Community / Economic Development
Richard Florida Examines The Regional Variance In Unemployment Figures
Richard Florida examines the stark regional variance behind American unemployment figures. He finds that Bismark and Fargo in North Dakota have least unemployment, while the Californian Central Valley suffers the highest.
Austin Releases An All Encompassing New 30 Year Plan
The city of Austin has released a new 197 page planning document to manage its population growth and inform planning decisions for the next three decades.
New West Hollywood Library At The Fore Of L.A. Civic Architecture
West Hollywood's new library returns to the California Mid-Century tradition with floor to ceiling glass windows providing plenty of natural light, and a walkable link to Santa Monica boulevard a new park signals a new civic focus.
Borders' Bankruptcy Means Opportunity for Independent Bookstores--But Where?
With hundreds of former Borders locations vacated comes the question of what to do with the spaces. They are generally just too large and expensive for other booksellers, writes Susan Stellin, though at least one landlord has made it work.
A City as Good as Its Buildings
If cities are like ailing bodies, then building modernization is the key to their future health. It's time planners looked at buildings as ecological and economical assets, according to Gordon Gill.
Taking a Stroll With a Guide to Understanding Cities
In his critique of "Urban Code: 100 Lessons for Understanding the City," San Francisco Chronicle Columnist John King says how the book's formula for a city doesn't do justice to its authenticity.
Is a Vibrant City Best Measured at Night?
Chuck Wolfe asks if a city's vitality is best indicated at night, and how it should be measured.
Five Cities With Five Different Congestion Solutions
Joe Peach compares the approach to mollifying congestion in five world cities, with contrasting results.
Benjamin Netanyahu's Land Reform Provokes Student Protest
Amid the backdrop of Mahmoud Abbas' application for Palestinian statehood, Jesse Fox critiques the Israeli premier for his antiquated plan to fast track sprawling suburban developments into Israel's rapidly diminishing open spaces.
Latest Government Shutdown Threat: Disaster Relief vs. Clean Car Manufacturing Subsidy
Once again, a government shutdown looms after Sept. 30 over funding for disaster relief. House Republicans insist that the additional spending must be off-set with spending cuts, and their target is a subsidy for electric cars and batteries.
The YIMBY Tool Kit
...or, how to say "Yes, in my backyard!" to new development proposals. A new guide developed by the Pivot Legal Society in Vancouver is intended to provide guidance for communities that actually want hard-to-place projects.
Around D.C., Metro Essential for Regional Growth
Reporting on a topic of discussion at the Greening Greater Washington Conference, Neal Peirce expounds on how public transit choices has bolstered regionalism around the nation's capital.
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.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
