Community / Economic Development
A Simple Approach to Abandoned Buildings Improved Crime in Philadelphia
The city of Philadelphia's Doors and Windows Ordinance applied the Broken Windows Theory to positive results.
Hospital Care Returns to the Communities of South Los Angeles
A $250 million project, eight years in the making, returned inpatient hospital care to the neighborhoods of South Los Angeles.
Learning from the Las Vegas Recovery
The recovery of Las Vegas, hit hard by the Great Recession, resembles the recovery of the rest of the country—uneven and innovative.
iUrbanism
Insightful designers continue to seek a better future for Los Angeles architecture by way of L.A. urbanism.
Portland to Buy Land for Homeless Camp
The city of Portland has allocated funding for the purchase of land reported to be under consideration as the new location of a large homeless camp called Right 2 Dream Too.
Friday Eye Candy: Map Shows Every Job in the United States
Looking for granular illustrations of the details of local economies? Look no further.
Doomed Suburbs
Alana Semuels describes the structural forces that had led Cincinnati's Lincoln Heights neighborhood to the brink of extinction.
West Virginia Communities Respond to a Growing Number of Food Deserts
Communities in West Virginia are organizing and working to fill their needs for healthy, fresh food as grocery stores in the region close.
The Inuit: A View From the Top of the World
A little history on the Inuit of the Circumpolar Region as the kickoff in a blog series by Hazel Borys
Status Report: the Rise of Innovation Districts
Last year, the "innovation district" rose to prominence as a way to describe urban knowledge economy epicenters. This report from Bruce Katz and Brookings describes how the phenomenon continues to evolve.
Stopping Development—How Far Is Too Far?
Fierce business competitors have to step lightly to avoid liability under American antitrust law and 'commercial interference' torts. A recent report takes a comprehensive look at where the line is when it comes to stopping a development project.
Houston's Main Street Crosses a Spectrum of Wealth and Poverty
A feature in the Houston Chronicle explores the economic segregation of Houston along the axis of Main Street—with low income neighborhoods like Independence Heights to the north and affluent neighborhoods like Old Braeswood to the south.
Lessons for a Career's Worth of Community Engagement
Community engagement on planning subjects is fraught with the potential for boredom and political conflict. The former mayor of Chattanooga recounts lessons gained while combating those possibilities over a 40-year career.
The World's Largest Ferris Wheel Finds its Footing on Staten Island
The foundation is being laid for the world's largest Ferris wheel on State Island. Will it succeed where so many efforts to bring tourists to the Fifth Borough have failed?
The Passaic River: A Postindustrial River Reimagined
Writer Jeff Byles chronicles the Passaic River's relationship to Paterson, New Jersey and how its revival can prove beneficial for the city in this second installment of the Paterson series.
Explained: the Power and Potential of Community Land Trusts
A clear, detailed explanation of community land trusts—a growing model for retaining affordable housing and neighborhood character in the face of gentrification pressures.
Canton Creates Roadmap for Right-Sizing
In its first comprehensive plan since the 1960s, Canton, Ohio, is setting a bold new course that could influence planning in hundreds of small and mid-sized American cities with weak real estate markets.
How Risky Lending Hollowed Out Detroit
Over one half of Detroit's foreclosed homes are blighted or abandoned. Buyers who purchased the homes for as little as $1 have little incentive to keep them in good shape—or pay taxes.
New Orleans Public Housing in Decade-Long Stall
In the aftermath of Katrina, President Obama's Choice Neighborhoods initiative promised thousands of new affordable units. But so far the Housing Authority of New Orleans hasn't proved up to the task.
Record Environmental Settlement Reached in 2010 BP Gulf Oil Spill
While a judge must approve the historic $18.7 billion settlement reached July 2, the United States and the five Gulf States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas have agreed to the settlement, along with BP.
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 Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
