Community / Economic Development

Increasingly seen as an ineffective tool, the property tax limiting Proposition 13 has been derided in California for decades. Now, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa looks to be willing to argue against the politically sensitive law.

July 12, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

The Council of Community & Economic Research pulled together data on the 340+ urban areas in the U.S. and determined which are the most affordable to live in. Texas cities come out on top.

July 12, 2011 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

While some have pigeonholed him as anti-business, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is taking the city through the recovery of the economy in a positive but potentially hard-to-swallow way, according to this column.

July 12, 2011 - The Seattle Times

Rail projects throughout the U.S. are hard hit by the downturn in the economy. The agencies behind them are trying to find ways to keep the projects from falling apart.

July 12, 2011 - Architect Magazine

Legislation in California that officially dissolves its redevelopment agencies offers them the chance to stay alive -- but at a cost that may be too high for some.

July 12, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Through a combination of local food initiatives and the installation of a new high-speed fiber optic network, the city of Chattanooga is hoping to continue its trend of recovering from years of industrial decline.

July 11, 2011 - Citiwire

Construction is underway to prepare the Russian resort city of Sochi for its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics. But it's not just venues for the games that are being built.

July 10, 2011 - The Voice of Russia

OF the many written works about Los Angeles, Mike Davis' "City of Quartz" stands out, according to this review by Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne.

July 10, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

A new study from the nonprofit research center Good Jobs First looks into how relocation tax breaks for businesses have encouraged sprawl in the Cleveland and Cincinnati metropolitan areas.

July 9, 2011 - Crain's Cleveland Business

In a new book, author Iain Sinclair argues against the Olympic redevelopment of London's East End, and argues that the legacy goals its planners are pushing largely already exist.

July 9, 2011 - Metro

The well-heeled foundation that's been pumping money into civic projects in Detroit is now reconsidering the role it's playing and how much it wants to contribute.

July 9, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Leading urban thinkers weigh-in on a debate of the merits of European and US approaches to urban planning, with a specific focus on the place of automobiles in cities. Ed Glaeser, Ellen Dunham-Jones, and Sam Staley are among the contributors.

July 8, 2011 - The New York Times

As anemic budget becomes a new reality rather than a mere interlude, cities like Atlanta, Houston, and Sacramento close down pools to cut back expenses. School-age children with downtime in the summer suffer most.

July 8, 2011 - The New York Times

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) says that the US economy could lose up to 600,000 jobs if a transportation reauthorization bill is not passed by September 30.

July 8, 2011 - Streetsblog

A discrimination lawsuit filed against the federal government and the state of Louisiana was settled this week in favor of homeowners who claimed that the way funds were distributed was biased against the poor.

July 7, 2011 - The New York Times

As the downturn in the market physically reshapes the metropolitan regions of the United States, the shifting populations and economies of its cities and suburban areas are becoming increasingly intertwined.

July 7, 2011 - The Atlantic

Can a city be driven by the noble goals of democracy, diversity, and equity? Harvard professor Susan Fainstein thinks so, and outlines how in her new book, The Just City. Victor Negrete has a review.

July 7, 2011 - Victor Negrete

Young creative people are moving to Detroit, launching new businesses and civic ventures that are creating a new identity for a city plagued by associations with decline.

July 7, 2011 - The New York Times

Dennis Hincamp says Logan, Utah, where he lives, has an identity crisis when it comes to development, swinging wildly between pro-growth to NIMBY. He sees this as indicative of the relative youth of many cities in the American West.

July 5, 2011 - The Salt Lake Tribune

County of Riverside Supervisor Jeff Stone proposes breaking up California in order to form a new "State of South California."

July 5, 2011 - Los Angeles Times