Citiwire

American cities are struggling to figure out how to transition formerly industrial areas to become vibrant and successful parts of the city once again. Neal Peirce says they should look to Barcelona, which accomplished it ten years ago.

The problems facing urban America can be exemplified by looking at the city of Las Vegas, according to this piece from the Brookings Institution's Mark Muro.

Though its flagship congestion pricing proposal was nixed by the state legislature, New York City's PlaNYC environmental plan is moving forward. Neal Peirce takes a look at its progress.

Neal Peirce looks at a few examples where regions have pooled their powers to utilize ARRA stimulus funds to create programs and jumpstart regional efforts.

Some economists are starting to believe that the U.S. is on its way to economic recovery. But recovery from what, asks William Shutkin in this piece. He suggests the recovery should really be a discovery of better ways of developing and using land.

The White House Office of Urban Affairs is officially in action, but the creation of urban policy seems to have started on its own, according to this column form Neal Peirce.

As the regionality of urban planning issues becomes more clear, metropolitan planning organizations are uniquely suited to shape the policy response. But, according to this piece from Citiwire, they lack the power to do it.

Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is a part of transportation, whether some elected officials like it or not. In this piece from Citiwire, Neal Peirce writes that this fact is becoming increasingly clear.

China's fast-paced development is making it into a major economic power. Its emphasis on urban policy is leaving the U.S. in the dust, writes Eugenie Birch.

Light rail is seen as a golden opportunity to revive inner cities. Not so fast, argues Alan Hoffman.

Budget issues are causing major issues for a handful of states. Neal Peirce argues these budget woes are a sign that states are making the wrong investments and that they idea of a state may be out of date.

With interdepartmental cooperation blossoming within the Obama administration, Neal Peirce wonders how things will shake down when policies hit metropolitan regions -- and the municipal borders that can impede and confuse policy.

Struggling cities are increasingly looking at the idea of bulldozing vacant properties and "shrinking". But two columnists argue it might not be such a good idea.

Neal Peirce looks at a broad citizen outreach program in Montgomery County, Maryland, engages its growing immigrant population by actually interacting with them face-to-face.

Neal Peirce looks at President Barack Obama's ambitious plans for high speed rail and the significant obstacles that stand in its way.

The recession has been a boon for stimulus-funded infrastructure projects. But despite the work, it's not the full revamp the nation's infrastructure system needs, according to Jonathan D. Miller in this piece from Citiwire.

The silos are breaking down in the federal government as the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation are embarking on a shared plan to increase interdepartmental collaboration.

Small farms are getting some attention from the Obama Administration, but what's still holding them back is the proper infrastructure, according to this piece from Citiwire.

Global water shortages are an issue the Obama Administration will need to address, according to this piece from Citiwire.

This piece from Robert E. Lang and Lawrence Levy calls for President Barack Obama to include suburban voices in his administration's policy discussions about urban issues.