Community / Economic Development

South Mall Parking Lot

The Suburbs Will Lose the Most in an Era of Shrinking Retail

As brick and mortar retailers shed jobs and stores, suburbs will lose the most in terms of tax revenues and amenities.

April 20, 2017 - Slate

Report: Reform, Don't Eliminate, the Community Development Block Grant Program

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is under the microscope. As the Trump Administration considers eliminating the program, the Urban Institute recommends a less-is-more approach.

April 19, 2017 - Governing

'NIMBY' Too Gentle a Word: How About 'New Urban Luddites'?

Richard Florida calls for the use of the term "New Urban Luddites" to describe the embedded interests that obstruct the growth of cities. The consequences of New Urban Luddite politics, according to Florida, are too severe for such an innocuous term.

April 19, 2017 - CityLab

Dallas skyline

Dallas Employment Stagnant as Suburbs Boom

Between 1990 and 2016, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area added more jobs than New York City. The overwhelming majority of the new jobs are located in the suburbs.

April 18, 2017 - D Magazine

Fringe Development

Creating Inclusive Communities: Notes From a Conference

The Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute annual conference is the region's premier gathering of planning professionals. This year's conference explored strategies for building inclusive cities in which everyone can thrive.

April 17, 2017 - Dean Saitta

Monuments

Making Sure More Federal Grant Money Actually Gets Spent

Northeastern University students provide some of the first comprehensive study into a widespread problem with the neglect of federal grant money.

April 16, 2017 - Northeastern University

Chattanooga

Friday Funny: Chattanooga Says it's 'Literally Perfect'

City branding got jokes.

April 14, 2017 - CityLab

Food Trucks

What Happened to the Chicago Food Truck Movement?

In Chicago, food trucks are disappearing and some blame the city’s stepped up enforcement of regulations and fines.

April 13, 2017 - Chicago Reader

Homeless Encampment

Mapping to Explain Homelessness in the U.S.

A team at Sasaki has created the "Understanding Homelessness" website, full of interactive features and one particularly helpful data visualization.

April 13, 2017 - CityLab

Working to Ease Gentrification Around D.C.'s Ambitious 11th Street Bridge Project

From the beginning of the proposal for the new 11th Street Bridge between Anacostia and Capitol Hill, planners and designers have promised to prevent the displacement of residents living nearby the new amenities offered by the bridge and its park.

April 12, 2017 - Washingtonian

Children

Where Community Development Block Grants Money Goes

A Forbes contributor provides analysis of how much states stand to lose if the Trump Administration succeeds in cutting funding for the Community Development Block Grants program.

April 12, 2017 - Forbes

Texas

Design Activism, Texas-Style

With suburban sprawl a long-standing issue in Texas, one San Antonio-based architecture firm is aiming to strengthen and revitalize its city's downtown core.

April 10, 2017 - Doggerel

'Farm-to-Condo' Urban Agriculture Finds Roots in Brooklyn

Urban agriculture and market-rate multi-family housing developments could be a perfect match.

April 10, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Infill Development is Key to Meeting California's Emission Reduction Law

If California is going to meet the new, steep emissions reductions required by a law passed last September, one of the most effective strategies will be to promote infill housing, according to a new report from University of California at Berkeley.

April 8, 2017 - Builder

Retail

Is Payless ShoeSource Bankruptcy a Sign of the Coming 'Retail Apocalypse'?

The latest Chapter 11 in a familiar story.

April 7, 2017 - The Washington Post

How Astoria, Oregon Turned its WWII-Era Armory Building Into a Success Story

Despite its plaint and utilitarian exterior, Astorians knew they had something special in a former military building containing a large open interior free of support columns space with a domed lamella ceiling. Now, it's a center of the community.

April 7, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Housing Construction

Ten Ways to Frame Constructive Housing Messages

There are lots of arguments available for people that want to oppose new housing projects, but what are a few guiding principles for framing a supportive and constructive housing conversation?

April 7, 2017 - Sightline Institute

Homeless Services

Sales Tax, Not Property Tax, Preferred Funding Tool for Seattle's Homeless Crisis

Seattle's King County is home to an estimated 10,000 unsheltered homeless people. Local officials are trying to figure out how to raise the funds to address the crisis.

April 6, 2017 - KUOW

Oceanside

Removing California's Costa-Hawkins Act and the Future of Rent Control

In an attempt to combat prohibitively high housing costs in California, some look to repeal the 1995 state law that limits the power of local rent control ordinances. However, removing those restrictions would likely exaggerate current problems.

April 5, 2017 - Reuben Duarte

Jacksonville, Florida

Historic Community Reinvestment Act Review: Wells Fargo Receives 'Double Downgrade'

Wells Fargo received an historic "double downgrade" from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as a result of its Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) examination.

April 5, 2017 - Next City

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.

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.