Community / Economic Development
Quality of Life Driving 'Brain Gain' in Rural Communities
Many rural counties are experiencing “brain gains” as newcomers age 30-49 move in. This migration is keeping small towns alive and contributing to a new narrative about rural places.
The Race to Map Brazil's Favelas
In an effort to tap into new users, companies like Google and Microsoft are racing to map the winding, informal streets of Brazil's slums in Rio de Janeiro.
6 Questions to Consider for Digital Public Engagement Planning
Digital engagement is the latest buzz when it comes to public participation. If your town is thinking about diving into the digital realm, consider these six questions.
Athens Plans Massive City Park in Derelict Olympic Footprint
With an ailing economy and soaring unemployment, the city of Athens, Greece is planning on selling 6.2 million square meters to Lamda Development SA.
Report Reveals Imbalanced Investments for Atlanta's BeltLine
While the neighborhoods on northern segments of the Atlanta's BeltLine has received 94 percent of funding invested towards parks and trails, segments to the south have received 86 percent of affordable housing investments.
What's Your 'Elevator Pitch' for Greener, Healthier Cities?
Kaid Benfield shares his placemaking pitch.
New York City BIDs Have Indifferent Impacts on Economic Growth
"Rather than serving as a buffer against economic decline for independent retailers, it seems that Community BIDs are a hindrance to sales and employment growth..." writes Dr. Stacey Sutton in the Journal of Planning Education & Research.
Pittsburgh's 'Sociable City Plan' Balances Nightlife Impacts
Following a pilot project tested on the city's South Side, Pittsburgh is working toward expanding its "Sociable City Plan" to four additional neighborhoods in need of balancing unruly behavior with the benefits of an active nightlife scene.
Redevelopment of GM Plant in Doraville, Georgia Would Be Region's Largest TOD
A redevelopment project in Doraville, outside of Atlanta, is touted as potentially of catalytic significance for the region, thanks in part to the location of a MARTA station next door.
13 Small Ideas with Big Potential for Cities
Making no little plans is all well and good, but sometimes it is the smallest ideas that can have the biggest impacts for cities and neighborhoods.
'Louisville Food Hub' Central to Economic Development Plans
A public-private partnership will create the "Louisville Food Hub" in the West End neighborhood. Mayor Greg Fischer suggested that the hub might be more critical to the revitalization of the neighborhood than a proposed Wal-Mart.
Grand Ambitions for $7 Billion Investment in Washington D.C.'s Union Station
The Washington Post provides all the details, renderings, history, commentary, and more that one could want about Amtrak's proposed $7 billion investment in Daniel Burnham's historic Union Station.
Portland's Unclear Future as a Young Retirement Community
Portland's over-educated, under-employed population is largely a semi-retired community of young adults, according to some. But with rising housing prices and overall cost of living, it is unclear how Portland will retain these characteristics.
Why Placemaking Matters: What's in it for Me?
What's your elevator pitch on why placemaking matters? Here's a couple rounded up by Hazel Borys, and some numbers that help refine their message.
The Option of Sensing the City
In his second Huffington Post article on "place-decoding," Chuck Wolfe argues for considered attention to enhancing people's abilities to discern the city around them.
New Orleans Innovations Reduce Violent Deaths
Thanks to data-driven innovations funded with a $4.2 million grant in 2011 from the Bloomberg Philanthropies, New Orleans dropped its murder rate by 20 percent between 2012 and 2013.
Crowdsourced App Finds Playgrounds for All Children
A new application, "Playgrounds for Everyone," has a growing database of 2505 inclusive and accessible playgrounds around the country suitable for children with special needs.
The Important Role of Front Porches in Latino Communities
James Rojas explains the importance of front porches in Latino-American communities.
$213 Million for Homeless Tracking, Support System in Los Angeles
Broadening a system first tested in Los Angeles in 2013, a coalition of local and national government agencies and philanthropic organizations has provided $213 million for the Home for Good program—described as "match.com for homeless people."
What's Driving the Economic Turnaround in Youngstown and Canton, Ohio?
Youngstown had been one of those Rust Belt, "shrinking" cities long noted in Planetizen, but thanks in part to fracking and its location on the Utica shale formation, manufacturing has returned and unemployment has dropped by half since 2010.
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
