Community / Economic Development

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.
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.
'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.

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.

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.

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.

Friday Funny: Chattanooga Says it's 'Literally Perfect'
City branding got jokes.

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.

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.
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.

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.

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.
'Farm-to-Condo' Urban Agriculture Finds Roots in Brooklyn
Urban agriculture and market-rate multi-family housing developments could be a perfect match.
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.

Is Payless ShoeSource Bankruptcy a Sign of the Coming 'Retail Apocalypse'?
The latest Chapter 11 in a familiar story.
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.

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?

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.

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.

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.
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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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Clovis
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions