Community / Economic Development
Tactical Urbanism Comes of Age
Nate Berg reports on the recent release of the "official" guide to tactical urbanism, Tactical Urbanism 2: Short-Term Action, Long Term Change, authored by Mike Lydon.
Emanuel Unveils Economic Development Plan for Chicago - and Innovative Plan to Pay for It
A day after introducing an ambitious economic development plan for Chicago, mayor Rahm Emanuel wasted little time in unveiling a crucial element for implementing the plan - a public-private mechanism for funding infrastructure improvements.
How to Dissolve a Community Redevelopment Agency in California
An interview with Tim McOsker, one of the three appointees charged by Governor Jerry Brown to wind down the affairs of the Los Angeles CRA, reveals an insider's experience of the complexities of respecting contracts and mandates.
Changing the Paradigm of Urban Development
Jason Kambitsis speaks with Bruce Katz, the founding director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, about his advocacy for taking a fundamentally different approach to urban development based on economic diversification.
Housing: Fundamentals, Imbalance, and Solutions
Is the dream home for the New Era compact, connected and mortgage free?
Using Artistic Exploration to Guide Planning Processes
Rebecca Sanborn Stone profiles several innovative communities that are utilizing citizen-guided art projects to communicate values and ideas, break down barriers, and guide planning efforts.
Will Wal-Mart Chase the Cool out of Athens, GA?
In the controversy over a new development planned for downtown Athens, the chain retailer seems to be a Trojan horse for a larger debate about economic development and who gets to define what is best for a community.
Bringing Crowdfunding to Our Backyards
Michael J. Coren shines a light on an innovative crowdfunding site targeting neighborhood improvements.
Baltimore's Strategic Ignorance of Its Abandoned Homes
Yepoka Yeebo reports on Baltimore's newest plan to deal with the tens of thousands of abandoned houses that mar the city.
Why Detroit Was Cursed from the Start
Detroit native Pete Saunders makes the case that poor planning put the nail in Motown's casket.
City Puts an End to Guerrilla "Walk Raleigh" Campaign
A widely publicized guerrilla wayfinding campaign meant to give helpful guidance and encouragement to those exploring the city of Raleigh on foot has been quashed by the City Planning Director, report Chelsea Kellner and Bruce Siceloff.
In California, Assessing the Obstacles to Redevelopment 2.0
Continuing their excellent coverage of the twists and turns in the California redevelopment saga, CP&DR have run two articles this week providing updates on efforts to navigate a path forward for redevelopment.
The Once and Future Urbanism of Sandwich Boards
Chuck Wolfe traces the comeback of sandwich board signage in cities, explains how associated regulations work, and offers reasons why such signage should be carefully fostered.
The Hipster States of America
Writing from Austin, Texas, one of the current centers for hipster culture in the U.S., Lauren Modery proposes a list of the next cities she believes are ripe for an explosion of old-timey facial hair, geeky eyewear, and overall hipsterfication.
A European Model for Suburban Retrofitting
Kaid Benfield revisits the results of a plan to revitalize the town center of Plessis-Robinson, a suburb of Paris, with the suggestion that its success could inform similar efforts in the United States.
Pop-up Street Libraries Appear in New York
John Metcalfe reports on efforts by one New York architect to utilize the city's ubiquitous pay telephone booths as the settings for pop-up libraries.
How Post Office Closings Will Be Harmful to Rural Health
Cezary Podkul and Emily Stephenson examine the likely economic and social consequences of efforts by the U.S. Postal Service to close thousands of rural post offices this year.
Reconciling Redevelopment With a Salacious Past
In Kansas City, the historic home of jazz and Prohibition-era excess struggles with a redevelopment effort that attempts to build on that era's history while leaving behind some of its essential characteristics, writes Brandon R. Reynolds.
A New Arena is Coming to Brooklyn, But What's Next?
As a new basketball arena takes shape at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues in Brooklyn, Neil deMause investigates what is next for the controversial, and much changed, Atlantic Yards project.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada