Community / Economic Development

Redlining Map

Mapping the Tools of Discrimination

The Innovations in Government Program at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation has announced the first winner of the "Map of the Month" contest.

June 21, 2017 - Data-Smart City Solutions

Pedestrian Danger

Complete Streets Policies Still Seeking Equity

Though the quick expansion of complete streets policies is worth celebrating, minority and low-income communities are still being left behind, and killed at a disproportionate rate.

June 21, 2017 - The Urban Edge

Garbage

Accused of 'Ambush-Style Eviction,' Detroit Land Bank Faces Lawsuit

A lawsuit, allowed to proceed by a Wayne County judge, reveals some of the difficulties of blight removal.

June 20, 2017 - Detroit Free Press

Shopping Cart

Brick and Mortar Continue to Struggle as Shoppers Scatter

Online options and oversaturation in some markets are leading to continued declines in physical storefronts around the country.

June 20, 2017 - Bloomberg

New York Nightlife

Is NYC's 91-Year-Old 'Cabaret Law' Finally Headed for the History Books?

"It is ridiculous that in New York City dancing is just as illegal as it was in the fictional movie Footloose," says Councilmember Rafael Espinal of New York City's cabaret law.

June 20, 2017 - Crain's New York Business

Internet Cables

The Urban-Rural Internet Divide

Access to high-speed Internet makes a huge difference in day-to-day life. The digital divide between urban and rural communities means some rural communities could be left behind.

June 19, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal via MSN Money

St. Paul Skyway

Skyways Inspire Debate About the Future of Downtown St. Paul

The debate over public safety in Downtown St. Paul is once again focused on the city's skyways. There, concerns about access challenge any possible solutions.

June 16, 2017 - MinnPost

Johnson Square

Arkansas Town Without a Downtown Decides to Make One

Leaders of Johnson, Arkansas have decided to upgrade their town by creating an 80-acre, new urbanist-style downtown

June 15, 2017 - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Nuclear Power

Communities Plan for Life After Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear power plants around the country are shutting down. The communities where nuclear plants have been located for decades will now have to figure out how to rebuild their economies without them.

June 14, 2017 - Governing

Senior Pedestrians

The Other Side of Anxiety? Realism. And Maybe Hope.

Ben Brown tells us to stop narrowly defining problems.

June 14, 2017 - PlaceShakers

California Coast

How L.A.'s Nighttime Park Programming Lowered Crime and Costs

Los Angeles County's Parks after Dark (PAD) program and the city of Los Angeles' Summer Night Lights (SNL) program are proving to save lives, lower crime, and reduce costs, writes L.A. County parks planner Clement Lau.

June 13, 2017 - UrbDeZine

Austin

How State Governments Can Support Urban Revitalization

States have tremendous power to constrict or enable policy at the local level. A new report offer guidance in getting states and localities on the same page for the sake of urban revitalization.

June 13, 2017 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Uber Dumbo

New York Lawmaker Would End New Marketing Nicknames for Neighborhoods

There will be no SoHa (South Harlem), if the state approves new legislation that allows the city to block real estate brokers from assigning new shorthand to neighborhoods in the hopes of boosting real estate listings.

June 13, 2017 - New York Post

Ohio

Awarding the Best Ideas for Successful Cities

The Knight Foundation asked: "What’s your best idea to make cities more successful?" When it came time to pick the best ideas, design and planning ideas for places like Wichita, Biloxi, and Akron emerged.

June 13, 2017 - The Architect's Newspaper

Main Street

New Web Based Tool Helps to 'Design Your Town'

A new tool produced by the Regional Plan Association, the Orange County Department of Planning, the Pace University Land Use Law Center, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy offers a starting point for people with big ideas.

June 12, 2017 - Regional Plan Association

Rainbow Crosswalk

Gay Neighborhoods Are Getting More and More Expensive

Trulia has created a "Neighborhood Pride Score" to determine the communities with the largest gay populations. Access to those neighborhoods comes at a high price.

June 12, 2017 - Trulia

The Silent Expansion of Fiscal Control Boards in the U.S.

The power and process of boards that take control of a city or territory's finances is becoming more generalized, although they affect local democracy, impose austerity measures without controls, and lack mechanisms to evaluate their efficiency.

June 11, 2017 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

San Francisco

California Progress Report: GDP Increases While GHGs Fall

California is demonstrating that improving the economy and the environment go hand in hand. A new inventory report from the state's Air Resources Board notes changes in gross domestic product, population, and greenhouse gas emissions since 2000.

June 10, 2017 - California Air Resources Board

Beijing, China

A New Government Planned Mega-City Shapes Up Next to Beijing

Planners for the Xiong’an New Area hope to cure the ills of "megacity disease"

June 10, 2017 - Foreign Policy

Miami Mall

Top 5 Retail Shopping Center Trends

As the face of retail continues to evolve, tremendous opportunity exists for out-of-the-box concepts and creative retail strategies.

June 8, 2017 - Modern Cities

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.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

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.