Community / Economic Development

Manhattan's Far West Side Rises From Olympic Disappointment

A vibrant neighborhood is rising on Manhattan's far west side, where the Stadium and complex would have been built as proposed by the New York's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

December 12, 2011 - The New York Times

Washington DC Imagines Itself Without Transit

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is celebrating its 35th anniversary and is finding ways to ascertain exactly what the agency has brought to the region.

December 12, 2011 - The Atlantic

LA City Council Moves Closer To River Centric Development

The Los Angeles City Council last week approved an update to the Los Angeles River Implementation Overlay to encourage good quality river centric development and begin removing some of the concrete that covers the river and its banks.

December 12, 2011 - Curbed

Even or Odd? Rome Restricts Car Use

With pollution levels becoming dangerous in Rome, Italy, the government is taking a hard line on driving. In late November, only cars with even-numbered license plates were allowed to drive in the city, with odd plates the next.

December 12, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

What Is Christmas Without the Department Store?

Robert David Sullivan writes that the Main Street America department store is a holiday tradition, a grand public crossroads for celebrating the season.

December 12, 2011 - Boston Globe

How Local Manufacturing Can Rub the Rust off the Rust Belt

William Bostwick explores how locally-sourced, niche product manufacturing could help the Rust Belt rise.

December 11, 2011 - Fast Company

London Taxi Drivers' 'Knowledge' Alters Brain Makeup

London requires more topographical knowledge of its taxi drivers than any other city in the world. Now researchers have found that acquiring 'the knowledge' required to gain certification physically changes a human brain.

December 10, 2011 - The Atlantic

New Study Finds Twitter Reinforces Place-Based Networks

A new study that explores the geography of twitter networks finds that rather than making place obsolete, their intensity can be predicted by location and proximity, suggesting they enhance location based relationships.

December 10, 2011 - The Atlantic

"Civic Action" Examines Art's Role In Development

The Noguchi museum in New York has asked four artists to take a crack at city planning by offering a new way of interpreting the construction of urban fabric. Martha Schwendener evaluates the results.

December 10, 2011 - The New York Times

As Long as It's Flexible, No End for Urban Retail

Last week, a panel of retailers and developers discussed the challenges--and, ultimately, the keys to success--of urban retail. Susan Piperato reports.

December 10, 2011 - National Real Estate Investor

The Apple Store: The City's "Seal of Approval"?

Apple stores are great revenue generators in cities, writes Brian Caulfield, but not just as a one-off. Customers tend to come back for more products and repairs, and the stores themeslves encourage plenty of cross-shopping nearby.

December 9, 2011 - Forbes

Ambitious Effort to Urbanize India

The Indian government is betting big with simultaneously building a massive high speed freight corridor between Delhi & Mumbai as well the physical infrastructure for 24 new cities that will become an industrial corridor.

December 9, 2011 - Global Post

Public Parks to Cover Highways in Hamburg

The City of Hamburg, Germany is planning on building elevated public parks on sections of the to-be-expanded A7 (Highway 7), which is considered one of the most important north-south connectors in Germany.

December 9, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

HUD Announces Sustainability Grant Winners

The 27 communities and regional planning organizations selected will receive a total $96 million to achieve their economic and environmental goals.

December 9, 2011 - Smart Planet

Town Builds Restaurant to Lure Chef

Pocomoke City officials have funded the construction of a restaurant and bar in their city with no tenant on the horizon - just hopes to attract a star chef and spur economic development downtown.

December 8, 2011 - USA Today

Urban Parks Go to The Dogs

According to a study by the non-profit Trust for Public Land, reporter Haya El Nasser says that dog parks are becoming the fastest-growing of city parks nationwide.

December 8, 2011 - USA Today

Los Angeles Considers Lifting Artistic Mural Ban

Los Angeles is considering a new ordinance that will allow artists to paint murals on private property as long as they have permission from the owner.

December 8, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Edward Blakey Reviews Moscow Expansion Plans

University of Sydney Professor Edward Blakely has reviewed Moscow’s plan to expand the capital’s borders to the south-west by 2014 and proclaimed that they will not hamper the city’s development. The territory will more than double.

December 8, 2011 - RT

Rising Prices All Too Familar in D.C.

In Washington D.C., Michael Perkins explains that starting next July, Metro would be at a deficit of $120 million. They have come up with several ideas to raise a portion of that money through fares.

December 8, 2011 - Greater Greater Washington

London's "Pop-Up" Shopping Mall To Be One of a Kind

British entrepreneur Roger Wade has built "[t]he most environmentally friendly shopping mall ever built." 'Boxpark,' which recently opened, is composed of 60 standard size shipping containers stacked two stories high by five rows wide.

December 7, 2011 - CNN

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.