Investment

Gentrification

Who’s Afraid of Gentrification?

Examining the complex sources of concerns about displacement and opposition to investment in low-income neighborhoods.

June 23, 2022 - Governing

Omaha Nebraska

'Extremely Blighted' Designation Spurs Investment in Nebraska Cities

Neighborhoods in Nebraska, located in areas already deemed blighted, will receive priority funding and homebuyer tax credits from the state.

December 28, 2019 - Next City

A Community of Brick Suburban Homes on a cloudy summer day

New Opportunities for First Ring Suburbs

Cincinnati’s first ring suburbs have gone through a pattern of boom and bust, but civic boosters are focusing on the opportunities of the present day.

June 11, 2019 - WVXU

Multi-Family Building

Buildings Full of Empty Apartments Pose Problems in China

Failed investments and buildings with no tenants sit on the outskirts of Beijing and Shanghai.

March 4, 2019 - CityLab

Bloomington, Minnesota

Mall of America Gets Opportunity Zone Status

Developments around the mall are now subject to tax breaks as part of a new program meant to aid disadvantaged communities.

January 14, 2019 - StarTribune

Palm Springs

New Renewable Energy Has Yet to Displace Dirty Energy

Falling costs for renewable energy may lead some to believe that coal and other mainstays have been replaced, but they haven't. Adoption of renewables is not yet outpacing growth in demand for energy.

August 25, 2018 - Axios

Shanghai Subway

What's Keeping the U.S. Behind China on Infrastructure Investment?

The problem, Paul Rosenstiel writes, isn't a scarcity of capital. It's an unwillingness to make investing in infrastructure a lucrative choice for private capital.

August 23, 2016 - Governing

Phoenix is Crane City

Op-Ed: Investing in Cities Could Cure 'Short-Termism'

Bruce Katz argues that federal investment in urban areas fosters a public/private ecosystem that can prioritize long-term thinking, minimizing the "short-termism" endemic to corporations and governments acting alone.

April 28, 2016 - Brookings

Havana

In Pictures: Havana's Public Spaces

The recent thaw in U.S. relations with Cuba, as well as President Obama's visit last month, have spurred conversations about Havana's future. Its public spaces are worn, but they're busy and well-designed.

April 3, 2016 - Project For Public Spaces

Goose Island Chicago

Chicago's Golden Goose

Once known as "Little Hell" for its copious industrial plants, Goose Island is a rare, relatively undeveloped investment opportunity. Centrally located, it may one day house swanky offices.

June 29, 2015 - Crain's Chicago Business

Seattle Streetcar

Op-Ed: Streetcars Should Actually Serve Locals

While they're currently in vogue, streetcars are only worthwhile if they can be a viable option for local residents. Unfortunately, this is rarely how the systems are designed.

June 29, 2015 - ULI Urban Land Magazine

Get Off the Ground with Community Investing

We're all familiar with the now ubiquitous Kickstarter campaigns, but what about some other tools to help crowdfund local retail and development?

June 2, 2015 - Community Builders

electricity infrastructure

How To: Smarter Infrastructure Investments

In the next few decades, U.S. governments and businesses are predicted to spend trillions of dollars on infrastructure. This is the reality. The question is: how do we get smart about these investments?

November 15, 2014 - Infrastructure Crisis Sustainable Solutions

Vancouver Skytrain near Chinatown

Evaluating Public Transport Funding Options

Many jurisdictions need additional funding to improve, or just maintain, their public transport services. A timely new study evaluates eighteen potential funding options according to eight criteria.

May 21, 2014 - Todd Litman

British Food Production Wanes; Should the Government Step In?

"If all the food produced in the UK in a year were stored and eaten from January 1, the 'cupboard' would be bare by August 14" suggests the National Farmers Union. Advocates urge the government to help farmers produce more of the country's food.

August 20, 2013 - The Telegraph U.K.

Cash-Strapped City? Chinese Capital to the Rescue!

Despite heated political rhetoric on the national stage, the Toledo mayor courts Chinese investors.

October 2, 2012 - The Financial Times

Tapping into the Rental Market with Foreclosed Homes

In an effort to stabilize neighborhoods and reduce the glut of foreclosures in the marketplace, Fannie Mae is beginning to sell foreclosed properties in bulk to investors to test the market for rental homes, write Alan Zibel and Nick Timiraos.

February 28, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal - Developments Blog

Recognizing the Value of Green Infrastructure

A new guidebook has been released that's aimed at helping planners and city officials to know which types of green infrastructure are worth investment.

August 18, 2011 - Landscape Architecture Foundation

Brazil to Receive Billions for Mobility Ahead of World Cup

The cities hosting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have been awarded an infusion of $6 billion from the Inter-American Development Bank to fund urban mobility and other efforts ahead of the event.

July 13, 2011 - The City Fix

Opportunities for Big-Box Developments Abound Across the Northern Border

After being hidden in plain sight for decades, Canada now emerges as the hot spot for U.S. "international" investment.

June 19, 2011 - Retail Traffic

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.