Community / Economic Development
Significant Jump in California Driving
Mirroring a previously reported increase in gasoline consumption in California, the vehicle miles traveled increase over last year is the largest in a decade. The reasons are the same: cheaper gas and an improved economy with more people working.
5 Ways Technology Can Improve Urban Design
Technology is a great benefit for urban design and urban planning. Not only does it help boost productivity for design and urban planning teams, but it also increases team collaboration, citizen engagement, attention to detail, and accuracy.
Urban vs. Suburban: The Debate Continues
However your read the tea leaves, if it's true the 'burbs are reinventing themselves in the new era, it’s walkable, compact urbanism that's providing a game plan.
The Most Popular Planetizen Posts of 2014
We've been collecting data on the posts you made the most popular for the year 2014.
Fair Housing and Community Development: Better Together!
Conversations about fair housing and place-based work too often lead to a perceived need to defend turf. Reece and Kriesberg got together instead to talk about common ground, using Rooflines as a hub for debate!
Dumping in Dixie and the Inequity of Place
Only by better addressing issues of inequity can we create truly sustainable and livable communities. But is that even possible today?
Willamette Falls Access Approved as Part of Redevelopment Plan
The first U.S. incorporated west of the Rockies—Oregon City—is moving forward with a redevelopment plan that will provide public access to the stunning Willamette Falls.
Shared Kitchen Space: Best Culinary Innovation since the Food Truck?
Potentially the biggest culinary innovation since the gourmet food truck, L.A. Prep upholds principles of smart growth while supporting culinary entrepreneurs. Artisanal food producers will move into its 50 kitchens starting in January.
Veteran City Leader Offers Strategies for Creating Dynamic Streets and Spaces
Drawing on longtime efforts to promote livability at the neighborhood, city, and regional level, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Rick Cole recently highlighted lessons learned about "urban revitalization."
Former D.C. Mayor Reminds Cities to Retain a Sense of Place
Anthony Williams, who served two terms as D.C. mayor and is credited with the city's turnaround, spoke about creating great neighborhoods at a panel event held by local media company Elevation DC. Cities, he said, need to retain their sense of place.
Can Agile Thinking Create Outstanding Plans?
Planning exercises typically require intense baseline data collection, extensive community engagement, visioning, number crunching, analysis, modeling, forecasting, more analysis, tradeoffs, revisions to the baseline data collected at the onset
How a Land Trust Property Went Viral
Defy Media created a Prank It Fwd video that has received over 5 million YouTube views. What those viewers didn't know was that the house given away in the video is part of a land trust from Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland.
Los Angeles Returning to its Roots with the Growing Influence of Latino Urbanism
The antecedent of many of the urban design and public realm upgrades that have occurred in Los Angeles in recent years: street life in Latin American cities. Christopher Hawthorne calls it a return to first principles.
Top 10 Books - 2015
Planetizen is pleased to release its list of the ten best books in urban planning, design, and development published in 2014.
CicLAvia Rides into South Los Angeles
CicLAvia, the Los Angeles open streets event, heads to South Los Angeles for the first time today. Sahra Sulaiman explains the communities preparedness leading up to this historic event.
Report Finds Doubled Concentrations of Poverty Since 1970
A new report from City Observatory analyzes urban poverty and gentrification using census data from 1970 to 2010.
3 Strategies for Controlling Gentrification
Sandy Smith summarizes a recent "Gentrification, Integration, and Equity" event hosted by Next City in Philadelphia.
Affordable Accessory Dwelling Units
Prospect Newtown, in Longmont, CO, has seamlessly integrated affordable housing by creating a host of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The ADUs are perfectly blended within the town overall—and actually help contribute to the development’s success.
Life, Death, and Repurposing of the Great American Mall
A PBS Newshour economic correspondent visits the sites of former malls in Ohio and Massachusetts, some successfully repurposed, others in construction, and one in decay, speaking with economic experts along the way about the future of the mall.
The Promise of Renewal in Massachusetts Gateway Cities
Massachusetts is funding a placemaking initiative to renew its old industrial gateway cities. Available funds are only $16 million, but there's a plan to make the money go a long way.
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
