- Backing Developers, New Jersey Rejects Gift of Island Park
Newark Star-Ledger New Jersey State officials yesterday turned down an offer for a free state park on an island in the Delaware River, bowing to South Jersey political leaders and developers who want to build a hotel, a golf course and 300 homes on the land. (October 1)
- Light-Rail Stations Could be Hubs for Retail and Housing in Denver
Rocky Mountain News The TOD concept is taking root along several light- rail corridors in Denver. (October 2)
- Downtown St. Paul Adding Two New City Parks
St. Paul Pioneer Press Driven by a growing population, St. Paul by next spring is adding two city parks downtown with places for children to play, dogs to be walked and people to watch life on the Mississippi River. (October 3)
- Fort Lauderdale Wants Safer Downtown for Pedestrians and Bike Riders
Sun-Sentinel Bike riding and walking will get new emphasis in the coming years, according to a set of sweeping policies Fort Lauderdale City Commissioners tentatively adopted Tuesday night. (October 6)
- Chicago Grass-roots Group Brings Farmers Markets to Underserved Neighborhoods
Chicago Sun-Times The Institute for Community Resource Development was founded by community members to bring more produce into underserved neighborhoods of Chicago, many of which have no supermarkets, let alone sources for produce and healthy food. (October 6)
- Third Month of Rail Ridership in Minneapolis Exceeds Expectation
Metropolitan Council Customers rode Hiawatha light-rail trains 424,000 times in September, 87 percent higher than expected ridership of 227,200. (October 7)
- Toronto’s Waterfront Czar Turns to NYC for Inspiration
The Globe and Mail Director of the long-delayed, $17-billion revitalization of Toronto's central waterfront, is inspired by New York’s aggressive attitude and spirit on the Hudson River Park, and parks along the East River. (October 8)
- Long-Term Vision for Nashville is a Downtown Without Interstates
The Tennessean The Nashville Civic Design Center recommends that Nashville tear down the interstate loop that circles downtown and replace it with boulevards, parks and residential and commercial developments that reconnect the city's urban core with its surrounding neighborhoods. (October 8)
- Gehry Is Selected as Architect of Ground Zero Theater Center
New York Times The selection of Mr. Gehry for the arts center - which is to include the Joyce Theater and the Signature Theater - brings to Lower Manhattan a celebrity architect who has been notably absent from perhaps the most closely watched architectural site in the world. (October 13)
- Britain's ‘Worst Building' to be Demolished on TV
The Guardian TV viewers will be asked to identify Britain's worst building in a new four-part reality series which will culminate in a live broadcast of the building's destruction. (October 14)
- Greenway to Bring Color to Urban Area in Benton County, Arkansas
Daily Record The first section of a 26-mile greenway in the urban setting of Rogers, AS, will be completed this year, and will be used by walkers, runner, and cyclists. (October 18)
- PPS Helps Pioneer Courthouse Square Become a Square for All Seasons
The Oregonian As Pioneer Courthouse Square enters its 21st autumn as Portland's "living room," the square's leaders are looking at how to strengthen its link to the downtown area in all seasons; PPS held a series of workshops to help guide the vision. (October 18)
- Homebuyers Favor Shorter Commutes, Walkable Neighborhoods, Says Survey
U.S. Newswire The prospect of lengthening commutes is leading more Americans to seek walkable neighborhoods in close-in suburbs and cities, according to the 2004 American Community Survey sponsored by the National Association of Realtors(r) and Smart Growth America. (October 20)
- "Third Places" Provide Havens for Diverse Discussion
Seattle Times Ron Sher, a member of PPS’s Board of Directors, discusses how "third places" cultivate deeper support and a broader range of ideas than people find at their first place (home) or second place (work). (October 24)
- A Tale of Two Hospitals
The Guardian One is a Kafkaesque monolith with endless echoing corridors, the other is a bright, airy child-friendly haven; the right and wrong ways to design a hospital. (October 25)
- Findlay Market is Adding Flavor to Tradition
Cincinnati Business Courier New vendors at Findlay Market are part of an effort to broaden the culinary offerings at the 152-year-old market, traditionally known for vendors selling specialty meats, cheese, poultry and fish. (October 25)
- Subway and Light-Rail Stops are Popular Locations for Housing in L.A.
LA Times Public subsidies, new zoning rules and shifting demographics are fueling a housing boom near transit stations, even in car-crazy Los Angeles. (October 25)
- Long-Neglected Battery Park is Undergoing Transformation
Wall Street Journal A plan is under way to transform Battery Park, which was little more than a maze of asphalt paths, into one of the city's most exciting open spaces. (October 26)
- Design Competition for New High School is Voted Down in Newton, MA
Newton Tab The public facilities committee in Newton MA voted down a design competition for a new high school, and instead proposed requiring some conceptual ideas about site planning from the three finalist architecture firms. (October 27)
- Reducing Auto Traffic in Central Park
New York Times A decades-long process of promoting pedestrian and bicycle traffic in Central Park - while reducing access to cars - moves forward. (October 31)
