Creative class or not, Philadelphia artists are making a tangible impact on the city's neighborhoods, with support from major donors, and developers looking to cash in.
"The modelâ€"artists move in, fix a place up and make it attractive to investors who inevitably price the artists outâ€"is seen as so reliable that nonprofit real estate developers and community groups now look for ways to attract and retain artists in hopes of jumpstarting a neighborhood's economy."
"While organizations dream up projects that are years away from construction and the city remains conspicuously absent from the discussion, right now artists are shoveling pigeon shit, erecting walls and hearing their first gunshots. It's hard work being a pioneer of gentrification. The painters, sculptors and dancers don't care much for the theory that they are harbingers of urban renewal, although according to economist Kevin Gillen they are 'canaries in the coal mine.' They just want to make art and live frugally."
"In a city coping with a high murder rate, rampant political corruption and a dearth of affordable housing, that's understandable. Because arts and culture are not tangible, it's difficult to get a handle on their significance."
FULL STORY: Picture This
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
