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Articles on Central Park

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New York City has closed some streets to traffic to give residents more room to roam during the coronavirus pandemic, Queens, May 13, 2020. Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

How pandemics have changed American cities – often for the better

For centuries, disease outbreaks have forced cities to transform physically and operationally in ways that ultimately benefited all residents going forward.
Union Square: contentious political rallies helped progressive social reformers argue for the protection of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington DC, USA

How New York’s Union Square helped shape free speech in the US

New York’s Union Square is an important site in American labor history. One scholar’s research illustrates the shifting meanings and inherent tensions of public space as an epicenter of civic life.
Tiny Paley Park, surrounded by skyscrapers in New York City, introduced the concept of a ‘pocket park’ in dense urban centers. Aleksandr Zykov/Flickr

Parks help cities – but only if people use them

Research shows that access to urban green space makes people and neighborhoods healthier. But parks can’t work their magic if their design ignores the needs of nearby communities.
Density is an idea sold to us by corporate developers who want to build on every last bit of green space. To fully enjoy our city now and for the future, we need more public green space.

Toronto needs more beauty in its waterfront designs

As Toronto hurtles towards its population dense future, the making of significant green communities for its waterfront needs to be urgently considered.

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