Community / Economic Development
Newark's Financial Trouble Inviting Comparisons to Detroit
Beset by a large budget deficit and overwhelming poverty, Newark's local government services director has warned that the city might require state supervision.
Friday Funday: Turning a City Street into a Giant Waterslide
Artist Luke Jerram recently installed a 300-foot waterslide on Park Street in Bristol, UK. The "Park and Slide" event was massively attended and wildly popular.
Urban America's 'Reconnaissance Mission for Progressive Politics'
Recent commenters have described cities as the locus for a new type of liberalism that benefits a broader swath of demographics. Dissenters wonder whether certain progressive cities, enabled by privilege, are merely drivers of inequality.
Ranking the Best City Brands
"The inaugural Guardian Cities brand barometer ranks world cities on everything from transport and weather to crime and social 'buzz.'" Guardian Cities released a trio of posts in connection with the rankings.
Do We Need Affordable Housing or Affordable Living?
Two primary strategies will help to achieve affordable living: Reduce household transportation costs and support smaller living spaces.
Let Your Freak Flag Fly
In the celebratory spirit of Cinco de Mayo, Scott Doyon invites you to let your freak flag fly.
Toyota's Move from Torrance to Texas: California's Wake-Up Call?*
Toyota's April 30th announcement that it would take its headquarters from Torrance to Plano, Texas is proof-positive that California's high regulatory, high tax, and high cost of living environment is unfriendly to business. Or is it?
APA Poll Finds Millennials and Boomers 'Investing in Place'
During the American Planning Association's (APA) 2014 National Planning Conference in Atlanta, the APA announced findings from a national opinion survey that shows a clear interest in place-making among the concerns of Americans of all ages.
Report: Beware the 'Race to the Bottom' of Film Tax Credits
The California Legislative Analyst's Office released a report, "Film and Television Production: Overview of Motion Picture Industry and State Tax Credits," which recommends caution by lawmakers considering an extension of the state's tax credit.
Is the Sharing Economy Succeeding Because the Real Economy is Struggling?
Money, not trust, is the driving force behind the willingness of so many people to open their doors to the sharing economy, according to one writer.
The Texas Miracle: Looking Beyond the Impressive Growth Numbers
Texas is booming—its growth in people and jobs puts it in a league of its own. But another set of growth data pales by comparison: Infrastructure, particularly in the water and transportation needed to accommodate the growth, is woefully lacking.
Ecocity versus Duplicity
If certain elements of masterplanning are not carefully chosen—and their impacts not carefully explained to final decision makers—then there runs great risk that the cities we design from scratch perform worse than the cities we already have.
Should Urbanists Care Which Airline They Fly? These Two Programs Say Yes
Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau examines how airline companies and other private sector businesses can help with the greening of communities.
Engage; Don’t Rage: Use a Design Charrette to Negotiate Your Next Development Proposal
Despite the investments required of a design charrette, Robert Freedman makes the case that the process can save time and money on complex projects by way of three primary benefits.
Dallas Working to Streamline Approval Process for Sidewalk Cafés
A City Council committee got its first look at a proposed revision of the streetscape licensing process by which restaurants and cafés can acquire sidewalk seating. Councilmembers sent the plan back the drawing board again.
Alleyways as Pathways to Urban Revitalization
From D.C. to Seattle, alleys are being reinvented as people-friendly spaces. Often perceived as dirty and dangerous, alleys are moving beyond garbage and garages to become havens for pedestrians, public art, and small business.
Pitching a Queens-Brooklyn Streetcar
Michael Kimmelman resurrects an old plan by Alex Garvin to build a light rail connection between the waterfront neighborhoods of Queens and Brooklyn, except Kimmelman would build a streetcar line.
Strengthening the Bond between People and Placemaking
A research team at MIT Urban Studies and Planning, led by Susan Silberberg, released a paper examining “the interactions between placemaking, community participation, and the expanding ways communities are collaborating to make great public places.”
Questioning Hotel Tax Subsidies in Los Angeles
Desperate to build hotel capacity in the neighborhood surrounding the Los Angeles Convention Center, the city has granted hundreds of millions in tax breaks to hotel developers. Some are asking the city to rethink the subsidies.
Which Way, Dallas?
Architecture critic Mark Lamster describes Dallas as a city at a defining moment in its history. He poses the following questions: “What are our goals, and how do we achieve them? What exactly do we want Dallas to be?”
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
