Community / Economic Development

Horse Toy

Horsey! Grassroots Public Art Connects People, Past, and Present

Never underestimate the power of whimsy in the built environment. A genuine and unconditional spirit of welcome and inclusion can be found in the most unexpected forms of participatory art.

August 18, 2016 - PlaceShakers

Building Permanent Paths out of Poverty

One Tanzanian nonprofit is putting the focus on skill-building to fight poverty. David Lambert, an engineer with Arup, discusses the nonprofit's latest endeavor, a new vocational school near the town of Same.

August 17, 2016 - Doggerel

Pop Up Plaza in Louisville

Six U.S. Cities to Workshop the Methodologies of Tactical Urbanism

Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a recently announced series of tactical urbanism workshops will take place in six U.S. cities.

August 17, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

Betsy Ross Bridge

New Jersey Gas Tax Standoff Leaves Construction Workers in the Lurch

The plight of laid-off laborers who had been repaving a New Jersey bridge illustrates that people suffer as well as infrastructure and mobility when transportation funding bills fail to pass.

August 17, 2016 - The North Jersey Record

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Mystery

A blog post exploring why Los Angeles is more car-dependent than some less dense cities.

August 16, 2016 - Michael Lewyn

Food

L.A. Restaurant Charges Based on Neighborhood Income

Meals at a Los Angeles restaurant will priced according to the income of the surrounding neighborhood.

August 15, 2016 - Los Angeles Times

Friday Fun: Mapping a Decade of Philadelphia Block Parties

David Bowie and Mick Jagger approved.

August 12, 2016 - PlanPhilly

Bushwick

Can Design Defeat Gentrification?

The social vision of an architecture firm working in Bushwick, in Brooklyn, faces a familiar set of challenges.

August 12, 2016 - New York Magazine

Why Planners and Other Built Environment Professionals Should Pay Attention to Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go represents the coming of age of a powerful new technology: augmented reality. PIA Young Planner Nick Kamols applies a planner's perspective to what today's anime-based craze might tell us about what's coming tomorrow.

August 11, 2016 - LinkedIn

Nightime view of San Diego skyline

A Peek at the Future Downtown San Diego Without a New Charger Stadium

With two November ballot initiatives proposing to rezone a large part of downtown San Diego for a combined NFL stadium and convention facility, the community and a team of architects worked furiously to complete a more urban vision for the site.

August 11, 2016 - UrbDeZine

One Major Similarity in the Trump and Clinton Infrastructure Plans

Donald Trump's first major economic speech showed significant changes, including how he'd pay for his hefty infrastructure plan. Both he and Hillary Clinton will likely be relying on the same funding source.

August 10, 2016 - CNBC

Mosque

Department of Justice Steps in to Halt Religious Discrimination Through Zoning

As the U.S. Department of Justice takes action to protect the religious freedoms of Muslims in the United States, zoning decisions have proven a particularly common source of anxiety among Muslim communities.

August 10, 2016 - The New York Times

California Aqueduct

Future of California's Climate Agenda in Peril

Legislation to reauthorize the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 is in peril due to 'a powerful bloc of business-friendly Democrats' who are uneasy about its impact on businesses, particularly Big Oil, due to higher energy costs.

August 8, 2016 - CALmatters

Shanghai

Where Have all the Great Urban Places Gone?

Newly built urban places leave a lot to be desired, according to this article in Governing.

August 7, 2016 - Governing

Gentrification

Study Documents the Shifting Racial Boundaries of Gentrifying Cities

New research finds evidence of racial "boundary movements," in older, denser U.S. cities. The research explains more about why gentrification feels like such a powerful force, for those experiencing its effects.

August 4, 2016 - CityLab

Pokemon

Summer Fun: Pokémon GO and Minecraft for Young Urbanists

Do video games have anything to teach kids? Hazel Borys says yes, in moderation.

August 4, 2016 - PlaceShakers

McDonald's

Big, Corporate 'Back to the City' Movement Continues

In the latest news, chemical company Chemours will remain in downtown Wilmington, Delaware's largest city. In June, McDonald's decamped from Chicago's suburbs for downtown. This latest corporate trend is the topic of a New York Times article.

August 3, 2016 - The New York Times

Denver International Airport

Many Cities Now Facing the Challenges of Prosperity

It might be possible for San Francisco residents to feel like the challenges of homelessness, gentrification, and a tech boom, all colliding at once, are unique to their city. Other cities—Denver for example—are facing the same challenges.

August 3, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Shanghai China

China's Urbanization Boom May Be Slowing

After a period of modernization and urban growth unrivaled in human history, several forces promise a slump, or at least a slowing. Maybe it's time to improve existing cities, not keep building new ones.

August 2, 2016 - Bloomberg

Pittsburgh

Rustbelt Cities Continue to Make Play for Millennials

From St. Louis to Baltimore, the Rustbelt Cities are seeing a growing population of millennials as a possible cure to shrinking populations and stagnating economies.

August 2, 2016 - Stateline

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.