Community / Economic Development
How to End Homelessness? Start—and Finish—With Veterans
We are so close to this goal. We should not change our focus before we meet it.

Lessons from 'The Human Scale'
How can we redirect our city building into a form that can handle the expected doubling of urban residents over the next 40 years? Great ideas can be found in this collection of soundbites from the film, "The Human Scale."

Five Reasons for Cities to Punt NFL Teams
While citizens of San Diego, Oakland, and St. Louis argue over whether they can afford to keep their NFL teams, overlooked are the benefits of being rid of them, writes land use attorney and San Diego Chargers fan William Adams.
Greenprint 2015/2040 Plan Calls for 500 Miles of Greenways in the Memphis Region
A regional coalition has spent three years planning a network of greenspaces that will span in the Tri-State area surrounding Memphis, Tennessee. The Greenprint 2015/2040 plan was released to the public last week.

Reading Cities Cover to Cover, and Why
Chuck Wolfe underscores the importance of a holistic view of urban places, referencing themes of common experience, aesthetics, feelings of happiness, safety, or security—a basic narrative of the city that often goes beyond first impressions.

Is California's High Speed Rail the Transcontinental Railroad of its Time?
Journalist Kathleen Sharp, whose great-grandfather worked on the transcontinental railroad, draws comparisons between that epic achievement and the construction of California's high speed rail in this New York Times op-ed.
Black History Month—a Good Time for Planners to Reflect
Planners have good reason to be thoughtful on the occasion of Black History Month. One blogger offers reflections and insight that should inspire thoughtfulness the rest of the year, too.
New Research Maps Transit Poverty
New research provides sorely needed tools for illustrating the neighborhoods that suffer a lack of transportation options to access jobs and opportunity.
Sprawl vs. Unions
The three very different stories of the building trades in Atlanta, Denver, and Portland show just how much urban development patterns affect workers.

Get to Know Your Community
Seven incredibly useful market research tools for local governments.
Seizing the Moment: Nations Slash Energy Subsidies as Oil Prices Fall
Just as plummeting oil prices have caused state and federal political leaders to consider raising gas taxes, leaders in developing nations, both oil producers and consumers, are considering reductions in national energy subsidies.
A Survey of Recent Research in 'Urban Regeneration'
Journalist's Resource provides a one-stop shop for research on the subject of policies to regenerate urban areas once in decline.
Atlanta Suburb Pitches Gaming Resort for Economic Development
An Atlanta suburb is moving forward with a plan to create a gaming report, unprecedented in the state, to invigorate a languishing part of town.
St. Petersburg a Top Draw for Millennial Job Seekers
Most of Florida has a reputation as the place northeasterners go to retire. A new study from NerdWallet, however, points out the best places to look in the state if you're young and looking to start a career.
A Policy Change for Special Needs New Yorkers
The Brooklyn Development Center will close Dec. 31. The closure of the state facility is part of a long term goal of deinstitutionalizing the developmentally disabled and integrating them in the community in group homes.
Emanuel Campaign Announces Neighborhood-Level Infrastructure Plans
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, busy on the campaign trail for re-election this week, made a big push for infrastructure investments at the neighborhood level.
High Tech Stores Provide New Leases on Life for High-End Malls
Big-name technology companies with retail stores, like Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla, have enabled many Class A malls to not just stay in business, but thrive. Record sales per square foot are flowing.
Formalizing Street Vending: A Los Angeles Case Study
The ongoing efforts to reform street vending laws in Los Angeles gained national media attention recently. Can local officials find a way to overcome controversy and complexity to legalize street vending this year?
On the Professional Benefits of Tactical Urbanism
An installment from Spacing's "Cities for People" series makes the case for tactical urbanism as a supplement to professional practice.

From Times Square: How Many Pedestrians Is Too Many Pedestrians?
Times Square stakeholders have begun to raise the specter of "too much of a good thing," as the crowds flocking to Times Square threaten to squeeze the life out of the place.
Pagination
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