London doesn’t need a floating park on the Thames, but would it benefit from one?
Ian Mulcahey 
In cities across the world you can find all sorts of public structures that residents don’t need. Take the Eiffel Tower or the Washington Monument, for example. Neither provides Parisians or Washingtonians with food, shelter or any of the other amenities necessary to sustain life, but I bet you won’t find a single a person in either city that would say the monuments make Paris or Washington, D.C. worse off.
First Look: London River Park
Leah Ray Gensler is working on a project to create a mile-long floating park along the River Thames.
Rapid Urbanization and the Need for Open Spaces
Ian Mulcahey 
Rapid urbanization is upon us. A report from the U.N. projects that by midcentury nearly 69 percent of the earth’s population will live in cities. This coming shift will mandate vast changes to urban infrastructure, including increased access to quality open spaces.
Encouraging Open Space Development
Ian Mulcahey 
There’s no doubt that as cities grow, the need for access to relaxing open space also grows. Parks, river walks, and playing fields provide places where city dwellers can escape clustered streets and transit grids to catch a breath of fresh air. And research shows that but open spaces increase real estate value.
Who Will Champion Open Spaces?
Ian Mulcahey 
Image above: a model of London at this year’s MIPIM conference spurred conversation about how to find more opportunities to create open spaces in the city. One proposal is the London Riverwalk, seen on the river above.
