Community / Economic Development
Strategic Planning for Stagnating Strips
Deteriorating commercial strips are commonplace in today's auto-oriented suburbs. Errin Welty outlines her strategy for turning stagnating strips into vibrant shopping districts.
Making the Cities of the Future Work
In this series from Glass House Conversations, journalist Greg Lindsay asks what the successful cities of the future will look like, and whether or not they should be built from scratch.
The Importance of Immigrants in America
Keeping America innovative means maintaining its power to lure in immigrants, according to this article. But as it argues, that lure is fading.
An Olympic Ghost Town in Rio de Janeiro
Preparations for the World Cup and Olympics are displacing hundreds of families in Rio de Janeiro. One neighborhood next to a major stadium has been turned into a ghost town.
Five Different Californias
A new report takes a unique look at quality-of-life issues in the Golden State, measuring social well-being using health, education and income factors. The study concludes that the state is divided into 5 areas with different ecologies.
Community Gardens and Farms as Detroit Renewal Tools
As the city of Detroit struggles with population loss and dwindling industrial jobs, farms and community gardens offer the city a positive nudge.
Rule to Allow More Street Furniture in Mumbai
Developers in Mumbai will be allowed to build street furniture and sell advertising space on it as part of their projects, in accordance with a new law in the city.
Winnipeg Offers Model For Detroit to Follow
Detroit should look to a neighbor in the north for advice on rebounding from industrial decline, according to this piece from New Geography, which argues that Winnipeg has already paved the way.
Arena Promises Turn to Burdens for Small Cities
Construction of a multi-use event arena in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, was supposed to be a boon for the city. But when events dried up, costs mounted and a big building became a big mistake.
While Others Struggle, L.A. County Moves On Transportation Projects
While cities throughout California and the rest of the nation struggle to afford even their most basic services, L.A. County's moving ahead with more than $4 billion in transportation projects.
Big But Familiar Park Changes Mirror L.A.'s Issues
Exposition Park in Los Angeles is on the verge of major changes -- a retired space shuttle, the last days of a stadium, new transit access, and the demolition of a piece of big-name architecture. But looking at its history, changes are nothing new.
Despite Smear, Vancouver Density is Key to City
In Vancouver, urban density is being attacked as a detriment to the city. But as this column argues, the city's emphasis on density and transit accessibility is what makes the city great.
Houston: City of the Year?
Fast Company chooses Houston as its 2011 City of the Year, citing its sense of opportunity and general affordability as the major reasons for its selection.
Investigation Uncovers String of HUD Failures
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has supported roughly 700 affordable housing projects around the country that have never been completed, some stalling out for over a decade.
Hong Kong's Unique and Vibrant Retail
Retail shopping in Hong Kong is a diverse experience of density, hidden storefronts and extreme visual stimulation, as this tour of the city's shopping areas shows.
Architect/Planner-Turned-Councilman Offers Thoughts on City's Future
An architect takes a seat on the Wet Hollywood City Council, and offers his thoughts on density and parking in the city and where things went wrong.
Houston Roadway Would Fuel Growth, Harm Migratory Birds
Plans to build a parkway around Houston will help ease traffic and spur growth in the region, but it will also run right through a key stopover point for millions of migrating birds.
Local Rebuilding Efforts Underpin New Orleans' Recovery
The recovery of New Orleans is happening in many small ways. One of them is the work of community groups to rebuild and re-inhabit damaged homes.
Floating Walkway Planned for London Olympics
Officials in London are considering a plan to build a 1-kilometer floating walkway on the Thames River in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
NYC Streets Transformation a Cause for Celebration
A number of articles have recently been written criticizing New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan for dramatically changing the city's mobility. This column from Metropolis says that criticism is misdirected.
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
