Community / Economic Development

$10.6 Million Fine Proves Some Banks Are Still Redlining
A Mississippi-based bank will pay $10.6 million for discriminatory lending practices.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?
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
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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

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.
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.

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.

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.
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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
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service