Community / Economic Development

Homeless Encampment

Analysis: Homeless Villages Don't Spur Crime

Homeless villages aren't hotbeds of crime, according to recent analysis. Rather, they can be part of a "crime prevention ecosystem."

May 29, 2018 - The Guardian

Denver Cap Park

Freeway Cap Book Manuscript Online for Review and Comment

The first comprehensive manual for planning, funding, and building a freeway cap is put online for review and comment.

May 27, 2018 - UrbDeZine

New York Vacant Storefront

Small Business, Co-Op Apartments Mixed Up in New York Bill

The debate about the Small Business Jobs Survival Act continues in New York City.

May 26, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Gilpin County, Colorado

Survey Examines the Differences and Commonalities Between Urban and Rural Communities

A big new study by the Pew Research Center examines the ties that bind, and the differences that threaten to tear us apart.

May 23, 2018 - Pew Research Center

Englewood Southside Neighborhood

Chicago Puts Thousands of Vacant Lots on the Market for $1

Chicago continues to lose population from parts of the city, so vacant properties are multiplying. The city's "Large Lots" program aims to return vacant properties back to control by residents of the neighborhoods.

May 22, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Los Angeles Medical Center

Kaiser Permanente to Fund Housing Efforts in Eight States

The healthcare provider's decision to spend $200 million on housing programs reflects the growing awareness of the intersectionality of housing and health.

May 22, 2018 - CityLab

Salesforce Tower and 181 Fremont

California Getting Way More New Jobs Than New Housing

Even with tons of building permits already issued this year, the outlook for the state’s affordability crisis is pretty grim.

May 21, 2018 - The Mercury News

Port of Oakland

Federal Judge Strikes Down Oakland's Ban on Coal Exports

Shipping coal from Utah to export to Asia through a new cargo facility in Oakland, California took a significant step forward on May 15 with a strongly worded ruling condemning the adequacy of the city of Oakland's environmental analysis.

May 18, 2018 - KQED: California Report

Seattle Homeless

The Cost of Solving Homelessness in Seattle: $400 Million

It’s "dramatically higher" than any number under discussion, and not even close to what the city will raise with its new tax on large businesses.

May 17, 2018 - Crosscut

Green Healthy Community

A New 'City Health Dashboard' for 500 U.S. Cities

The new City Health Dashboard might be the first time many communities have had access to a treasure trove of public health data at the click of a mouse button.

May 17, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Cupertino, California

Apple Could Make Northern Virginia a Tech Industry Powerhouse

Apple is pondering a major move into Northern Virginia. For comparison, state officials have pitched sites covering about half the desired size of Amazon's second headquarters and two-thirds the size of the Pentagon.

May 16, 2018 - The Washington Post

Bourbon Street Music

Do Amenities Matter?

Marla Nelson of The University of New Orleans and and Renia Ehrenfeucht of the University of New Mexico, guest blog about a recent article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

May 16, 2018 - JPER

Chicago Community Garden

Chicago Zoning Standing in the Way of Some Urban Gardens

It can be easier for Chicago's urban gardeners to grow produce than to sell it.

May 16, 2018 - Southside Weekly

recycled greywater

The Real Cost of Clean Water in One Kansas Town

Pretty Prairie has water with very high levels of nitrates, and lots of farmers that need to use nitrates if they want to keep the local economy going.

May 14, 2018 - Harper's

Houston

Post-Harvey Homeowners Face an 'Army of Speculators'

In Houston, investors are snapping up damaged homes that will be dependent on flood insurance.

May 14, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

San Francisco

Bay Area Home Prices Rise Despite Out-Migration

Kathleen Pender, business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, points to two reasons why home prices rise amidst a Bay Area exodus to other states. On a state level, out-migration shows California's strong but dysfunctional economy.

May 13, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Roanoke, Virginia's Evolving Economy Moves Beer-ward

Once, trains dominated the city’s economy, now it's "brains, bikes and beer," according to city officials.

May 13, 2018 - Governing

Homes

On the Do's and Don'ts of Housing Policy

Brookings has put together nine rules for more cohesive and effective housing policy, despite federalism's tendency to create near-infinite local variety.

May 11, 2018 - Brookings

Los Angeles Homeless

Homeless Shelters a Tough Sell With Neighborhood Activists

A plan to streamline approval of a wave of homeless facilities in the city of Los Angeles is running into an early snag with an emergency shelter proposed for a parking lot in the Koreatown neighborhood.

May 10, 2018 - Curbed LA

Main Street bridge crossing the St. Joseph's River

New Revitalization Toolkit for Smaller Legacy Cities

Not every Legacy City has the size and cultural cache of a Pittsburgh or a New Orleans to aid in its recovery, but there are resources available for smaller cities examining pragmatic revitalization strategies.

May 8, 2018 - Greater Ohio Policy Center

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.