Community / Economic Development
Building the Crowdsourced City
Peter Sigrist takes us through three other tools for open sourced, democratic governance processes conducive to mobilization, collaboration, and funding--each integral for the crowdsourced city.
Infill Development Becoming Mainstream
Renaissance Homes, a Portland builder, is attempting to revitalize its business by transitioning from suburban, large-scale development to multiple infill projects.
Guatemalan Schools Built on Bottles
The nonprofit Hug It Forward is helping Guatemalan neighborhoods build schools at less than $10,000 by making them out of plastic bottles, writes Zak Stone for GOOD.
Top 10 Cities for Book Worms
Livability.com complies a list of cities that have strong book store cultures. The list looks at the volume of bookstores in a city and hallmark independent bookstores.
Toronto Debates Need for Waterfront Mega-Mall
Some say that there is simply not enough retail in existence now; versus U.S. cities, at least, Toronto has fewer malls in both numbers and square footage. Dana Flavelle explores why that might not necessarily mean it's underserved.
Plan for Haiti Unveiled
Trans_City Architecture and Urbanism have unveiled a comprehensive plan for Jacmel, Haiti. Highlights of the plan, which took a year and a half to draw up, include prefab homes that work around the city's "topographical challenges."
4th Best City to Buy a House and Find a Job: Detroit?
Homes in Detroit are certainly cheap, but are there jobs? Data from jobs site SimplyHired and real estate search engine Trulia says yes.
Another Look at Bicycle Advocacy
Blue argues that bicycle advocates need to consider the economic perspective of all individuals that use bicycles as transportation. Not all who bicycle do it by choice, says Blue.
How to Save Local Bookstores: Encourage Bicycling
Elly Blue at Grist suggests that a market for independent bookstores could be returning along with a rise in bicycling and walkable neighborhoods.
Heightened Disparity on Park and 96th
The New York Times columnist Ginia Bellafante documents the inherent disconnect between the haves and the have-nots who reside literally side-by-side where the Upper East Side meets East Harlem.
Power Players: 25 "Greenest" Cities
The Atlantic ranks cities around the globe with a roaring economic engine. Tokyo's formidable $1.2-trillion economic output propels the City to No. 1 spot. NYC, Chicago, Boston, and D.C. come in at No. 2, 4, 6, and 10, respectively.
Maryland Lays Out Plan to Combat Sprawl
A large chunk of the state's developed land is designated as low to very low single-family residential, which explains an exceptionally high percentage of workers who commute to work alone. PlanMaryland seeks to change this unsustainable trend.
NYC Residents Suggesting Locations for New Bike Share Stations
Earlier this week, New York City officials announced a new bikeshare system that will be available to New Yorkers in 2012.
Feds and Orgs Team Up to Boost Creative Placemaking
Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the NEA, has long make the link between the arts and economic development. He is one of the big hitters behind ArtPlace, a public-private collaboration to foster creative placemaking.
Participatory Budgeting Launches in New York City
In four New York City Council districts, residents will soon be able to propose and vote on capital projects to be funded by councilmember's budgets.
A New Urban Portrait for Kigali, Rwanda
Kigali, Rwanda's capital city, is beginning to embrace an urban transect-based plan as a solution for its recent population growth and rapidly evolving economy.
Parking Privatization Key To Arena Financing
Sacramento desperately wants to hold on to its professional basketball team, the Kings, who have threatened to leave. A just-released financing plan points to privatizing city-owned parking spaces as key to providing funding for the new arena.
WalMart/Big Box Subsidies Don't Work, Says New Study
When governments use public money to woo national chains, economic growth and job creation aren't worth the cost, says Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Independent retailers also suffer.
Urbanism Without Effort
Chuck Wolfe says that urbanism that can readily occur in urban neighborhoods "without really trying" as people naturally come together in impromptu ways.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Clovis
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
