Community / Economic Development

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.

August 21, 2014 - Next City

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.

August 21, 2014 - Architizer

Hells Kitchen Sidewalk New York City

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.

August 20, 2014 - Governing

Lean Urbanism: A Century-Old Practice?

A short case study in Lean Urbanism, compliments of Victoria Beach, Manitoba.

August 19, 2014 - PlaceShakers

Can Chicago's Tech Boom Benefit the South Side?

With tech businesses setting up shop in Chicago's Loop, what it will take to attract companies out to neighborhoods like Garfield Park and Englewood?

August 18, 2014 - Crain's Chicago Business

Tourism's Negative Effects in Italian Art Cities

With about 353 tourists per resident in the historic city center of Venice, many residents are fleeing the crowds and moving onto the mainland, making the city a "monument-attraction," rather than a viable living space.

August 16, 2014 - Global Site Plans

The Many Benefits of a 'Downtown Ward 7' in Washington D.C.

Efforts to grow a downtown in a historically neglected part of Washington, D.C. would do more than bring business to the area. Studies show that the built environment has huge impacts on health—obesity, asthma, and even teen pregnancy.

August 14, 2014 - Elevation DC

America's Energy Bust

Unlike Texas and N.D, Alaska's oil production peaked in 1988 and continues to decline. An upcoming referendum on oil taxes threatens to reduce energy investment. The North Slope pipeline is carrying such low oil volumes to endanger its safety.

August 14, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Good Design Sparks Rural Community Development

Now more than ever, creative professionals are turning their attention to community development. While this trend toward good design is exciting, it’s harder to find in rural areas. Here are a few ideas from the forefront of rural design.

August 14, 2014 - CommunityMatters

7 Essential Books on the Local Food Movement

Marianne Peters lists seven "classic, must-read" books about the evolving role of locally grown and sold food in the American economy.

August 13, 2014 - Seedstock

Income Inequality Worse in 2 of 3 American Metropolitan Areas

A new report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors highlights the growing income divide, breaking the data down to the local level and finding that income inequality grew in two out of three metro areas between 2005 and 2012.

August 13, 2014 - The Washington Post

Model Neighborhood

The Death of Neighborhoods

In the same vein that Robert Putnam explored decaying community and social capital in American in his work, Bowling Alone, Brian Bethune discusses how the decay of Western communities shapes our health and political realms.

August 13, 2014 - Maclean's

Downtown Denver

Millennial Fever: Taking Stock of Denver Placemaking

Denver's investments in placemaking—guided by the city's great appeal to Millennials—are a mixed bag of hits, misses, and open questions.

August 12, 2014 - Dean Saitta

The Castro

Do Evolving Neighborhoods Mean Dissolving Communities?

Exploding housing costs and changing social attitudes are altering the demographics of established gay neighborhoods in several big cities. As communities become more fluid, do we risk losing their culture?

August 11, 2014 - Mark Hough

Using Music to Create Community

Can outdoor concerts transform a neglected place into a beloved city center? "Creative placemaking" is trendy now, but Levitt Pavilions, a national non-profit, has been making places vibrant by building outdoor concert venues for seven years now.

August 8, 2014 - Site Specific

Multi-Generational Housing not only for Oldest Adults, Also Young Adults.

The Great Recession spiked the amount of young adults (aged 25-34) living in multi-generational housing, which has now surpassed the share of oldest adults (age 85+) living in these types of household structures.

August 8, 2014 - Pew Research Center

Can the Walton Family Help Reverse Arkansas Sprawl?

Led by the Walton Family Foundation, Northwest Arkansas officials look to "sense of place" and walkable urban solutions for future economic growth and attraction of talent.

August 8, 2014 - Better Cities & Towns

Elfreth's Alley

Revisiting the Common Sense Elements of City Life

Chuck Wolfe revisits five instances of how we can learn from the urbanism we already have.

August 8, 2014 - The Huffington Post

Study uses Google Street View to Assess Gentrification

By assessing three different groups of indicators, researchers were able to tour thousands of blocks in Chicago through Google Street View and compare visual signs of reinvestment and renewal between 2007 and 2009.

August 7, 2014 - Gizmodo

Tucson Streecar

Place-Based Development and Streetcar Transforming Downtown Tucson

Restaurants, retail, offices, and adobe homes pop-up in and around the long-suffering downtown damaged by urban renewal.

August 6, 2014 - Better Cities & Towns

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.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.