Community / Economic Development

Rules for Planning Successful Retail Developments

Hazel Borys discusses how several key form-based guidelines for retail can encourage success in the most risky of all development types.

December 24, 2011 - PlaceShakers

Hollywood Community Plan is Misguided, Says Planner

According to Richard Platkin, the Hollywood Community Plan Update is merely one megaproject after the next--a huge mistake, and the antithesis to the Los Angeles General Plan Framekwork for good reason.

December 24, 2011 - City Watch

Does Your Local Economic Development Strategy Include Search Engines?

Nearly half of consumers now report that they look for local business information using the Internet, more than any other source.

December 23, 2011 - Pew Research Center

Food Vendors Invited Onto Vacant Lots

With few other options for stalled construction sites, real estate companies have begun inviting food vendors to set up shop on the sites, often for free, and often to both parties' benefit.

December 23, 2011 - The New York Times

First Look at Cornell's Winning $2 Billion Tech Campus

New details and a visualization from Cornell University's winning proposal to create a "game-changing" applied sciences and technology campus on New York's Roosevelt Island.

December 22, 2011 - BetaBeat

Billboards Decrease the Value of Nearby Property

A new report focusing on the City of Philadelphia found that there is a statistically significant correlation between real estate value (as measured by sales price) and proximity to billboards.

December 22, 2011 - Scenic America

Congress Cuts CDBG Funds; Cities Feel the Hurt

Allentown, PA is just one of many cities across the nation who have had to face tough decisions as their Community Development Block Grant funds shrink.

December 22, 2011 - The New York Times

Report Touts Economic Benefits via Maine Transportation Projects

The report put out by TRIP, a Washington, DC non-profit sponsored by insurance companies and transportation labor unions, highlights about 50 trips that are likely to generate economic growth when completed.

December 22, 2011 - The Portland Press Herald

Cleveland Turns Its Focus Uptown

Cleveland, suffering from a disappearing population, is pinning its hopes on a new Uptown arts and entertainment district, including the new Museum of Contemporary Art which opens in 2012.

December 21, 2011 - The New York Times

The Politics of the Public Christmas Tree

Leon Neyfakh of The Boston Globe examines the unexpectedly cohesive political roots of the controversial civic symbol.

December 20, 2011 - The Boston Globe

The Largest Urban Park In America Coming To Chicago

A new park in Chicago aims to turn 140,000 acres of under-used and post industrial land along the Second City's southern rim into the country's largest urban park. Governor Pat Quinn hopes to add private funding to the $17m allotted by the state.

December 20, 2011 - The Atlantic

Kuala Lumpur's Sprawl Creating A Mini Los Angeles

In a recent report about Malaysia, the World Bank has said that the capital's urban sprawl is transforming it into a "mini Los Angeles" rather than a densely populated Asian City.

December 20, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Cornell Is Chosen For Roosevelt Island Science School

Only three days after Stanford pulled out of the bidding, rival Cornell is to be announced as the university chosen to create a new science graduate school on Roosevelt Island.

December 20, 2011 - New York Times

Washington Navy Yard Projects Getting Dusted Off

Developers who held out through the recession are finally getting back to moving their projects for the Washington, DC Navy Yard. Jonathan O'Connell reports.

December 18, 2011 - The Washington Post

Detroit Scraps Train Plans

The city and federal DOT have decided against a $600 million plan that would introduce light rail and, subsequently, more residents to the city. Instead, money will go to improving a notoriously unreliable bus system.

December 18, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Potholes as Parks?

Writing in Grist, Chuck Wolfe provides a counterintuitive look at what to do about potholes and how they could become "the universal darlings of walkable urbanism".

December 17, 2011 - Grist

Lawyers Call for Zoning Changes in NYC

The NYC Bar Association Committee advocates making amendments to the city's the current Zoning Resolution to make the city more sustainable.

December 16, 2011 - This Big City

IKEA to Build A Neighborhood

International company IKEA, known for their low-cost design furniture, will develop a 26-acre complete London neighborhood.

December 16, 2011 - The Pop-Up City

Federal HOME Program Suffers From Lack of Oversight

West Palm Beach is demanding millions of dollars of one organization to correct greedy actions under HUD's HOME program. Kimberly Miller reports on how this is just the latest incident in an "easy to game" federal program.

December 16, 2011 - The Palm Beach Post

The Benefits of Urban Forests

Poor air quality has led to an explosion of a health problems among vulnerable populations, claims the American Society of Landscape Architects. This video explains how urban forests provide environmental benefits to densely populated cities.

December 15, 2011 - American Society of Lanscape Architects

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.