Community / Economic Development
How Zoning Reform Can Help Businesses Transition to Outdoor Operations
A trend toward allowing restaurants and retailers to expand operations to the public realm outside their brick and mortar confines is quickly gaining steam.
Independent Music Venues Face a Tough Road Ahead
Where have all the venues gone?
Housing Justice Organizers Don’t Want to Return to 'Normal'
As they organize for immediate relief for those whose housing was affected by the pandemic, tenant leaders are also building power to demand long-term changes.
Minimum Parking Requirements Lifted to Support Outdoor Dining in Connecticut
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont included an historic measure in a May 10 executive order: statewide suspension of parking minimums to facilitate outdoor activities.
Another Planning Commissioner Ousted After Coronavirus Controversy in California
Another cautionary tale of a planning commissioner that went too far during the social upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic, and has since been removed from their civic position.
Opinion: Less Restrictive Zoning Necessary for Urban Areas to Lead Recovery
An opinion piece makes the case for pro-development urban planning as a tool of economic recovery.
Survey Data on Coronavirus Effects Reveal Racial Lines
The economic and health effects of coronavirus have spread unevenly across racial lines in the United States, as further revealed by new research from the Pew Research Center.
Crisis Could Result in a More Sustainable Food System
The food system, from supply to distribution and consumption, is undergoing a rapid transformation. Community supported agriculture could potentially benefit.
Editorial: Save the City by Investing in Equity
A New York Times editorial presents a resoundingly pro-urban call to action regarding the future of planning and investment.
An Unlikely State Emerges as Nation's Premier Contact Tracer
The Peace Garden State is one of a handful of rural states never to have issued a stay-at-home order, yet it is number three in coronavirus testing per capita and number one in contact tracing, two of the four tools needed to contain COVID-19.
White House Shelves Reopening Guidelines Prepared by CDC
President Trump wants states to reopen businesses quickly but doesn't want to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide directions to business owners and transit agencies on how to open without spreading the coronavirus.
Reopening Main Street
A Long Beach-based urban design firm shares design tips for reopening main streets while balancing public health and economic concerns—making space for parklets, pedestrians, and al fresco dining.
Another City Opens Street Space for Restaurants—This Time in Suburban Chicago
Tampa, Brookhaven, Vilnius, Hinsdale. These cities will be the answer to a COVID-themed trivia night some time soon.
The Rush to Open: California is No Exception
California was the first state to require all residents to submit to a stay-at-home order, and it appears that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to ensure it's not the last one to relax that order, regardless of whether it meets the federal guidelines.
Let's Interrupt History: Racial Equity in a Time of Crisis
Data on the pandemic shows once again the dramatic consequences of racial inequalities. Community Development Financial Institutions must focus on ensuring equity for Black-owned businesses.
100 Million 'New Poor' Predicted as a Result of the Pandemic
The fiscal effects of the pandemic are likely to make it very difficult for governments to invest in economic and quality of life improvements for people on the edge of poverty.
Early Economic Effects of COVID-19 Concentrated in Large Metros
Big cities suffered the worst economic effects if the pandemic as of March, according to April data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
San Diego City Council President Champions Equitable and Inclusive COVID Response
San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez discusses the critical value of providing accessible and factual information and resources to the city’s diverse constituents during this unprecedented public health crisis.
Tampa Closes Streets to Open Outdoor Space to Restaurants
A pilot project in Tampa is closing select streets to cars to allow more space for dine-in restaurant service.
The Four Horsemen of the 'Fiscal' Apocalypse
Rick Cole identifies the Four Horsemen of the 'Fiscal' Apocalypse: Cratering Revenue, Neglected Infrastructure, Pension Debt, and Community Need, as heralds ushering the reinvention of city services to meet the needs of today’s urban realities.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
