing existing residents and businesses.

The Trust for Public Land will sell 4.5 acres of land at the westernmost end of the 606 to the City of Chicago to build an 100% affordable housing project and a public park.

A new study published in the journal Social Science Research finds that people in the United States report greater levels of happiness in states that spend more money on public goods such as parks, libraries, infrastructure, and public safety. The author, Patrick Flavin, notes that the happiness boost from public-goods spending is roughly the same across a wide range of demographic variables: race, income, education, etc. suggesting public spending on categories accessible to everyone has an effect on the well-being of everyone.

In the public realm, zoning elicits a range of reactions across cities, and Charlottesville is no different. Existing zoning restrictions have made the city’s tight housing market even tighter, and there’s fear within lower income communities that denser zoning will greatly increase gentrification and displacement.

Visions to transform the downtown waterfront of Seattle moved one step closer to reality. Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that the city had negotiated with downtown property owners who threatened to block the location-specific tax.

The neighborhood surrounding the park is considered a “food desert,” where fresh and affordable fruits and vegetables are hard to come by. Combining public space with edible gardens, the Bronx River Foodway might be the future of public park design.

Extraordinary levels of public-private investment in parks, greenways and public spaces will continue to provide far-reaching benefits affecting the way people live, work, play and travel.

High-impact design was a recurring theme for parks that opened in 2018, and so was the hope that parks can unite and invigorate cities. Tulsa’s Gathering Place, Toronto’s Bentway, and Detroit’s Riverfront Conservancy are all being transformed into green spaces exhibiting the latest in equitable and resilient design.