Community / Economic Development
A NYC teen spends his days helping Chinese seniors navigate the housing system. He has some advice for Mamdani — and it’s really good.
As New York prepares to add 200,000 affordable housing units, Tianli Cheng says that dismantling access barriers is as important as creating new supply. He has a laundry list of great starting points.
America’s urban FIFA stars won’t be stadiums — it will be our downtowns. Let’s not blow it.
When the World Cup visits cities across America this summer, it’s a rare chance to shift the perception of our downtowns on the global stage. The secret? What makes downtowns great for FIFA makes them great for everyone, all the time.
Only one US city makes the Happy City Index top 50
The list is topped by Copenhagen, Helsinki, and Geneva.
Richmond's new 'stadium district' will include hundreds of homes, offices, jobs
The city is planning for a neighborhood revival in the area around a new baseball stadium.
Study: 'Sudden shocks' are driving up homelessness rates
Evictions and climate disasters are leading causes of sharp spikes in unhoused populations.
This Seattle sidewalk art only appears when it rains
Prompted to find a silver lining to the gloom of rainy Pacific Northwest days, an artist hit upon a novel solution: water-activated sidewalk paint.
America’s Next Rust Belt Could be its Most Digitally Connected Cities
Research warns that the rise of AI is making some of the country’s most economically successful cities vulnerable to AI-driven decline.
War and Place: The Iran you Don't see in the News
The world is watching Iran right now through the narrow lens of conflict. When governments see the world through a target reticle, smoke fills the frame — and the places people actually live get ignored.
The Restaurant Industry’s ‘Missing Middle’
Locally owned restaurants affordable to middle-income families are disappearing or being forced to raise prices as costs grow.
LA County to Make ‘Historic’ $78M Investment in Parks
A record $78+ million in Measure A funding advances park access, health, and climate resilience in communities that need it most.
Philadelphia’s ‘Chinatown Stitch’ Freeway Cap in Danger After Feds Retract Funding
A project 15 years in the making would reconnect Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood after decades of being split in half by a roadway.
Invasive Beetle has Killed Over 200,000 Southern California Oak Trees, Raising Wildfire Risk
The rapid spread of the Goldspotted Oak Borer is killing hundreds of thousands of oak trees, undermining habitat and increasing wildfire danger across Southern California.
Report: US Transit Returns $5 for Every $1 Invested
An analysis from APTA shows the rippling positive impacts of transit funding.
NYC has Lost 4% of its Resident Artists Since 2019
Advocates argue the city should build more affordable housing reserved for artists, who are being increasingly priced out.
California Seals 21 Urban Oil Wells in South LA After Decades of Activism
The permanent closure of a long-troubled South Los Angeles oil site marks a hard-fought victory for residents and underscores the growing urgency of addressing hazardous idle wells in communities nationwide.
Report: LA Construction Permits Fell 40% After ‘Mansion Tax’
New housing permits fell sharply for both single-family homes and multifamily buildings after the city enacted a tax on property sales over $5 million.
Study: LA Could Get Rid of Almost Half its Pavement
Researchers say nearly half of the county’s paved surfaces could be redesigned to cool neighborhoods, manage stormwater, and improve public health.
Dear Trump: the Future Belongs to the Efficient
Trump abandoned climate protection goals claiming that cheap fossil fuel helps consumers and the economy. A mobility-focused analysis shows that he is wrong: resource efficiency is the key to health, economic success and happiness.
How Placemaking Lost its Way — And How it Can Get Back on Track
The term has often become diluted, getting attached to projects that don’t live up to its lofty aspirations.
Rebuilding After Fire, Altadena is Designing Public Spaces With Healing and Community in Mind
In the wake of the Eaton fire, Altadena is rebuilding its parks, libraries, and gathering places through innovative, people-centered design that prioritizes healing, flexibility, and the restoration of everyday community life.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
