Raíces Garden. N 2nd St

Greening Philly’s Neglected Lots

Spearheaded by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, an urban beautification program transformed neighborhoods in the city of brotherly love.
A series of color images showing the Sharing Garden in Providence, the Providence skyline, and a plants in a garden

In the Sharing Garden

How one family physician fosters food justice, social connectivity, and better health at a local community garden.

We Descend from the River

Public spaces are often sites of commemoration of events in the nation’s history. But which public is represented in and served by those spatialized celebrations?
An ancient glacier channel at Lake Tenaya in Yosemite National Park, 1872

Living Laboratories: Science and the National Parks

National parks in the US are filled with glaciers and volcanoes, which isn't an accident, as the parks developed alongside the sciences of glaciology and volcanology.

The Tamest Grizzly of Yellowstone

Adored by tourists and studied by scientists, a grizzly mother named Sylvia became an emblem of the fragile balance between humans and the wild.
Three colorful shapes against a black background demonstrating the idea of national parks and public lands

The Victory of Public Lands

Most Americans agree on the value of preserving public lands. How did the idea of public lands come about, and how can we ensure they exist in the future?
A view of the landscape seen along the Golden Gate Trail in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington.

The Promise and Problems of Public Lands: A Reading List

Discover key research on U.S. public lands through scholarly works exploring conservation, Indigenous knowledge, and public policy.
Panoramic of 14th street and Union Square. Taken August 25, 2017 in New York.

Perspectives on Public Space: A Reading List

This list introduces some of the main debates about public space, from park politics to political protest, public expressions of sexuality to safety and security.
A collage of colorful shapes that include images of different public spaces.

Perspectives on Public Space: A JSTOR Daily Podcast

What is public space? How does it function? Whom does it benefit, and whom does it harm? These are just a few of the questions we put to experts on the subject.
A colorful collage that includes a family feeding pigeons in a city square, friends relaxing in a park, and an example of hostile architecture

On the Meaning and Value of Public Spaces

What is public space? How is it produced, and why is that production important for our social and political lives?