Community / Economic Development
Against Generic Placemaking
'Placemaking,' the process by which cities and developers supposedly create appealing public spaces, is in a crisis, writes critic James Russell. Too many "made" places are generic and lack true relevance to the cities that build them.
How Planning Can Reduce the Threat of Gender Violence
A piece from Anchorage, Alaska discusses problems that can arise when planners don't address gender-based safety. Walkable, populated, well-lit streets and transit are the best remedy.
Seattle Eco-District Fosters Green Development
In a bid to knit sustainability into large-scale community development, Seattle's Capitol Hill EcoDistrict is exploring several avenues toward greener land use.
More on the Cost of Anti-Growth Policies
As urban centers start making better sense for a digital economy, NIMBY policies might be worth re-examining. In addition to driving up the cost of housing, they may compound inefficiencies and slow down the economy.
Are Asia's Planned Cities a New Colonialism?
While they look clean and green on the drawing board, Asia's planned developments might be nothing more than cloned commercialism set in concrete. By undermining local culture, this 'smart city' approach may also prove unsustainable.
Louisville Builds Food Hub 2.0
Unlike conventional food hubs, Louisville's planned $50 million FoodPort will gather and 'incubate' regional food businesses. The hope is to breathe life into the area's struggling small farms.
'Jobs Sprawl' Plagues Cleveland Commutes
Research from Brookings puts Cleveland in last place for improving access to jobs from 2000 through 2012. And jobs sprawl is up throughout the rest of the country as well.
Study: Income Inequality Lowers Life Expectancy
Research suggests a correlation between regional income inequality and poorer health. Several statistical and sociological causes may come into play.
Study Finds Economic Value in Urban-Dwelling Birds
Researchers at the University of Washington and Humboldt State University have produced evidence value added by birds in urban settings.
Visioning Edges in Cities, and the Spaces Beyond
In an inspirational essay about the undeveloped boundaries of the public domain (such as street-ends), Chuck Wolfe urges innovation in city spaces where we "blend the familiar with the edge of the unknown."
Preservation and Revitalization in Latin America
Urban city centers have been decaying for years in Latin America, however, with renewed interest by Latin American governments, these city cores are once again being revitalized. Arup Connect spoke with urban design leader Pablo Lazo to learn how.
The Triumph of the Farmers Market
Farmers Markets have exploded over the past decade. This phenomenon has not only brought more vegetables to cities but revitalization in the public.
New State Symbol of Arizona: The Disposable Plastic Bag?
The legislature passed a bill on April 2 that bans local governments from banning single-use plastic bags as well as other disposable containers under the premise that it's bad for the state economy, though only one city in the state has such a law.
New Programs to House Rural Residents Closer to Jobs
Greg Aamot explores case studies from Minnesota of a conundrum that troubles many rural communities: how to house daytime workforces near their jobs, with the benefits in sales and property tax revenue that results.
A Mixed-Use Fire Station? Challenging the Limits of Mixed-Use Development
A visual essay exploring the emerging Potomac Yard neighborhood in Alexandria, VA and how one innovative project reinterprets the traditional definition of mixed-use development.
Harnessing Immigrant Entrepreneurship for Economic Growth
If the high level of entrepreneurship among immigrant populations is part culture, part economic necessity, what can community development organizations do to foster their success?
Building Capacity in Underserved Urban Areas
Seeing projects through—whether affordable housing, public space, or infrastructure—for low-income populations in cities like Los Angeles requires grit and coalition-building.
Can Gentrification Integrate Neighborhoods?
Hector Tobar argues that despite the well-documented ills of gentrification, under the right circumstances it can eat into long decades of racial segregation. Eastern Los Angeles may be a prime test case.
Urbanism: Nothing to Fear
Scott Bernstein, president of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, talks planes, trains, and automobiles, in an urban industrial context.
China's Megacities May Soon Rely on Urban Farming
While widespread urban farming remains pipe dream in the United States, dwindling arable land and a mass shift to cities might make it a necessity in China.
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
