Community / Economic Development
Planners Can Help Increase Opportunity and Fairness
Transportation and land use planning decisions affect economic opportunity and mobility—the chance that children become more economically successful than their parents. We can help create more equitable communities.
Shuttering a Large Coal Plant: A Tale of Two States
Environmentalists in California are upset that Los Angeles will build a new 840-megawatt natural gas plant to replace a 1,800-megawatt coal plant. The coal plant has been crucial to the economic development of Millard County, Utah.
Et Tu, Portland?
Opinion: The Rose City joins the nationwide attack on neighborhood-scale public involvement—and throws its pioneering model of grassroots democracy under the bus.
'Community Preference' Housing Policy Under the Microscope on Either Side of the Country
A new study out of New York City reveals the worsening effects of segregation due to the city's "community preference" affordable housing policy, Seattle sets out to craft a policy of its own.
'Urban Green Spaces': A Book for Planners and Laypeople
"Urban Green Spaces" is informative, even for practitioners, and a good read, according to a book review by L.A. County park planner Clement Lau.
As More 'Superstar' Cities Emerge, the Gap With Other Cities Grows
Some cities, like Nashville, have been keeping pace with the economic growth of more internationally renowned cities like San Francisco and Seattle.
U.S. Economic Growth Shows Urban-Rural Divide
The economy is improving in places like Texas, but a closer look indicates that cities are taking off while rural areas are lagging behind.
Anti-Displacement Efforts and Green Infrastructure Signal Hope in Portland
The Living Cully coalition prioritizes the well-being of long term, lower-income residents with future-building revitalization projects.
A 'Safe' Parking Lot for the Homeless Proposed in San Francisco
If approved, a new facility in San Francisco will allow homeless people living in RVs and vans a safe place to park. Access to support services will also be available at the site.
Study: Not All Gentrification Effects Are Equal
A comprehensive national study finds that for many original residents of gentrifying neighborhoods, the effects of gentrification can have positive effects.
A Tipping Point in the Geography of the Creative Class?
The geography of talent is changing. Richard Florida takes a closer look at where the creative class is moving as a result of the housing affordability crisis in many of the largest and most famous cities in the country.
Houston Gets a Handle on Homelessness While Dallas Struggles
Formerly playing host to almost double the homeless population of Dallas, Houston has addressed the problem with some success over the past decade. Meanwhile, rising costs have fueled a growing crisis in Dallas.
Op-Ed: Lakewood's Growth Cap Is 'Climate Arson'
In a scathing response to arguments in favor of a "slow growth" ordinance in Lakewood, Colorado, Mike Eliason rebukes the idea that capping growth is a green policy.
On Rural America's Selective Housing Shortage
Counter to the usual narrative of population decline, some rural areas stand in serious need of housing.
The Four Kinds of Housing that Help the Homeless
Projects to add housing resources to help give homeless people a roof over the head have run into all sorts of public opposition—often times fueled by ignorance of how different kinds of homeless housing options work.
What's Driving the Fastest Growing Land Values in the Upper Midwest?
Fargo-Moorhead, the metropolitan statistical area straddling North Dakota and Minnesota, has seen the quickest growth in land value in the Upper Midwest for the span of years between 2012 and 2017.
Court Ruling Clears $1.9 Billion in Public Money for Atlanta Mega-Project
A $5 billion redevelopment project in Atlanta, named Centennial Yards, will receive substantial public support.
Chicago Coffee Shops Breaking Social and Economic Ground on the South Side
Cafes on the city's South Side are more than just businesses. They also provide important spaces for community building and economic development in neighborhoods that have been historically overlooked.
Game-Changing, Open-Air 'Lifestyle Center' Turns 20 in Columbus
After 20 years, the Easton Town Center in Northeast Columbus, Ohio draws nearly 30 million visitors a year and sells more than $1 billion in food and merchandise.
Land Grant Universities and the Community
Land grant universities are, by design, tasked with benefitting the communities in which they are located. The recent track record on that mission is mixed, according to a recent book on the subject.
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
