Community / Economic Development

Tax Increment Financing, Explained
CityLab University explains a controversial and misunderstood funding mechanism.

Mapping the Geography of Jobs and Around New York City
The geography of work in New York City must include an analysis of the larger region, according to a new report from the New York City Department of City Planning.

Food Cart Vendors Struggle to Keep a Foothold Around Philly Development
Food cart vendors are fighting for their livelihood in a neighborhood in Philadelphia, against the long legislative reach of a local developer.

Report: Urban Planning and Design Neglecting the Needs of Seniors
Many cities aren't planning and designing for their aging residents, despite a world full of examples to model from, according to a new report from the Milliken Institute.

Demolitions Can't Keep Pace With Vacancies in Baltimore
As the city of Baltimore grapples with a declining population, it faces obstinate challenges in controlling the problems associated with vacant buildings, including the "vicious cycle" of vacancies causing more vacancies.

Cities Report Declining Revenues
The annual "City Fiscal Conditions" report by the National League of Cities delivers a warning signal about the state of the economy.

Mapping Scientology's Expanding Footprint in Clearwater, Florida
The Tampa Bay Times has published the results of an ambitious investigation, complete with an interactive feature that documents the rise of the Church of Scientology as the predominant landowner in Clearwater, Florida.
Art for Economic Development in Rural Communities
The most recent of funding for Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) design workshops includes an example of an arts center in Maine.

A Systematic Approach to Homelessness in San Diego
The city of San Diego is ready to action to house the homeless people living on city streets.

Sacramento Gaining an MLS Team, a New Stadium, and a Big Mixed-Use Development
Sacramento Republic FC will have a new home in Sacramento's Railyard District, expected for completion by 2022.

New Life for the Longaberger Basket as a Luxury Hotel
A completely singular example of adaptive reuse could be delivered a gift basket in Newark, Ohio.

Engaging, Then Planning, for Equity
The interdisciplinary work of the Kounkuey Design Initiative, led by executive director Chelina Odbert, and deeply committed to the homegrown potential of neighborhoods and communities.

Equity Planning for the 21st Century
The 20th century roots of equity planning, born in Cleveland, are evolving to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Portland provides a case study of that evolution.

U.S. Air Quality Declining, Taking Lives
Particulate matter air pollution has been on the rise since 2017, according to new research. Wildfires, economic activity, and lax regulation are potentially to blame.

Life on the 'Nation's Most Photographed Street'
Acorn Street in Boston has been described as the nation's most photographed street, and now residents who live on the private way are pushing for controls on the number of people visiting the narrow, cobblestone street.

Massive Discrepancies Identified in Official Homeless Counts
The Los Angeles Times crunched data from the 2019 point-in-time count of homelessness in Los Angeles County. What they found diverged profoundly from official findings.

Neighborhood Responds as Gentrification Concerns Spread in Cincinnati
Development interest is flocking to Avondale, a mostly Black neighborhood with relatively high poverty rates in Cincinnati.

Report: Housing Choice Vouchers Fall Short of Intended Goals in Houston Region
The Housing Choice Voucher program is intended to provide new opportunities for low-income Americans to live in higher-priced neighborhoods, but few recipients of vouchers are taking full advantage of those opportunities.

Cleveland Launches Tree Replenishment Program
The city of Cleveland will hope to reap environmental and economic rewards by spending $1 million a year to regrow its tree canopy.

Study: Historical Redlining Maps No Longer a Proxy for Black America
Black Americans have moved on from formerly redlined neighborhoods, and other minorities and whites have moved in. The wave of presidential campaigns that have based housing policy proposals on redlining maps might be misguided as a result.
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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
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions