Community / Economic Development

First Steps to Combat Homelessness in Denver Suburbs
Efforts are underway in several Denver suburbs to quantify and respond to growing homelessness.

L.A.'s New Tool for More Efficient City Asset Management
Controller Ron Galperin on his latest announcement proposing the creation of the Los Angeles Municipal Development Corporation, a nonprofit entity that would be tasked with managing city assets in a more strategic way.

Lessons in Tax Increment Financing
Vermont enabled tax increment financing (TIF) for the city of Burlington in 1985, in keeping with a nationwide trend at the time. TIF is still a major player in the state's redevelopment efforts to this day.

L.A. Unveils Plans for Historic Water Infrastructure Tax
Katy Young Yaroslavsky discusses the the Measure W Implementation Ordinance and the committee appointees tasked with determining how this new funding will flow into community water projects.

Your County May Not be Very Good at Accessing Community Development Funding
New research shows that some U.S. communities are much better than others at attracting grants and financing for community development—even after adjusting for relative need. The numbers are clear, but the reasons for the disparity may not be.

The Life and Death of Neighborhood Rebrandings
Surveying the history of neighborhood rebranding in Minneapolis is like taking a tour of post-recession redevelopment.

Los Angeles Could Broaden Homeless Sleeping Prohibition to a Quarter of the City
There won't be many places left to sleep for the massive population of homeless living in the city of Los Angeles.

Planning New 'Cultural Districts' in Minneapolis
Planners are giving shape to one of the potentially controversial aspects of the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Multi-Car Owners May Pay Sustainability Fee to Fund Memphis Area Transit
Called a 'sustainability fee' by Mayor Lee Harris of Shelby County, the proposed fee would apply only to households that have three or more registered vehicles, about 17 percent of county residents. The first two vehicles would be exempt.

Demand for Lithium Drops as Global Electric Vehicle Sales Slump
It was long thought that a finite supply of lithium, a key element needed for electric vehicle batteries, would constrain the production of zero-emission vehicles, but the opposite happened: a slow down in EV demand has caused lithium prices to drop.

Unlocking the Market for Affordable Homeownership with Private Capital
Charles Loveman, executive director of Heritage Housing Partners, explains the historical role that subsidized demand played in spurring housing production and the value of low to moderate-income affordable homeownership development.

Skateboarding and the City
Skateboarding is becoming a legitimate part of the urban landscape by revitalizing public spaces and engaging young people and the broader community.

Big Oil Not Happy With Methane Regulation Rollback
The Trump administration's rollback on August 29 of an Obama-era regulation to reduce methane emissions in the production and distribution of oil and natural gas did not sit well with large oil and gas companies who see value in reducing emissions.

New York City's First Outlet Mall Still a 'Ghost Town'
Perched on the northeastern tip of Staten Island next to the ferry terminal, Empire Outlets has only filled 26 of its 75 storefronts since a grand opening in May.

Ensuring Equity in Memphis Riverfront Development
One of the city’s biggest assets is its riverfront, but equity and inclusion need to be an important part of what development brings to residents and communities.

Effective Strategies for Tackling Vacant Properties
Urban homesteading as a response to hypervacancy is in the news after South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg proposed the Douglass Plan while on the presidential campaign trail.

What Are America's Fastest-Growing Cities?
Views about urban growth and decline often rely on statistics for metropolitan regions rather than cities proper. Here, Richard Florida looks at the fastest- and slowest-growing cities in America, separate from their metro areas.

Digging Into the Data on Detroit's 'Recovery'
In key areas like jobs and housing, the numbers show a definite Motor City rebound since the recession. But a closer look reveals uneven gains and weakness next to state averages.

How To Build Place Loyalty
A good friendship is a two-way street. So how come our relationships with places only involve taking and no giving?

Gentrification Mania!
Gentrification is apparently quite rare—so why do urban affairs commentators devote so much time arguing about it?
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