Community / Economic Development

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

Dense Re-Vision for D.C.'s Neglected Waterfront Extends onto the Water

A 52-acre development planned for Washington, D.C.'s isolated Southwest Quadrant hopes to create a 21st century waterfront by embracing the elements that have contributed to creating lively urban waterfronts for centuries, reports Kriston Capps.

August 31, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Political Squabbling Trumps Demands for a New London Airport

Where are the projected 400 million air travelers coming to London supposed to land? Prime Minister David Cameron is caught between two politically difficult choices for how to manage the projected growth in passengers.

August 30, 2012 - The New York Times

Sewer Shortage Pits Developers Against Residents on Long Island

Plans to develop eastern Long Island as a thriving tech hub with "bustling downtowns and new apartments for young families" are facing a messy obstacle, the absence of "a basic element of a modern civilization: sewers."

August 29, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Should the Army Decide What Projects are Right for Your Neighborhood?

In an opinion piece for Bloomberg View, Edward Glaeser argues that the Army Corps of Engineers' influence on development in local communities is too far-reaching.

August 28, 2012 - Bloomberg

Meeting on Common Ground: Community Development and Health Philanthropy Working Together

Often times, the community development field and health philanthropy have worked in the same neighborhoods, but separately. This is changing, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Marjorie Paloma told Shelterforce how.

August 28, 2012 - Shelterforce Magazine

Are Urban Bohemian Enclaves Becoming Extinct?

Will Doig discusses the increasing speed at which urban bohemias are colonized, popularized, and gentrified. Does the rapid transformation of urban subculture into mainstream culture, mark the end of urban bohemia?

August 28, 2012 - Salon

Young People's Fascination With Detroit is Only Part of the New Story for the City

Stories of Detroit’s nascent comeback often highlight the Rust Belt city’s attraction as a destination for America’s young hipsterati. Jay Walljasper explores the role that native Detroiters are playing in the city’s revival.

August 27, 2012 - Jay Walljasper

Successor to CRA Takes Shape in L.A.

Carren Jao provides an update on efforts by the City of Los Angeles to replace its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which was dissolved by state mandate earlier this year.

August 27, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

The Downside of the High Line

Yes, there are critics of the High Line, and this is a particularly strident one. Accusing the park not only of gentrification of Manhattan's West Chelsea, Jeremiah Moss attributes the High Line's popularity to transforming NYC into Disney World.

August 27, 2012 - The New York Times - Opinion

Finding Mayor Bloomberg's Fingerprints on a Transformed New York

As the end of the Bloomberg Era in New York draws to a close, The Architect's Newspaper goes agency by agency exploring how the Mayor has steered the forces of NYC real estate to meet goals for a cleaner, greener, and more equitable city.

August 26, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

What is the World's Most Vulnerable City to Flooding?

Based on a range of data, including 19 different components, a new study examining cities located on river deltas has determined that Shanghai is the most vulnerable to major flooding.

August 25, 2012 - BBC News

Can Urban Stimulus Spark China's Slowing Economy

A series of massive urban stimulus plans have been announced recently by several Chinese cities. Economists are split on whether the projects can speed up the country's growth rate and accommodate the influx of urban migrants, reports Chris Oliver.

August 24, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Are Cities Becoming as 'Dull' as the Suburbs?

With the world's supposedly fashionable neighborhoods "increasingly as banal, antisocial and plain dull as any suburb," Feargus O'Sullivan explains why he's perfectly happy to have ditched inner London for the burbs.

August 23, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Suburban Canada Dreams of Density

As one of North America's largest suburbs, Mississauga is joining some of its neighbors in the Greater Toronto Area in planning an unprecedented effort to replace its suburban roots with something more urban.

August 23, 2012 - The Globe and Mail

What Ottawa Has to Teach Us about Great Urbanism

Hazel Borys concludes her popular photo series on lessons from Canadian urbanism with a look at Ottawa, whose charming historic character is illegal to reproduce today in its more auto-centric outskirts.

August 22, 2012 - PlaceShakers

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.