Community / Economic Development

Transit-Oriented Gentrification

In the the first of a 2-part series on transit and gentrification, WAMU's Martin Di Caro reports on the rapidly developing (and gentrifying) Georgia Avenue corridor in Washington D.C.

September 12, 2012 - Transportation Nation

Richard Florida: Silicon Valley Will Soon Be Centered in San Francisco

Continuing to chronicle what he sees as an 'urban migration' from suburban office parks, Richard Florida provides the Bay Area illustration of this movement, as he sees the center of Silicon Valley heading to San Francisco from Santa Clara County.

September 12, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Defying the Odds, Bakersfield Booms

California's Central Valley was one of the areas hardest hit by the Great Recession, with several of its cities still burdened by the worst unemployment rates in the country. Signs in Bakersfield, however, point to a burgeoning boom.

September 11, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Will Digital Divide in Kansas City Exacerbate its Historic Racial Divide?

The competition to determine which communities in Kansas City will qualify to receive Google Fiber, the nation's fastest internet service, has stoked fears of increasing the city's historic patterns of segregation, reports John Eligon.

September 11, 2012 - The New York Times

Will Visions of a Vegas on the Manzanares Materialize?

Late last week, billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson announced that Madrid had won the competition to become the future location of Europe's "largest gambling mecca," reports Giles Tremlett. Questions regarding the project's viability remain.

September 11, 2012 - The Guardian

Facing the Hard Facts of Economic Development

Can community building deliver more jobs than trying to lure back an industrial sector that's been leaving the U.S. for decades?

September 11, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Buffalo Dusts Itself Off

After years wasted trying to implement large-scale redevelopment of its formerly industrial waterfront, Buffalo is cleaning up its shores from the ground up, reports Daniel Robison.

September 9, 2012 - NPR

Skepticism, Economics, and Regulations Choking Development in Minneapolis

Stringent zoning, high costs, and a culture of skepticism directed at developers have hampered efforts to introduce infill redevelopment into some of Minneapolis' most prime locations.

September 8, 2012 - MinnPost

New Tool Seeks to Measure the Benefits of Urbanization

A new city prosperity index has been unveiled by UN-Habitat at this week's World Urban Forum. The index seeks to catalog the ways in which global urbanization can encourage shared prosperity and human development, reports Claire Provost.

September 7, 2012 - The Guardian

Are Efforts to Improve the Livability of China's Cities Hurting the Country's Economy?

As China continues to mature into a developed nation, efforts aimed at making its largest cities more environmentally sustainable and healthy may be putting a damper on the country's economic growth.

September 7, 2012 - The New York Times

In D.C., Crime Prevention Starts at the Drafting Table

What's a better way to ensure lower crime than to involve police directly in the planning process? One development in Washington, D.C. will do just that.

September 6, 2012 - The Washington Post

Housing Mobility Provides a Prescription for Healthy Living

Moving families from segregated, high poverty neighborhoods, into desegregated "areas of opportunity" has multiple effects. Housing mobility programs help revitalize communities and improve the physical and mental health of families involved.

September 6, 2012 - Shelterforce Magazine

We Built This: Keeping Score of America's Stadium Spending Spree

To the tune of at least $4 billion in tax exemptions, America's taxpayers have collectively subsidized the construction of sports venues across the country, for the benefit of sports owners' bottom line. Are we getting our money's worth?

September 6, 2012 - Bloomberg

DC Planning Director Harriet Tregoning on Smartly Bridging the Anacostia River

DC Planning Director Harriet Tregoning discusses plans to create a pedestrian-oriented space out of the 11th Street Bridge as part of a larger goal of uniting DC around the Anacostia River, making it an amenity and not a barrier.

September 5, 2012 - The Planning Report

Creative Placemaking Gets Infusion of New Funding

Creative placemaking, or investing in arts and culture as a way to improve quality of place and stimulate vibrancy, is getting a new boost as ArtPlace announces another round of funding.

September 4, 2012 - ArtPlace

Creative Class Cannibalization

Richey Piiparinen discusses the "Frankenstein effects" of place-making, in which, he argues, the diversity of people and place that attracts the creative class is eventually forced out by those in search of the "highest and best use."

September 4, 2012 - New Geography

Agency, Developer Wrestle Over Atlantic Yards Affordability

A look at negotiations between developer Forest City Ratner and New York City's Housing and Development Corporation around the Atlantic Yards project shows that there will be less housing units set-aside for low-income families than promised.

September 3, 2012 - The Brooklyn Bureau

Harvesting Data Essential for Saving Urban Gardens

To preserve the spread of urban gardening, activists are beginning to map and document the many haphazard community gardens to gain recognition from landlords and city officials in hopes of warding off bulldozers.

September 3, 2012 - Grist

America's Largest Cities Gamble on Casino-led Growth

An expanding number of cities across the U.S. are looking to attract urban casinos, with the hope that further development and money (tax revenues to fill drained city coffers) will follow.

September 2, 2012 - Next American City

New Development Seeks to Reclaim Sydney's Position as a Global City

Lew Sichelman reports on the lofty goals being pursued by a new $6.2 billion live/play/work development known as Barangaroo - planned for a 54-acre site in East Darling Harbor - which aims to redefine Sydney.

August 31, 2012 - Urban Land

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.

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.