Community / Economic Development
Most Downtowns Still Lagging Behind
Central districts have been surging back since the 1980s. But in most cities, the upper third of earners still favor outlying areas and are underrepresented closer to downtown.
Homebuyers Return to the Exurbs
It's been a while since 2008, and a new crop of homeowners is colonizing the far-flung exurbs. Mostly foreclosed and even abandoned last time around, the exurbs are still a risky buy.
U.S. Cities Rank Highly as Locations for Startups
The Startup Genome Project ranks the Silicon Valley as far and away the best location in the world for startup businesses, but other American cities appear all over the top ten.
Jamaica, Queens: More Than Just a Stop on the Way to the Airport
Public and private interests have emerged to revitalize the Queens neighborhood, an inter-modal hub ten miles east of Midtown Manhattan.
Map Depicts Nationwide Geography of Inequality
An analysis and accompanying interactive map from the Urban Institute show where the nation's richest and poorest tend to live. The map tells a tale of deeply ingrained wealth segregation.
Does Dunkin' Donuts Fit Taco Bell's Curves?
That's the question some members of Santa Barbara's Architectural Board of Review are asking the coffee and donut chain as they pursue their invasion of the Golden State. Dunkin' Donuts is eyeing a Taco Bell site in the city.
Boston Out of the Olympics Game for 2024
After a protracted controversy, the United States Olympic Committee officially terminated the bid for Boston to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Buffalo Shakes Off Some Rust
Buffalo made its fortune in long-gone heavy industries such as steel. Now a new industrial revolution—in renewable energy—is bringing new life to the coldest, northernmost city of the American Rust Belt.
Seattle Tower-Spacing Rules Cause Controversy
To preserve views, zoning rules from 2006 require adequate distance between residential towers of a certain height. As developers chafe against the restriction, residents still worry they'll be left facing a wall.
Op-Ed: Newer Model Density Falls Short of its Promise
The general principle is simple: more density equals lower prices and less environmental impact. But suburbia's imprint is deep, both on cities themselves and on how we expect to inhabit them.
Boston Olympic Plan Includes 8,000 Units of Housing
As it vies to host the 2024 Summer Games, Boston's plan envisions two new permanent neighborhoods built with a mix of public and private investment. The final decision will take place in September.
Poverty Shifts to the Twin Cities Suburbs
A recent report finds that more people are living in poverty in suburban areas than in the more urban areas of the Twin Cities region.
Community is Common Ground for Liberals and Conservatives
Supporters of New Urbanism may live across the political spectrum, but they all want to live in traditional neighborhoods.
California City Looks for Place to Stash Its Weed (Production)
The Northern California city of Arcata has long tolerated the production of California's most second-most-lucrative mood-altering crop. Now, the city is considering an official zoning designation to accommodate marijuana production.
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.
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
