Community / Economic Development
The Life and Death of Urban Hierarchies
Kristen Jeffers writes that she's changed her mind about the existence of hierarchies among U.S. cities.
California's Ambitious Transportation Projects Designed to Include Communities
Unprecedented transit build-out in California could transform the state. Now leaders are working to ensure the infrastructure connecting major cities also benefits the communities it touches along the way.
Putting Geniuses In Their Place(s)
Eric Weiner's "The Geography of Genius" offers a delightful, if limited, analysis of cities throughout history where "genius" has arisen and offers inspiration for planners who want to make cities more than just places to live and do business.
Why the Bay Area Outshines L.A.
Los Angeles' relative economic stagnation from 1980 onward was as much a choice as was the Bay Area's meteoric rise. According to planning scholar Michael Storper's account, Los Angeles' culture—not any policy or industry—is to blame.
U.S. Cities Cracking Down on Homelessness
Three major American cities this week—San Francisco, Dallas, and Los Angeles—responded to the growing number of homeless living on the streets with sweeps, arrests, and seizures, respectively.
Making Sense of Community
Most of us Planetizen readers were inadvertently complicit in killing the term "sense of community." Scott Doyon points out where we go from here.
For Cities, Industrial Land Matters
When the "highest and best use" of city land...isn't.
Black Residents Displaced in Pittsburgh
Rents are on the rise in Pittsburgh, prompting some longtime residents to relocate farther away. Race, as well as class, figures heavily in this narrative.
The Changing Nature of Retail: The Impact of Online Shopping on Cities
As consumers increasingly buy online, technology is changing the shape of our cities, reducing demand for retail space, increasing freight congestion, and leaving parking lots empty.
Tech Sector Makes Inroads in Portland
Low prices and a less frenetic working environment are drawing tech employees to Portland, Oregon. Gentrification may loom, but along with it may come expanded economic opportunities for the city and state.
Op-Ed: Affordability Crisis Dwarfs Affordability Policies
Although the political optics are hard to see, Daniel Hertz argues that policies like inclusionary zoning need to be strengthened by orders of magnitude to have more than a token impact on housing affordability.
A Map of the Most Economically Distressed Communities in the United States
The economic recovery of recent years has not reached all corners of the country—it hasn’t even reached all corners of many cities. A new report plots a new map of the nation's distressed communities.
Op-Ed: San Diego's Draft Downtown Mobility Plan Suffering From Suburban Myopia
San Diego's Draft Downtown Mobility Plan is laudable but consists of basic generalities and vanilla concepts, ignoring how an urban environment functions, writes Jimmy Parker, former president of the city's most urban business district.
Friday Eye Candy: Dallas, Transformed Into Poetry
Dallas is a subject in a visual experiment titled "A City is a Poem."
Detroit's Business Community Ties Its Fate to Detroit's Neighborhoods
The Detroit Regional Chamber made an explicit show of solidarity with the concerns of neighborhood revitalization in the many neighborhoods of the city.
The United States of Startup Accelerators
The Brookings Institution mapped the proliferation of startup accelerators—an increasingly popular tool for economic growth.
Smart Design = Smart Policy? Not So Fast
After a few decades watching—and sometimes helping—great ideas die of overexposure to reality, I'm convinced it's not enough to just listen to folks you're hoping to help. You have to make something happen. A well-conceived charrette helps.
DIY Urbanism and Top-Down Planning
Though projects tend to be hyper-local and temporary, Do It Yourself, Tactical, or Guerrilla Urbanism is an endorsement of the top-down planning model, rather than a repudiation.
A Failing Anchor Sinks All Mall Businesses
The big anchor businesses of malls are bleeding business and closing stores, dragging the rest of the mall business down with them.
Loan Program Provides Gentrification Defense Near Chicago's 606 Bike Trail
That beautiful new bike lane, known as the 606, in Chicago has brought along with it local concerns about gentrification. The city and a local non-profit have teamed up to create a loan program to help current residents stay ahead of the curve.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
