Community / Economic Development

Oklahoma's Car Culture Forced to Adapt

Oklahoma City residents used to 70-mile commutes are turning to carpooling as gas hovers at $4 a gallon. But with the largest land area of any U.S. city, providing public transit remains a major challenge.

June 14, 2008 - CNNMoney.com

Brits Say US Cities Should Look To UK's Successes

Dermot Finch of the Centre for Cities, an independent research group, says that the U.S. could learn a lot from the U.K.'s urban renaissance.

June 14, 2008 - BBC News

Ambitious City Center Plan Moves Forward

Despite the economic downturn, city officials in Spokane Valley, WA move forward with a plan to build something the city has always lacked: a true city center.

June 13, 2008 - Spokane Journal of Business

The Best Small Town You've Never Heard Of

Exeter, California, may lie off the beaten path and be little-known outside the southern San Joaquin Valley. But its thriving, spotless downtown would be the envy of most cities.

June 12, 2008 - California Planning & Development Report

'Tele-Nurses' Save Precious Bucks on Ambulances

Instead of sending an ambulance every time someone calls 9-1-1, the Houston City Council voted to contract with a telephone nursing service for non-emergencies.

June 12, 2008 - The Houston Chronicle

Urban Farms Create Flow of Food and Cash in Cuba

Urban farms in Cuba have proven successful at feeding the country and providing hundreds of thousands of jobs.

June 12, 2008 - International Herald Tribune

Making Suburbs Act Like Cities

In order to respond to the changing climate and economy, many say suburbs need to start acting more like cities.

June 11, 2008 - The New York Times

Too Many Condos, Not Enough Jobs

Planners in Vancouver are moving to curb booming residential growth to expand commercial development downtown. 'It's all good to walk and bike to work, but if you don't have offices for people to go to, that makes things rather difficult.'

June 11, 2008 - The Vancouver Sun

Crime, Rising Costs Draw Concerns for World Cup Host

With the first game of the 2010 World Cup exactly two years away, many in host country South Africa are concerned about rising inflation, increased violence, and skyrocketing costs of stadium construction.

June 11, 2008 - ESPN

Skylines Rising in New Global Cities

Cities across the world are rising higher and beefing up their skylines with high-profile skyscrapers. A building boom in emerging global cities has put a new face on the battle for the best skyline.

June 10, 2008 - Der Spiegel

Zoning for Amusement

Coney Island fights to preserve its history of sideshows and tilt-a-whirls as revitalization steps into the ring.

June 10, 2008 - The New York Times

Rewilding the West

Eco-tourism in North Dakota? It's more likely than you may think, as conservationists, travel agents, and big landowners turn the dwindling population of the Great Plains into an asset.

June 10, 2008 - The New York Times

Boise Hopes to Bring Back Trolley

Boise is hoping to follow on the coattails of Little Rock in bringing back a long de-commissioned trolley system to the city's downtown.

June 10, 2008 - The Idaho Statesman

Waco Debuts Nation's First 'Green' Chamber Building

The Waco Chamber of Commerce is credited with inspiring a renaissance in downtown, developing their new headquarters on a former parking lot. They hope to receive LEED certification - the first U.S. chamber building to receive this designation.

June 9, 2008 - Waco Tribune-Herald

'Instant Cities' Are Instant, But Not Cities

In this article from The New York Times Magazine looks at "instant cities" like Dubai and Shenzhen that have developed in hyperspeed in recent years, and discusses why they aren't yet "real" cities.

June 9, 2008 - The New York Times Magazine

Planetizen Turns 8: A Look Back

June 9, 2008 - The Planetizen Team

Transportation Weaknesses Hurting Chicago's Olympic Bid

Chicago has come in second-to-last place in the selection of finalists seeking to host the 2016 Olympics. The city's bid was criticized for not having a strong transportation plan.

June 8, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

California City Considers Banning Billboards

Following the example set by Sao Paulo, Brazil, the city of Encinitas, California is considering a plan to ban new billboard advertisements within the city.

June 6, 2008 - The North County Times

Mill Comes Back From the Dead, Town Follows

Years after it followed many others like it and closed its doors, a paper mill in upstate New York has come back to life, and brought its town back to life with it.

June 6, 2008 - The New York Times

Unfortunately, More Trains Means More Noise

A peaceful suburb wanting to preserve its tranquility is pitted against a large rail company attempting to lessen freight congestion around Chicago by running its trains through it and other suburbs on an existing rail line it hopes to purchase.

June 5, 2008 - Associated Press via Miami Herald

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