Community / Economic Development
Connecting the Dots Between Governance and Placemaking
Seattle's beloved Pike Place offers a case study in how careful governance builds the foundation for flourishing places.
Could Tent Cities Work in California?
Seeking new approaches to a growing homelessness problem, Sacramento officials recently toured the "tent cities" of Seattle.
Benchmarks: Places on the Move Measure Up
All Planetizen readers should read the full 200-page Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2016 Benchmarking Report. If you haven't taken the time yet, Hazel Borys shares some of the best bits.
Glaeser: Unleash the 'Free Genius of Urban Creativity'
Harvard Professor Edward Glaeser argues for the loosening of regulations that create barriers to entry for small businesses and immigrant entrepreneurship in Boston.
Is Face to Face Community Engagement Dying Out?
With disruptions at public meetings on the rise and a growing number of online engagement tools to choose from, is face to face community engagement destined to die out? What's at stake if we let that happen?
A Detroit Design School Seeks a Seat at the Table
Academic institutions can play a major role in enriching the communities they operate in. Amy Deines, interim dean of the College of Architecture and Design at Lawrence Technological University in Detroit, discusses the city and school's trajectory.
Op-Ed Urges Pasadena to Adopt Balanced Homeless Measures
Pasadena should adopt measures that couple homeless services with controls on aggressive panhandling and camping in certain areas of the city, urges Jonathan P. Bell, urban planner and Pasadena resident.
Where Transit and Inequality Intersect in Baltimore
The "Inequality Chronicles," now in their third installment by Places Journal, are essential reading.
Backers Still Optimistic on Detroit Placemaking
After three years, an ambitious placemaking plan for downtown Detroit has delivered results, but not as quickly as its architects hoped.
Anchorage Updates Land Use Plan Map
After 34 years the Municipality of Anchorage is updating its land use plan map, a companion piece to its comprehensive plan adopted in 2001. The land use plan map sets the stage for future growth and development in this Northern City of 301,000.
Humanizing Tech in New York City
Rapid technological change has brought incredible opportunities as well as challenges to cities around the world. NYC's Chief Technology Officer and Director of Innovation discuss how the City is leveraging technology for improving city life.
Activist and Urbanist Collaborate for San Diego's North Park
San Diego's diverse urban North Park Community, once a victim of suburban flight, is now dealing with urban remigration. Urban planner Howard Blackson and community activist Don Leichtling collaborate on community plan update recommendations.
In Austin, Corporations Don't Get Paid for Promises
Austin is pushing its economic development policy to go beyond chasing the big deal.
A Black Exodus from Chicago
Black residents of Chicago are leaving for cities like Atlanta in massive numbers—away from the waves of crime tearing apart their hometown.
Gentrification Concerns Cited in Response to Grand Rapids Development Proposal
A speculative development proposal inspired a show of community solidarity in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Op-Ed: Overcoming a New NIMBYism
Rick Jacobus argues that those who block new development on social justice grounds aren't fighting to win long-term. Building is necessary, but with it should come robust affordable housing mandates.
Austin Denies Mixed-Use Zoning Change
Following concerns that the change would threaten Thornton Road Studios, a collection of arts and music businesses, the Austin City Council struck down a measure that would allow mixed-use development on the site.
Empowered Design, By 'The Crowd'
Crowdsourcing offers a viable resource for planners to empower communities and engage citizens to collectively innovate solutions to complex urban problems.
The Next Frontier for Compact Walkability? It's Gotta Be the Burbs
Suburban retrofit: what's next in issues, approaches, strategies, and tools.
Looking for a Kickstart: City Design Method Cards
The same team that created Cards Against Urbanity is back with an eagerly anticipated new engagement product called City Design Method Cards.
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
