Community / Economic Development
How City Planning Can Affect How Diseases Spread
There are many ways that city planning and urban design can mitigate, or exacerbate, the spread of public health risks.
Critics Pounce on $190 Million Proposed for Seattle Mariners Stadium Support
A city grappling with a homeless crisis might rethink its spending habits.
Houston Requires Community Benefits for Development Subsidies
Houston joins cities like Philadelphia, Detroit, and Minneapolis in demanding a greater return on public dollars.
The Vacancy Epidemic
A new report uses terms like epidemic and hyper-vacancy to drive home the point about the effects of vacancies on communities like Cleveland, Gary, Toledo, and Detroit.
There's a Hole Where Ground-Floor Retail Should Be
Mixed-use developments still often operate better in theory than in reality.
Design Review: Revamped Gateway Arch an Urban Success
Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Blair Kamin assesses the remodeled Gateway Arch in St. Louis, prior to its big public opening on July 3.
The End of the Social Safety Net
A new report from the Human Rights Council of the United Nations chastises the United States for allowing so many Americans to live in poverty.
Dismal Poll Findings for Bay Area: Half the Respondents Want to Leave
To paraphrase Bill Clinton, it's the housing, stupid! In addition to the troubling findings of the Bay Area Council poll, a California housing report found that Silicon Valley had the highest percentage of residents leaving their counties.
In Support of Street Vendors
From garbage pickers to tamale sellers, workers in the informal economy can account for half the workforce in developing cities. They should be respected as an important constituency.
Bad News for L.A.'s Homelessness Strategy: Public Restroom Plan Falls Apart
The city's failure to deliver public restrooms is not the first sign of trouble for its sweeping homelessness plan, but it’s a painful one for the residents of Skid Row.
Gentrifying Neighborhood Qualifies as a Federal 'Opportunity Zone'
The state of Georgia's Opportunity Zones designations included one choice that raised questions about the purpose of the new federal program.
Are Vacancy Taxes a 'Blunt Instrument'?
A number of cities are considering hiking up taxes on vacant properties. But does that actually lead to a reduction in blight?
Philadelphia's Eviction Task Force Releases Action Plan
The housing crisis is the eviction crisis. Philadelphia is taking action.
Oregon's 86 Opportunity Zones Include 'High Rent' Districts in Portland
Oregon is the latest state to join the nascent federal program, which is designed to stimulate investment in distressed areas.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
