Community / Economic Development

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

Portland leads the nation is sustainability and in fact, may be responsible for starting this movement, but its economy remains mediocre and it is one of America's least diverse cities. Urbanophile's Aaron M. Renn explains why.

July 4, 2011 - Urbanophile

Urban redevelopment plans to slow or stall in California, as Governor Jerry Brown slashes the budgets of redevelopment agencies in the state.

July 3, 2011 - The Sacramento Bee

Abu Dhabi has released a new 20-year plan. It planners argue that it will be flexible enough to withstand changes in the global economy, should they come.

July 1, 2011 - Times of Oman

The U.S. Conference of Mayors expect the number of challenges to be higher than the 1,200 challenges filed for the 2000 Census because regions claimed to have received low population counts.

June 30, 2011 - Associated Press

A lakefront steel plant on Chicago's South Side that has been abandoned since 1992 is the venue of the Dave Matthew's Caravan July music festival.

June 30, 2011 - Chicago Tribune

Imported from Europe, parklets transform parking spaces into inviting public spaces. They are flourishing in San Francisco, and are poised to invade other cities across the country.

June 29, 2011 - California Planning & Development Report

By focusing on reducing water use to levels that could be served by its two water sources, the city of El Paso, Texas, has been able to quench its thirst without running dry.

June 28, 2011 - Guardian

National Geographic Traveler talks with urban theorist Richard Florida about the changing roles of cities, and the emerging centers of economic prosperity.

June 28, 2011 - National Geographic Traveler

In preparing a bid to host the 2020 Olympics, Tokyo is planning to include areas that were ravaged by the recent tsunami and earthquake.

June 28, 2011 - Daily Mail

Crowd-funded plans to build a statue of the movie character RoboCop are moving ahead in Detroit, and the project is redefining public participation in civic ventures.

June 28, 2011 - domus

In this piece from Places, Deborah Gans offers a firsthand look at planning for recovery in the city's neglected East side.

June 28, 2011 - Places

Citing data from the Chamber of Commerce, The Atlantic releases its top picks based on their capacity for growth and innovation. Alaska, North Dakota, and Wyoming come out on top.

June 25, 2011 - The Atlantic

When other musicians opt to romanticize L.A. with images of Hollywood and Malibu mansions, pop band Death Cab for Cutie captures the opposite in the music video for their new single, "Home Is A Fire."

June 24, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

As San Francisco prepares to host the America's Cup yacht race in 2013, one of the key building areas for the event is also being fast-tracked as the site of a new cruise terminal.

June 23, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

High rise apartment construction is set to take off again in Chicago, though it's unclear for how long and whether the resulting projects will have a positive lasting impact on the city.

June 23, 2011 - Chicago Tribune

Three Chinese companies are building a 31-mile highway to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. It's a move locals see as an effort to gain favor with the Kenyan government.

June 23, 2011 - NPR