As the trend towards urban living grows, churches are rethinking how to approach the urban and religious. This article from a Baptist newspaper suggests that the faithful have been reading and absorbing Richard Florida.
"For some 20 years, America's cities have seen a reverse migration from the suburbs to increasingly vibrant downtowns, where the new urban dwellers are finding an array of lofts and condominiums, restaurants and clubs, lively street festivals and vibrant art and music. The urban neighborhoods are attracting artists, musicians and others of what sociologist Richard Florida calls the "creative class," as well as professionals, students and retirees-all seeking the energy and spontaneity often missing in the suburbs.
It's new territory for many Christian congregations who fled deteriorating downtowns in the 1960s for more fruitful fields of harvest in the burgeoning suburbs-and now see a growing and culturally influential class of creative people populating inner cities.
'I wouldn't say we're going after a niche market,' says Winn Collier, pastor of the new All Souls Church, a Virginia Baptist congregation ministering in Charlottesville's lively downtown not far from the University of Virginia. 'We want to be a church for the whole city. But one of the cultures that we have a deep resonance with and in which we want to see the gospel take root is the artistic, progressive urbanite.'"
FULL STORY: The Challenge of the New Urbanism
Two Cheers For the Planners’ Pledge
A “Planners’ Pledge” created by some of the leading authorities on planning sets forth a bold urbanist agenda- even if not every idea in the pledge is equally useful in all cities.
New York State Attorney General Calls Out Town for Potential Religious Land Use Discrimination
Hasidic Orthodox Jewish developers allege the town of Forestburgh, New York, altered zoning regulations to dissuade them from building homes on a site that had received previous approval under different ownership; state officials appear to agree.
A Better Understanding of Smart Growth Benefits
Smart Growth creates compact, multimodal communities where residents consume less land, drive less, and rely more on non-auto modes. Planners have important stories to tell about the benefits of Smart Growth.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie