Community / Economic Development

Dan Rosenfeld looks at two recent projects in L.A. that incorporate public art components and finds that "investments in public art may provide the highest financial returns of any funds committed to an aspect of a transit project."

May 29, 2012 - Urban Land

The sale of distressed mortgages is far less publicized than talk of the market for foreclosed properties. But these loans are being actively traded—in 2011 this activity included 149,000 loans which translates to roughly $26 billion in trades.

May 27, 2012 - Shelterforce Magazine

Looking for a long read this long weekend? Check out Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley's article on the keys to creating collaborative metropolitan areas that can successfully compete in the global economy.

May 26, 2012 - Next American City

The Grid solicited ideas from some of Toronto's smartest people for how to make the city better, no matter what the cost or feasibility. David Topping and Katie Underwood deliver the inventive results.

May 24, 2012 - The Grid

The financial crises faced by many municipalities has them searching for ever more creative means to bolster city budgets. As a result, non-profit institutions are increasingly being asked to complete payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements.

May 23, 2012 - Inside Higher Ed

Michael Kimmelman ventures to Colombia's reborn second city to explore what new buildings and infrastructure have brought to the city's residents, what it has not, and what remains to be done.

May 20, 2012 - The New York Times

Dan Parolek kicks off a series on recent efforts to revitalize the Queen City based on a strong foundation of coveted resources, including a variety of urban housing types.

May 18, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

Scott Doyon argues that getting the next generation of collaborators involved in community improvement efforts will require more than simply using the tools of social media - it will require connecting with what people are passionate about.

May 18, 2012 - PlaceShakers

California's erstwhile redevelopment agencies are pleading with the state to maintain funding for projects they consider crucial. So far, the Department of Finance has taken a decidedly conservative approach.

May 17, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

"We should not let the lame be the enemy of the perfectly adequate," says one critic of the New Haven mayor's proposal.

May 17, 2012 - Better! Cities & Towns

In the first edition of a new series, Richard Florida introduces us to the inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and artists, designers and musicians invested in the bottom-up effort to revive Detroit.

May 17, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Launched one year ago, ArtPlace works to accelerate creative placemaking by making grants and loans. So what does that actually look like on the ground? A new video from ArtPlace gives a glimpse of what they've accomplished so far.

May 16, 2012 - ArtPlace

Despite a dramatic decline in the number of, and attendance at, conventions nationwide, cities across America are investing their limited resources in building and upgrading convention centers. Fred A. Bernstein explores the irony.

May 16, 2012 - Architectural Record

Alan G. Brake celebrates the Queen City's utilization of public space, place making, and mixed-use development to build its competitive advantage, despite America's "deep-seated anti-urban streak."

May 15, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Our annual list of the 10 best planning, design, and development websites represents some of the top online resources for news, information and research on the built environment.

May 15, 2012 - Abhijeet Chavan

Christopher Hawthorne begins a series exploring the ways in which L.A. is utilizing its boulevards to try on "a post-suburban identity for the first time", with a look at Atlantic Boulevard, a major north-south spine.

May 14, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Adam Davidson explores Honduras's experimentation with economist Paul Romer's theories on the need for poor countries to build special economic development zones that essentially "start from scratch" with new legal and political systems.

May 14, 2012 - The New York Times

The onetime steel capital's transition to an economy based on the healthcare sector has helped Pittsburgh emerge from the recession much quicker than many other cities, bringing welcome jobs and questions about its sustainability, reports Don Lee.

May 14, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Kirk Johnson chronicles the nonprofit housing builder's move into larger-scale housing development in Oregon, as it takes advantage of the depressed real estate market, and the kindness of donors.

May 13, 2012 - The New York Times

Kicking off The Atlantic's special report on the past and future of the world's global capitals, Richard Florida has ranked the world's most economically powerful cities.

May 9, 2012 - The Atlantic