Neighborhoods

Walkable Cities, Walkable Neighborhoods

New neighborhood-level data from the walkability rating website Walk Score has broadened the view of what it means to live in a walkable city.

December 6, 2010 - Nate Berg

The Not-Quite-20-Minute Neighborhood

Portland wants to create a series of "20-minute neighborhoods" -- places where people can walk, within 20 minutes, to most of the places they need to go and the services they need. Some neighborhoods are already there, but others have a ways to go.

November 16, 2010 - PlanningPool

Forget Cities - It's Regions and Neighborhoods That Matter

When it comes to economics, statistics, demographics, development, and our daily actions, city lines don't count for much - neighborhoods and regions are where things happen, says Kaid Benfield.

November 2, 2010 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Preserving Detroiters' Way of Life

Forbes talks with Detroit Mayor Dave Bing about reshaping the city and how those plans will and won't impact long-time residents who may be opposed to change.

October 28, 2010 - Forbes

EcoDistricts to Rise in Portland

Portland has five "eco-district" pilot projects in the works. The first two are expected to begin implementation over the next year, and organizers are hoping they lead to more sustainability efforts throughout the city.

October 27, 2010 - Sustainable Business Oregon

Neighborhoods As Employment Centers

The spatial needs of commerce and employment are shifting, and cities need to focus on bringing employment centers back to neighborhoods, argues Jay Hoekstra.

October 20, 2010 - Terrain.org

The Soccer League Building Community in Detroit

A neighborhood-based soccer league has just wrapped its first season in Detroit, where communities and neighborhoods are developing closer bonds through the beautiful game.

August 17, 2010 - Model D

The Neighborhood Carbon Challenge

A neighborhood in Corvallis, Oregon, is the pilot site of a neighborhood-wide "carbon challenge" in which residents try to reduce their carbon footprint.

August 1, 2010 - Corvallis Gazette-Times

Huge New District Expands Hamburg's City Center

An ambitious new mixed use district is gradually opening along the Elbe River in Hamburg, Germany. The project is huge in scope, expanding the city center by nearly 40%, and not expected to finish for more than a decade.

July 22, 2010 - The New York Times

Walkable Milwaukee

Andrew Knee calls Milwaukee a "walker's paradise," saying that the city has completely changed from a decade ago into a walkable network of neighborhoods.

July 19, 2010 - UrbanOut

Funding Neighborhood Food Security in Vancouver

The city of Vancouver has announced a plan to dedicate $100,000 to fund neighborhood-based food security projects.

June 25, 2010 - The Vancouver Sun

Bank Rule Change Could Help Struggling Neighborhoods

A new rule proposed by federal regulators would allow bank investments made for neighborhood stabilization efforts and donations of foreclosed properties to be count towards compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act.

June 20, 2010 - Reuters

Building Neighborhoods Through Grocery Stores

To survive, neighborhoods need to be commercially viable. A group called the Food Trust believes grocery stores are a good starting point for creating that economic climate.

May 20, 2010 - The Atlantic

Changing the World One Block at a Time

The neighborhood is the basic building block of human society, and successful efforts to make the world a better place often start right there, says Jay Walljasper.

April 29, 2010 - Jay Walljasper

DIY Urbanism: One Block, One Shipping Pallet at a Time

Jim Kunstler once said that if the 20th Century was about getting around, the 21st Century is about staying in places worth staying in.

April 28, 2010 - Mike Lydon

The Perfect Neighborhood

What makes a model neighborhood? GOOD Magazine devotes an issue to the topic, beginning with a list of traits that make a neighborhood great.

April 16, 2010 - GOOD Magazine

Giving Neighborhoods a Role in PlaNYC

New York City's long-term sustainability plan is coming up on its three-year anniversary. Tom Angotti says that now's the time to take its broad citywide efforts down to the neighborhood level.

April 15, 2010 - Gotham Gazette

Critiquing the Architectural Critic

This piece from Design Observer takes a pointed and critical look at the work of New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff and finds much to be desired in his work.

March 7, 2010 - Design Observer

Neighborhood Nuclear

Small-scale nuclear reactors could be a new, cheap way to provide power for neighborhoods. But their inherent controversy remains.

February 20, 2010 - National Geographic

Zoning Loosened to Help Home Businesses

The rough economy has made code officers negotiators between irked neighbors and entrepreneurs trying to make a living in their living rooms.

February 16, 2010 - Wall Street Journal

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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

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