Community / Economic Development

Shishmaref

Climate Changes Confront Alaska Villages with Wrenching Choices

Alaska is warming about twice as fast as the rest of the continental United States, and the state is heading for the warmest year on record. The government has identified at least 31 Alaska towns and cities at risk of destruction.

December 2, 2016 - Alaska Dispatch News

Gentrification

Friday Eye Candy: Turning Gentrification Data Into Art

Herwig Scherabon is a graphic designer featured this week in The Guardian.

December 2, 2016 - The Guardian

Trump Sign

Malign Neglect? Urban Policy in the Trump Era

How much do we have to fear from the president-elect's policy plans for urban America? We can hope that he will follow his party's playbook and largely ignore the cities, but potential changes to housing policy are more serious.

December 1, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Alaska's Attempt at Clean Coal Technology Proves Costly, Problematic

An explosion on Nov. 2 forced GVEA to shut down the power plant earlier this month after struggling with a number of mishaps that have kept Golden Valley from bringing the Healy 2 plant online.

December 1, 2016 - Alaska Public Media

Step Away from the Vehicle (And Take Back the Journey)

Walkability’s greatest gifts to health are most accessible when we encounter one another in the flesh. In pedestrian-friendly environments, others amenitize space. On the highway, they encumber it.

December 1, 2016 - PlaceShakers

For Rent

Rising Rents, Stagnant Economy

Since the 1970s, many American cities have played host to rising rents and stagnant incomes. Richard Florida writes about how the "great rent squeeze" might be choking the country's economic prospects.

November 30, 2016 - CityLab

DJ, Knaack Club, Berlin

The 'Night Mayor' Phenomenon Spreads

Managing cities' sometimes-turbulent relationship with their nightlife, "night mayors" help cities capitalize on an industry that has become a marker of urban prestige.

November 30, 2016 - The Conversation

Austin Texas

Austin Will Use Virtual Reality to Attract Foreign Direct Investment

The city of Austin hopes that virtual reality can connect foreign investors and proposed development projects in need of funding.

November 30, 2016 - Austin Monitor

BART Train

The San Francisco Bay Area Voted for a Sustainable, Inclusive Future

We can’t simply rely on the federal government to solve the San Francisco Bay Area’s challenges. Time and time again, we have turned to local do-it-yourself solutions. This year, voters rolled up their sleeves and took matters into their own hands.

November 26, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

South Mall Parking Lot

Black Friday Is A Case Study On Why Parking Minimums Are Ridiculous

At most big box stores, the parking lots occupy far more land than the stores themselves, sucking up unnecessary resources from our communities.

November 25, 2016 - Modern Cities

Times Square

Is a 'Bright Lights District' a Good Fit for Atlanta?

Brightly lit pedestrian and commercial districts like Times Square and Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo are some of the most famous urban environments in the world. But that doesn’t mean they work in every city.

November 24, 2016 - CityLab

The Cost of Thanksgiving at Whole Foods in Englewood in Chicago

Is Whole Foods making Thanksgiving accessible for residents of Englewood in Chicago?

November 24, 2016 - The Chicago Tribune

New Ohio Law Fast Tracks Foreclosures for Vacant Properties

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland provides an early assessment of a new foreclosure law in Ohio designed to help reduce vacant and blighted properties in the state.

November 22, 2016 - The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

AC Transit BRT

Who Benefits from the East Bay's Big Bus Rapid Transit Project?

A key commercial corridor connecting Oakland and Fremont in the East Bay Area is due for a dramatic transformation in the form of a new Bus Rapid Transit line.

November 20, 2016 - East Bay Times

Oregon State University

Op-Ed: Invest in Public University Development Projects to Protect Jobs

The case for state investments in public university campus development projects in Oregon.

November 20, 2016 - The Oregonian

What Now for Philly Neighborhoods Reconnected by the Rebuilt 41st Street Bridge?

The city of Philadelphia's "most notorious unfinished infrastructure project" is now complete. What will the rebuilt 41st Street Bridge mean for the neighborhoods on either side?

November 19, 2016 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Shepard Fairey

Obama Order Creates the Council on Community Solutions

The Obama Administration recently offered a parting gesture toward better coordination between the federal government and local and regional municipalities.

November 19, 2016 - Next City

Los Angeles in 1939, as determined by the  Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC).

Revealed: Inequality And Urban Flight Were Products Of The Federal Government.

If you believe sprawl just magically happened, here's something that visually suggests otherwise.

November 19, 2016 - Modern Cities

Albanian Mayor Curbs Pollution With Data and Children's Help

As mayor of Tirana, Albania, Erion Veliaj has introduced alternatives modes of transport to the city’s traffic-clogged streets and made the public a full partner in the process.

November 18, 2016 - Cities of the Future

Akron

The Vision for a Revitalized Downtown in Akron, Ohio

It's been a busy year for planners in Akron, Ohio. The most recent accomplishment is the completion of phase 1 of the Downtown Vision and Redevelopment Plan.

November 17, 2016 - Cleveland.com

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.