Community / Economic Development

Protesting racism

$10.6 Million Fine Proves Some Banks Are Still Redlining

A Mississippi-based bank will pay $10.6 million for discriminatory lending practices.

July 8, 2016 - Next City

New York City Zoning Map

Reexamining the Origins of Zoning

According to Seymour Toll's 1969 book, New York City's 1916 zoning code was less a civic-minded project than an attempt to protect elite retail districts from the riff-raff. The ramifications for American zoning at large are significant.

July 7, 2016 - PlanPhilly

empty parking lot of Eastvale, California's best buy and kohl's, mountains in background

Counting the Indicators of a Deflating California Real Estate Bubble

Canceled projects, price discounts, and increased incentives to buyers are already showing up in real estate developments in key U.S. regions, writes estate and affordable housing adviser Michael P. Russell. He reviews some key indicators.

July 7, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Boulder Colorado

Zoning as a Tool of Social and Economic Inequality

The New York Times devotes significant ink to an argument against the use of zoning laws as tools of anti-growth politics.

July 6, 2016 - The New York Times

Metro Subway Los Angeles

The Vision for a $120 Billion Public Transportation Revolution in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Metro's new Chief of Planning Therese McMillan joins the agency at a pivotal moment, as county voters will decide in November whether to approve a new, evergreen sales tax to fund future Metro public transportation expansion.

July 6, 2016 - The Planning Report

Roman Aqueduct

The Place of Water in Urban Design: An International Perspective

How cities around the world have approached thinking about how water management fits in to urban planning.

July 5, 2016 - The Planning Report

Community Meeting

The 3 Most Common Community Engagement Mistakes

Planners, like any other professionals, live in a kind of bubble. Those charged with dealing with the public run the risk of expecting too much from residents as they design community engagement activities. Here are some of the most common mistakes.

July 5, 2016 - Dave Biggs

Bikeshare

Toward an Equitable Bikeshare System

The Better Bike Share Conference convened in Philadelphia on June 22-24, 2016. Attendees gathered to find solutions for challenges of equity, social justice, and mobility in the country's emerging bikeshare infrastructure.

July 5, 2016 - Better Bike Share Partnership

Los Angeles Homeless

Los Angeles Voters to Consider $1.2 Billion Property Tax Bond for Homeless Housing

Los Angeles voters will be asked to approve a new property tax on residential and commercial properties to pay for a $1.2 billion to improve the city's worsening homelessness problem.

July 4, 2016 - Los Angeles Daily News

aerial view of downtown detroit showing lots of parking lots

20-Minute Neighborhoods In Detroit

If Detroit needs to be "rebuilt" or "reimagined," why not do so around a walkable, convenient ideal? A compact Motor City where essential goods and services are available within a 20-minute walk?

July 2, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

After Brexit, London's Fintech Future Foggy at Best

Over half of Europe’s financial technology "unicorns" are in the London area. The decision to quit the EU is already threatening the ecosystem that allows London to trade within the EU, as well as its status as hub for fintech jobs and technology

July 1, 2016 - Cities of the Future

HUD Announces Latest Round of Choice Neighborhood Grants

Ten new neighborhoods join 63 previous grant winners under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.

June 30, 2016 - Next City

Motown Muster

Military Veterans Deploy to Detroit to Take on Blight-Busting Volunteer Work

A volunteer organization called The Mission Continues connects veterans with volunteer work around the country. The healing power of their efforts goes both ways.

June 30, 2016 - Fox 2

U.S. Bank Tower

'Bouncy-House Urbanism' Reaches New Heights

When a glass slide installed 1,000 feet up the tallest skyscraper on the West Coast is more than it appears.

June 29, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Leave it to beaver house

Survey Finds Pessimism Prevailing in the Housing Market

A new survey finds that many Americans are still extremely pessimistic about the state of the housing market—many even believe that the worst of the mortgage foreclosure crisis that began in 2008 is yet to come.

June 29, 2016 - CityLab

Lost Our Home

California Legislature Considering $2 Billion for Homeless Housing

A bill already halfway through the California Legislature, with support from the governor, would spend $2 billion to build permanent housing for mentally ill homeless people.

June 29, 2016 - Associated Press via SCPR

Glasgow

Glasgow's High Mortality Rate and a History of Poor Planning

Decades of poor urban planning and policy decisions have contributed to "the Glasgow Effect," which has seen higher rates of mortality for Glaswegians compared to similar de-industrialized cities.

June 27, 2016 - The Guardian (UK)

Housing Initiatives to Appear on Northern and Southern California Ballots in November

Last week the Los Angeles City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved housing initiatives. "Build Better LA" requires large developments to have affordable units. Silicon Valley voters will vote on a $950 million housing bond.

June 26, 2016 - Planetizen

Los Angeles Arts District

Building a Thriving Economy in Downtown L.A.’s Historic Fashion District

As Downtown L.A. sees an impressive renaissance, learn how the Fashion District in L.A. spurred growth through piloting the first-ever "Business Improvement District" program.

June 24, 2016 - The Planning Report

Carquinez Bridge

The Well Has Run Dry: Redevelopment in Vallejo, CA Without Tax Increment Financing

A case study of Vallejo shows how the city is continuing revitalization efforts without the powerful tools provided by its former redevelopment agency.

June 24, 2016 - Linda Day

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.