Building in the New Economy isn't business as usual. Howard Blackson lays out policy, planning, land assembly and financing tools to help us with our task at hand.
Blackson lays out some of the tools we're going to be needing in 2012 and beyond, including land assembly techniques, urban planning policies, urban design regulations, local tax districts, and city-wide tax tools. He points out:
"In startling alignment with James Howard Kunstler's stark predictions, ULI's 2012 Report, 'What's Next: Real Estate in the New Economy,' bubbly concludes: 'The real estate world is hurtling into a different place and time. Change is coming at a faster pace with more uncertain consequences. Success will take on different forms and risks will increase. Standing pat or ignoring new realities is not possible. Notably, investment will gravitate to places that welcome business and view public investments - in education, infrastructure, and innovation - as prerequisites for progress and economic sustainability.'"
"Municipalities are finally looking to new models modifying their decades-long reliance upon suburban planning tools to enable infill redevelopment. Just as suburbia was built with now vanishing state and federal subsidies, the following financing tools are available to tilt the playing field towards the difficult chore of building infill redevelopment."
Thanks to Hazel Borys
FULL STORY: Money, It’s a Gas: New Economy development financing

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.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie