Community / Economic Development

Downtown Reno: A Place Where Nobody Dared to Go
Residents of Reno, Nevada participating in a rewrite of the city’s master plan have spoken out about the myriad of problems afflicting their downtown—it's dirty, dangerous, and deserted.
GE Relocates HQ from Suburban Connecticut to Boston
GE is abandoning its 68-acre suburban campus in Fairfield, Conn. for Boston's Seaport District. As WBUR's technology reporter, Curt Nickisch put it, "Today's knowledge workers want bike racks and subway stops not country clubs and parking garages."
Philadelphia Searches for a Place to Feed the Hungry
Urban planning challenge: where to site a large tent for serving meals to the homeless in a revitalizing part of Philadelphia.

With the Rams Departing—What Next for St. Louis?
The St. Louis Rams will become the Los Angeles Rams. What now becomes of the city of St. Louis?
Creating a Community of Choice
The Mountain View neighborhood in Anchorage is described as the most diverse neighborhood in the U.S., becoming a model of neighborhood change and a community of choice thanks to the efforts of local leaders and many dedicated community residents.
Cautious Optimism in the Wake of COP21
With the historic climate agreement reached in Paris at COP21, what implications will it have on the architecture, engineering and design industries? Doggerel spoke to U.S. Green Building Council Chair-elect Fiona Cousins for her perspective.
A View from the Twin Cities
Is MSP really "Greater"? A brief look at the Human Ecology of Minnesota's Twin Cities reveals tremendous upside along with numerous challenges
Study: BRT Lines Offer Significant Real Estate and Jobs Benefits
The real estate market has been transformed in cites that added bus rapid transit in the past decade, according to a new study presented this week at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.
Step Aside San Francisco: The Tech Industry Still Calls the Silicon Valley Home
You wouldn't be alone if you thought the tech industry had shifted its base of operations from the Silicon Valley to San Francisco. A new study of the tech industry's real estate footprint, however, reveals the South Bay's entrenched dominance.
Study: Cities Gaining Post-Recession Economic Clout
As the dust settles from the Great Recession—evidence is growing to support the growing relevance of urban areas in the overall economic picture of the United States.

Washington Port City Seeks To Attract Visitors With Wine Village
The Port of Kennewick, Washington, along the Columbia River, is hoping to combine some underutilized waterfront property and nearby wineries into a new attraction for wine lovers.
Guess What 'Empire Station' Replaces
An earlier post on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's big capital project proposal this week gave barely a mention of his new plans for the renovation, or rebirth, of Penn Station, America's busiest rail station.
New Federal Rule Decriminalizes Walking to School
The recently approved federal education law includes a provision that allows students to take alternative forms of transportation to and from school with parental permission.
Gov. Cuomo's 'Robert Moses Wish List' Continues to Grow—But Where's the Payment Plan?
The New York governor continues his tour of New York, promoting his big ticket capital agenda, yet not suggesting any means to pay for them. Worse yet, he restricts new funding options, like increased tolls, adding costs to the transportation budget.
$700 Million in Demolitions and Redevelopment Announced for Baltimore
The state of Maryland and the city of Baltimore are partnering on a massive redevelopment effort.
Marijuana Manufacturing Sets Up Shop in Denver's Communities of Color
Advocates are concerned that too many of Denver's new retail marijuana business are locating in neighborhoods with mostly minority and low-income residents.

Walkable Winter Cities: Feasibility While Freezing
"It's too cold to walk here" is often the response to the subject of livability in northern climes. Hazel Borys hails from the third coldest city of its size on earth and talks walkable winter cities.
The End of Manhattan's Music Row
The changes sweeping New York City include the end of Manhattan's Music Row.
On the Suburban South's Troubling Poverty
Land use and transportation planning decisions provide a framework on which other social policies have created particularly isolating and intractable poverty in the South.

Chicago Universities Commit to Bolstering Growth
Eight Chicago universities have agreed to engage with the city and local communities as they invest in their neighborhoods. The hope is to increase opportunities for employment and economic growth.
Pagination
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.
City of Charlotte
Municipality of Princeton
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)