Community / Economic Development

Agriculture

Grants Awarded to Boost Agriculture Projects in Conservation Districts

Forty-two conservation districts in 25 state received grants totaling $2 million this week. The funding will create technical assistance opportunities for urban agriculture and conservation projects.

July 22, 2016 - National Association of Conservation Districts

Vote

Participatory Budgeting Catching on in the U.S. and Canada

A new report from Public Agenda tracks the spread of participatory budgeting, and provides guidance for implementing such processes for maximum benefit to public engagement.

July 20, 2016 - Governing

Centennial Olympic Park

20 Years Later: the Redevelopment Legacy of the Atlanta Olympics

It's been 20 years since the city of Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics. The city's National Public Radio station is exploring the legacy of the games.

July 20, 2016 - WABE

Seattle

Reports See Continued Job Growth, Demand for Tech Office Space

A recent spate of reports has examined the up-and-down U.S. economy and predicted the need for more office space to fuel the growing workforce.

July 19, 2016 - National Real Estate Investor

Griffith Park

Key Facts from L.A. County's Park Needs Assessment Study

L.A. County's Parks and Rec Dept. has just completed a major study of the county's park needs. Departmental Facilities Planner Clement Lau explains the study and below are a few things that came to light.

July 19, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Community Engagement Book

The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up

Dave Biggs interviews author James Hoggan about his new book, "I'm Right and You're An Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up."

July 19, 2016 - Dave Biggs

Dallas City Hall

What Mayors Talk About When Everyone Is Listening

An annual report analyzing the "State of the City" speeches of 100 mayors finds remarkable consistency in messaging.

July 19, 2016 - Next City

Pokémon Go

Planetizen Week in Review: July 18, 2016

The Planetizen Week in Review is back.

July 18, 2016 - Planetizen

Alleys as a Community Asset

Often overlooked, alleys can be transformed into valuable community spaces

July 17, 2016 - CityLab

Shopping Cart

Dallas to Offers a $3 Million Carrot for Grocery Store Development

Hoping to attract investments in grocery stores in the food desert of southern Dallas, the City Council recently approved a $3 million enticement.

July 17, 2016 - The Dallas Morning News

Tangier Island

Should We Stay or Should We Go? Low-Lying Coastal Towns Debate Choices

Two U.S. coastal communities are debating the merits of staying or leaving due to effects from climate change and rising sea levels

July 17, 2016 - Public Radio International

Atlanta streetcar

Report Details Georgia's Community Improvement Districts

As more community improvement districts come online in Georgia, some are finding limitations to the reach of the taxes they generate. A new report makes a thorough examination.

July 15, 2016 - Saporta Report

The Sharing Economy Comes to Urban Public Schools

How one firm is integrating sharing economy principles to bolster Chicago's public schools.

July 14, 2016 - Doggerel

Seattle City Council

Seattle Mayor Proposes a More Inclusive Department of Neighborhoods

The leadership at the city of Seattle has noticed that the people representing neighborhoods on the city's district councils don't reflect the population of the city.

July 14, 2016 - Publicola

Black Lives Matter

Why it Matters When Protesters Shut Down Highways

Emily Badger, writing for The Washington Post's Wonkblog, doesn't let planners off the hook for the racist history of highway planning around the country.

July 14, 2016 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Tiny House Prefab

Clearing the Path for Tiny Houses

Clocking in at less than 500 square feet, tiny houses are in greater and greater demand. They've been touted as a means to address affordability, inequality, homelessness, and environmental concerns. But regulatory issues are holding them back.

July 14, 2016 - Pew Charitable Trusts

Brewery

Bloomington Allows Artisanal Production in Retail Zones

Craft beer aficionados take note. Bloomington, Illinois now allows businesses selling artisanal products to manufacture their goods on-site. The ruling blurs a distinction between industrial and commercial zoning.

July 14, 2016 - Pantagraph

East Palo Alto

Water Draws the Line Between the Haves and Have-Nots in the South Bay Area

Development proposals in one of the least affluent communities in the Silicon Valley have repeatedly been scuttled due to a lack of water. Wealthier communities have more than enough.

July 9, 2016 - Palo Alto Weekly

Controversial Clean Coal Plant is Subject of Investigative Journalism

Things have gone terribly wrong at Mississippi's Kemper County energy facility, a federally supported, $6.7 billion carbon capture and storage coal power plant that is now two years behind schedule and $4 billion over budget.

July 8, 2016 - The New York Times

A Summary of CNU24 Detroit

Miss the Congress for the New Urbanism in Detroit? Hazel Borys shares some highlights, with help from Twitter urbanists.

July 8, 2016 - PlaceShakers

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.