Community / Economic Development
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.
New Guide Helps City Leaders Design for Physical Activity and Health
The "Active Cities Report" by the Designed to Move coalition provides detailed guidance concerning how to integrate physical activity into community design, and information on the economic, social and environmental benefits that result.
Unpacking the Idea 'More Housing Equals Lower Prices'
It makes economic sense: increase supply in desirable areas to match demand. These articles look at some of the factors complicating that story in on the west coast.
The Tragedy of San Bernardino
The focal point of California's vast Inland Empire, the suburban city of San Bernardino was brought to its knees by the Great Recession. Its civic bankruptcy and its emergence as a suburban slum is perhaps America's most tragic story of urban sprawl.
The Ultimate Revitalization Scheme: Free Homes
Though it's as picturesque as a place can be, the central Sicilian town of Gangi is a shell of its former self. To attract new residents, the town is offering homes for free on the condition that they be restored to their former glory.
Economic Underperformance Tied to Bad Commutes
The price of long commutes can't just be measured in lost hours. Income segregation, job sprawl, and the resulting negative feedback on families eats into overall economic and social well-being.
American Suburbia Transplanted to Beijing
Chinese and Indian cities have been quick to welcome housing developments modeled on North American suburbs, including "Orange County" and "Vancouver Forest" in Beijing. This globalized sprawl perpetuates all the ills of our own.
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
