Community / Economic Development

Tax the 1 Percent

How Falling Inequality Rates Mislead

While the vast majority of cities saw an increase—or no decrease—in neighborhood inequality since 1990, nearly 30 regions became more equal. But paper equality can be problematic when the rich simply up and left town.

August 1, 2015 - Urban Institute

Blog Series Explores the 'Heart of the Arctic'

Hazel Borys chronicles an Arctic expedition adventure, rife with environmental insights. If you ever wondered what it felt like in the olden days to receive dispatches from explorers off in distant mysterious lands, maybe it felt something like this.

July 31, 2015 - PlaceShakers

City Life in the Republic of NGOs

Haiti's weak government and heavy foreign aid presence has led some to refer to it as the "Republic of NGOs." Satellite explored how this dynamic plays out in the small city of Fort-Liberté, which has been shaken by recent protests over electricity.

July 31, 2015 - Satellite Magazine

Detroit Skyline

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.

July 30, 2015 - City Observatory City Commentary

Exurbs Black and White

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.

July 30, 2015 - Bloomberg Business

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.

July 29, 2015 - CityLab

Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Ave

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.

July 28, 2015 - New York Times (Real Estate)

Detroit Vacant Properties

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.

July 28, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

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.

July 28, 2015 - Noozhawk

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.

July 28, 2015 - New York Times

Buffalo, New York

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.

July 27, 2015 - New York Times

Seattle Waterfront

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.

July 27, 2015 - The Seattle Times

Yuppies Out

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.

July 27, 2015 - Grist

Boston Aerial

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.

July 26, 2015 - Boston Globe

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.

July 25, 2015 - MPR News

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.

July 24, 2015 - Pacific Standard

Arcata Downtown

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.

July 24, 2015 - Next City

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.

July 22, 2015 - Pacific Standard

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.

July 22, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

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.

July 20, 2015 - The Economist

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.