Community / Economic Development

Lafayette Park is a thriving and diverse neighborhood of high rises and townhouses designed by Mies van der Rohe. This unique modern architecture success story in Detroit is showcased in a new book "Thanks for the View, Mr. Mies."

January 16, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Design

The "great global project" of this century, says Patrick Doherty, is how to "accommodate 3 billion additional middle-class aspirants in two short decades." In a bold essay, he outlines how the U.S. must lead the global transition to sustainability.

January 15, 2013 - Foreign Policy

Kaid Benfield examines a model 'pocket neighborhood' - Little Rock's Pettaway - which simultaneously improves a declining neighborhood, provides affordable infill housing and applies advanced measures for stormwater control.

January 15, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Town Branch Creek was once the lifeblood of Lexington, Kentucky. Now, more than a century after it was rerouted and buried, city leaders want to resurrect the historic waterway as the focal point of downtown redevelopment.

January 15, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

When the Kumbh Mela, a 48-day Hindu festival held every four years, starts this week in northern India it will be the largest gathering in history. Researchers are using the opportunity to study the formation and inner-workings of a pop-up mega city.

January 15, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

In Beijing, the level of air pollution is the highest the monitors at the U.S. embassy have ever recorded since put in place in 2008. The pollution results from a combination of weather conditions and particulate matter - most from coal burning.

January 15, 2013 - The New York Times - Environment

A suburban Detroit developer is promoting an alternative vision for Detroit's Belle Isle: transforming the island park into a commonwealth free market utopia for the elite.

January 14, 2013 - The Detroit News

Azeen Ghorayshi looks at how Oakland's civic hackers are trying to change the city through technology -- giving people greater access to data, increasing transparency, and keeping people better informed -- all with minimal investment by the city.

January 14, 2013 - East Bay Express

Annie Lowrey looks at how the taxpayer funded expansion of private contracting for the federal government turned D.C. from "national embarrassment" to creative class hot spot, and why those boom days may be coming to an end.

January 14, 2013 - The New York Times

In Chicago, like in many cities, local food production comes in many forms, from small backyard crops to community gardens. Researchers are now using Google Earth to paint a more accurate picture of food production at different scales.

January 13, 2013 - NPR

As the L.A. metro continues to expand, so do opportunities for artists to showcase their art. For transit riders, this adds an important element to their daily journey, making the commuting experience all the more memorable.

January 12, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

What does the impending demise of the Fresh & Easy grocery chain mean for food deserts? Hannah Burton Laurison and Christine Fry look at how small-format grocery stores can still succeed where Fresh & Easy failed.

January 12, 2013 - HealthyCal.org

Social scientists have a theory that a neighborhood's character shapes its economic future more than income levels and foreclosure rates. A tragedy to the community of Chatham on Chicago's South Side has tested this "neighborhood effect."

January 12, 2013 - The New York Times

To ease the transition from conflict into post-conflict and stability, there is a high need for urban professionals who can artfully balance the demand for security alongside city spaces for healing, argues Mitchell Sutika Sipus.

January 12, 2013 - Humanitarian Space

Despite their more traditional, mixed-use development patterns, the UK's town centers are not immune from declining "high streets" as a result of the poor economy, and the attractions of shopping centers and online retail. How can they fight back?

January 11, 2013 - The Guardian

Nashville has flourished economically and culturally with new residents, immigrants, tourists and country music. Kim Severson discusses how this traditionally Southern city has gained the nation's fancy.

January 11, 2013 - The New York Times

A new report released by Smart Growth America evaluates the federal government's influence on America's real estate sector. With $450 billion in subsidies per year, it's clear "the communities we’ve constructed weren’t built on market demand alone."

January 8, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

ArtPlace — a collaboration of foundations, banks, and federal agencies that supports creative placemaking projects — has released a new study that identifies 12 neighborhoods across the country as America's Top ArtPlaces 2013.

January 7, 2013 - ArtPlace

According to Charles Marohn, institutional inertia continues to carry the nation's transportation agencies on a wayward path that correlates highway spending with economic development. He offers 9 principles to guide "Next Generation DOTs."

January 7, 2013 - Better! Cities & Towns

An award-winning street redesign project in the Los Angeles exurb of Lancaster provides a case study in the value of retrofitting for walkability.

January 6, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard