Community / Economic Development

China Cracking Down on Rural Migrants

As millions of rural poor move into Chinese cities, the country's legal residency system is making life difficult for the illegal rural migrants.

August 31, 2011 - The New York Times

Renovation Coming to Long-Troubled Harlem Tenements

Neglected for decades, a group of tenement buildings in New York City are set to be renovated to provide a new source of affordable housing.

August 31, 2011 - The New York Observer

Pinpointing the City's Center

Google Maps searches include a pinpoint of what the search engine has determined are the centers of cities. One artist has built sculptures of those pinpoints in their real-life locations.

August 31, 2011 - Architizer

Organizers Pushing Philly High Line

Community organizers in Philadelphia are leading an effort to convert a disused elevated railway into a park.

August 30, 2011 - The Philadelphia Daily News

Seattle's South Lake Union a Jobs Bonanza

When city leaders proposed redeveloping the South Lake Union area of Seattle, they made big promises for job growth. Just a few years in, their expectations have already been exceeded.

August 30, 2011 - The Seattle Times

Dueling Observation Wheels Proposed in Las Vegas

Two separate developments are planning to bring supertall "observation wheels" to Las Vegas in an effort to bring tourists to the city as it struggles through the recession.

August 30, 2011 - MSNBC

California Cities Hoping Projects Lure Teams and Development

Cities across California are proposing new stadium projects in hopes of luring football teams and economic growth as a result of their new megadevelopments.

August 30, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Extreme Makeover: Housing Policies Edition

As consumer real estate debt surpasses $9 trillion, TIME magazine examines four radical proposals that top policymakers and economists think will help turn things around.

August 28, 2011 - Time

Brownfield Revitalization, or Gentrification?

Residents of the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco fear that redevelopment threatens to gentrify the area in a way that pushes out low- and middle-income black residents.

August 28, 2011 - High Country News

Is "Nuisance Abatement Team" a Legitimate Use of Police Power?

In Antelope Valley, Calif., questionable code enforcement practices encroach the Fifth Amendment taking clause while the obfuscation of facts by public officials mars the transparent aspect of the planning process.

August 27, 2011 - Boing Boing

Green Gadget Homes Aimed at Middle Class

Developers in Frederick, ND are aiming to build "green" homes that middle income buyers can afford. The homes are sporting features such as, solar panels, geothermal heating and high-tech computer systems that are typically found in high end homes.

August 27, 2011 - The Washington Post

NYC's Answer to Silicon Valley

Joining Yelp, Net-A-Porter, and Apple, tech companies find a new hub in Union Square (aka "Silicon Square").

August 27, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

The Challenge of Creating a City from the Olympics

The success of the 2012 Olympics in London likely won't be evident until after the event, which is seeking to repurpose a down-and-out part of town into a new neighborhood.

August 26, 2011 - London Evening Standard

Lending Program Could Replace National Infrastructure Bank

Obama supports Boxer's 2-year transportation reauthorization bill over Mica's 6-year bill. However, both bills greatly increase funding for the Transportation Infrastructure and Innovative Finance Act.

August 25, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Airport Redesign Brings New Park to Berlin

Plans are moving ahead to convert Berlin's Tempelhof airfield into the city's newest park.

August 25, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Boosting the Local Economy Through Local Food

Cities across the country are making efforts to encourage people to buy locally and support the local economy. Food is the main target for local boosters.

August 25, 2011 - Citiwire

Is There a Capital of the World?

Intelligent Life magazine asks what city would be the capital of the world.

August 25, 2011 - Intelligent Life

Drugs and Economic Success in El Paso

El Paso is seen as one of the more successful mid-sized cities in the U.S. But as this op-ed from Domus explores, the fuel behind that success is the drug trafficking that has plagued Mexico and its border with the U.S.

August 25, 2011 - domus

Bicycling Towards Recovery

Bike lanes and bike commuters are fueling a significant segment of the economy in Copenhagen. In Portland, a high amount of bike lanes could mean similar economic impacts.

August 25, 2011 - The Oregonian

Yacht Parking for Boat Race Takes Too Much from San Francisco

As San Francisco prepares to host the 2013 America's Cup regatta, plans to use parts of the city's scenic waterfront for spectators' yacht parking edge too far into the public realm, according to this piece from the San Francisco Chronicle.

August 25, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.