Community / Economic Development
APA Seeking Input for Updated 'Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide'
The American Planning Association (APA) is seeking input for an update of the 2000 Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide.
Is Urban Revitalization Possible Without Displacement and Gentrification?
Jared Green asks the billion dollar question for economic developers and planning agencies throughout the United States: is urban revitalization of neighborhoods possible without the subsequent gentrification and displacement of current residents?
Can Billionaires Revitalize Decayed Downtowns?
Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert has an urbanist streak. And only people with his kind of money can singlehandedly buy out big chunks of downtown Detroit. But will his approach to neighborhood-making actually benefit the city as a whole?
How D.C.'s 11th Street Bridge Will Transform Infrastructure into Civic Space
Across the US, cities increasingly view waterfronts as opportunities for green space. Once tied to industrial uses, river fronts now offer a chance to repurpose existing infrastructure for public use.
Another Call for the Legalization of Los Angeles Street Vendors
Mark Vallianatos outlines the legal history and vehemently supports Los Angeles' estimated 10,000 street vendors selling everything from fruits to frozen treats.
The Middle Class Fights for Survival in Lima, Ohio
An article surveys Lima, Ohio's long-term residents, politicians, and economy to weave a narrative tracing the ups and downs of the shrinking small town.
California Cities Still Navigating Redevelopment Dissolution
Two and a half years after California shuttered its redevelopment agencies, cities are still grappling with the repercussions—from resolving the legal obligations of CRAs to searching for alternative methods of revitalizing areas in need.
A Comprehensive Accounting of Economic and Environmental Performance: Who's in?
For the last several decades, North American cities have used growth as a primary economic engine. Increasingly less dense new growth is subsidized by the more dense core, but requires a growth rate that is not supportable in the long term.
Responding to Harsh Critiques of the American South
When the Washington Post used a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to conjure up a headline about the South being the "worst place to live," one southerner critiqued the article's methodology.
Creative Placemaking: Preserve, Repair, Intensify
Many cities have long been investing in art and culture, marrying it to placemaking, and generating extraordinary local transformations. Hazel Borys offers up a little inspiration from an art opening this week, and a few pointers for urbanists.
How the Federal Government Can Support Innovation Districts
A new report by Bruce Katz of Brookings Institute discusses the federal government’s role in spurring and aiding the innovation districts found in many cities across the country today.
Star Apartments Offer Starchitect Treatment for L.A.'s Skid Row Homeless
The new 100-unit, $40-million Star Apartments opened in Skid Row earlier this week is part of Los Angeles County’s Housing for Health initiative to house 10,000 of the most vulnerable homeless people.
De Blasio Announces $130 Million Park Equity Plan
In response to criticisms of the large investments in "big ticket" parks in wealthy neighborhoods during the Bloomberg Administration, New York City announced a park equity plan this week.
Mapping Lifestyle, Age, Income, and Population Density by ZIP Code
Esri offers a new product called Tapestry Segmentation, which overlays geography with U.S. Census and marketing data.
A New Buzzword for Changing Cities: 'Trust'
Christopher Swope writes of the emergence of the word "trust" in the buzzy lexicon of urbanism.
How to Revitalize a 'Stuck' Neighborhood?
Congress Heights, in Washington D.C., has suffered decades of neglect. Now, city planners and activists want to transform it into a mixed-use, mixed-income success story. What if it doesn't work? What if it works too well?
'RiverFit': A Pop-Up Fitness Park in Memphis
Hoping to combat the city's dismal rankings in obesity, public and private partners launched the RiverFit pop-up fitness park along the Mississippi River in September.
Ranking the Best and Worst Cities to Live and Work with Special Needs
WalletHub recently released the "2014 Best & Worst Cities for People with Disabilities" to highlight the economic power of providing employment opportunities and livable communities for people with special needs.
What an Innocuous Piece of Plastic Says About Our Suburban Future
Suburban Starbucks models are bumming urbanists out. But they also served as a nice allegory of what the future there might hold. Scott Doyon's latest blog post explains.
A Call for Cities to Help Veterans through Homelessness and PTSD
As noted by the Department of Veteran Affairs, even one veteran without safe and stable housing is too many. Ron Littlefield calls for cities to move beyond studies and seek ways to aid returned veterans.
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
