Community / Economic Development
Foreign tourists are taking to the streets of Japan dressed as Mario, Luigi, and more of their friends from the Nintendo universe.
The Wall Street Journal
The struggling, industrial South Bay city of Carson wants to shake its image as the site of Los Angeles' landfills and waste treatment plants. It has embarked on a $1 million overhaul of its general plan, despite having a $4.1 million budget gap.
Daily Breeze
Regulatory issues have delayed a proposed casino mega-development in South Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The latest city to open up its coffers to support a professional sports team is Detroit, which will spend $34.5 million to support the Detroit Pistons in a move to the recently completed Little Caesars Arena.
Detroit Free Press
The Innovations in Government Program at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation has announced the first winner of the "Map of the Month" contest.
Data-Smart City Solutions
Though the quick expansion of complete streets policies is worth celebrating, minority and low-income communities are still being left behind, and killed at a disproportionate rate.
The Urban Edge
A lawsuit, allowed to proceed by a Wayne County judge, reveals some of the difficulties of blight removal.
Detroit Free Press
Online options and oversaturation in some markets are leading to continued declines in physical storefronts around the country.
Bloomberg
"It is ridiculous that in New York City dancing is just as illegal as it was in the fictional movie Footloose," says Councilmember Rafael Espinal of New York City's cabaret law.
Crain's New York Business
Access to high-speed Internet makes a huge difference in day-to-day life. The digital divide between urban and rural communities means some rural communities could be left behind.
The Wall Street Journal via MSN Money
The debate over public safety in Downtown St. Paul is once again focused on the city's skyways. There, concerns about access challenge any possible solutions.
MinnPost
Leaders of Johnson, Arkansas have decided to upgrade their town by creating an 80-acre, new urbanist-style downtown
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Nuclear power plants around the country are shutting down. The communities where nuclear plants have been located for decades will now have to figure out how to rebuild their economies without them.
Governing
Ben Brown tells us to stop narrowly defining problems.
PlaceShakers
Los Angeles County's Parks after Dark (PAD) program and the city of Los Angeles' Summer Night Lights (SNL) program are proving to save lives, lower crime, and reduce costs, writes L.A. County parks planner Clement Lau.
UrbDeZine
States have tremendous power to constrict or enable policy at the local level. A new report offer guidance in getting states and localities on the same page for the sake of urban revitalization.
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
There will be no SoHa (South Harlem), if the state approves new legislation that allows the city to block real estate brokers from assigning new shorthand to neighborhoods in the hopes of boosting real estate listings.
New York Post
The Knight Foundation asked: "What’s your best idea to make cities more successful?" When it came time to pick the best ideas, design and planning ideas for places like Wichita, Biloxi, and Akron emerged.
The Architect's Newspaper
A new tool produced by the Regional Plan Association, the Orange County Department of Planning, the Pace University Land Use Law Center, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy offers a starting point for people with big ideas.
Regional Plan Association
Trulia has created a "Neighborhood Pride Score" to determine the communities with the largest gay populations. Access to those neighborhoods comes at a high price.
Trulia
