Alley. A narrow passage between or behind buildings. This definition is too vague. I prefer (my own): Alley. A narrow passage between or behind buildings that provides auxiliary access. With this definition in mind, what follows is a list of Durham’s alleys. This list is by no means exhaustive; we’d love to hear about those you’ve explored that didn’t make it on this list. Right … Continue reading A Brief Guide to Durham’s Alleyways
Black Diamond: A Public Backyard aims to restore and rekindle these connections that our bustling lifestyles have neglected by opening a third space. Continue reading Black Diamond: a UNC alumni-curated Third Space in downtown Greensboro
How should we use public space in downtown cores? What is the social role of parks? What form can community action take? Angles sat down with environmental studies and city planning student Caroline Lindquist, a senior undergraduate at UNC-Chapel Hill, to find out. We discuss the parklet she and her friends designed, built, and enjoyed on September 16th, known fondly by guerrilla urbanists throughout as “PARK(ing) … Continue reading Reviving Wasted Pavement
On hot days when I was a kid, my mom would occasionally load the car with a bag of towels and sunscreen and take my sisters and me to the pool. We rolled down all four windows to feel the breeze that lasted for the 20 sticky minutes it took to get there. I remember the blue-green water, thick with children’s bodies, shouting and waving and … Continue reading Planners for Public Pools
On the corner of New York City’s 13th Street and 5th Avenue, hundreds of people use the sidewalk adjacent to The New School University Center every day. For a university in Manhattan, “campus” is a loose term that defines the parts of the city traversed by its students. Union Square Park—a magnet of public life—is a proximate and popular space for students and faculty to relax outside, … Continue reading Street Seats: a student-designed parklet in NYC
It’s that time of year again: the Carolina Planning Journal is being copyedited and proofread and then copyedited and proofread again. And it is looking very beautiful. So: we’ve compiled a list of seven creative placemaking resources in order to get all of you excited about this upcoming volume, “Just Creativity: Perspectives on Inclusive Placemaking.” ArtPlace’s Blog Series called “The Huddle” ArtPlace is a funder … Continue reading Seven Creative Placemaking Resources
For those of us that identify as secular, the word sacred is often alienating and uncomfortable. The word can also seem mysterious, vague, and exclusionary. In its most basic sense, the word sacred means “set apart ” and sacred spaces can therefore be invaluable to secular people as well as those who participate in organized religion. We often talk about setting aside time for reflection … Continue reading Sacred Spaces in Public Places
