Community / Economic Development
Learning to 'Place-Decode' the Elements of Urbanism
Chuck Wolfe champions the role of France's attachment to place as a laboratory for decoding the essential elements of urbanism.

Green Health Tools for 'Back to School'
Nisha Botchwey and Kirsten Cook detail the articles available on the subject of green health and schools in the Summer 2014 issue of the Journal of Planning Education. (Articles mentioned in this post have Open Access through September.)
Breaking News: $5 Billion Tesla Battery 'Gigafactory' Headed to Nevada
With competition from California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, Elon Musk, the CEO of Bay Area-based Tesla Motors, chose the Silver State to build his much sought after $5 billion battery "giga factory."
Qualitative Study of Gentrification in Fort Collins, Colorado Neighborhood
Stanford researcher Clayton Hurd is studying the Tres Colonias, an overarching name for three neighborhoods in Fort Collins, Colorado, with dwindling numbers of Hispanic homeowners facing mounting gentrification pressures.
A Massive List of Tools for Digital Public Engagement
Here are 50 tools for online engagement. These digital platforms can help local government consult, collaborate with, and empower citizens in planning decisions.
Euro-Envy Reconsidered: Talkin' Time, Distance, and Change
Most North American urbanists turn to Europe for inspiration and direction. Some of that brilliance, Ben Brown reminds us, is due to time and distance.
Dire Economic Fallout Expected from Atlantic City Casino Closures
Casinos in Atlantic City are closing quickly, costing the local economy 5,700 jobs and leaving the city with four large, empty buildings of a variety that offers little or no precedent for reuse.

How Families Can Benefit the Planning and Design of Cities
An August 19 article in the Washington Post took a tough stance on the value of families to urban settings. Here Bradley Calvert responds by describing how families provide opportunities for planners to rethink cities for the better.

The Future of the Gayborhood
With the advancement of LGBT rights and equality, the traditionally LGBT neighborhood is changing to reflect the tastes and preferences of the new LGBT community within.
Placemaking in Communities of All Sizes
A new article from Smart Growth America portrays the successes of placemaking in communities as diverse as Soldotna, Alaska (population 4,163), Orlando, and Philadelphia.
Alaska Voters Reject Higher Taxes on Oil Companies
Alaskans agreed, but not by much, with Gov. Sean Parnell and not former Gov. Sarah Palin that oil companies needed to pay less taxes if they are to boost oil production. Voters rejected a tax referendum that was on Tuesday's ballot to repeal SB 21.
Denver's Social Media Campaign to Celebrate the City
The Denver Community Planning and Development department unrolled a new social media campaign this week utilizing #favoriteplacedenver to celebrate the city's unique characteristics.
Planned Epicurean District in Paris Raises the Specter of Gentrification
A new corridor planned as a haven for local gourmet food in the quiet Haut Marais neighborhood of Paris concerns residents with the threat of gentrification.
Los Angeles is the Least Affordable Rental Market in the Country
A new study confirmed that the average Los Angeles renter allocates 47 percent of their paycheck towards rent.
Interpreting the 'Timeless and Time-Bound' in Cities
In his latest essay on interpretation of the urban environment, Chuck Wolfe suggests that if we take away context clues cities become matrices -- with blank cells to complete -- where each of us personalizes how space meets time.
Social Mobility in America: Reality or Dream?
Richard Reeves explains the factors that limit or assist social mobility for people born into the lowest economic quintile in American society.

White Flight Patterns Continue Within the Suburbs
According to a recent study, white flight proliferates even in the suburbs, as suburbs attract large numbers of middle-class minority residents and white residents flee so-called 'ethnoburbs'.
Bloomberg Offers $1 Million Annually for 'Innovation Delivery Teams'
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg began a new program via Bloomberg Philanthropies to invest $45 million for shaking up city halls.
Nine Women Leading the Public Interest Design Field
Rennie Jones of Architizer highlights nine women pioneering a variety of successful and poignant public interest design projects around the world.

Jane Jacobs' Sidewalk Ballet, Gone Forever in New York City?
Alex Marshall discusses whether Jane Jacobs' famous "Sidewalk Ballet" is dead on the streets of New York City.
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 Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions