Community / Economic Development

Our annual list of the 10 best planning, design, and development websites represents some of the top online resources for news, information and research on the built environment.

March 17, 2011 - Abhijeet Chavan

Two unique urban journalists meet, as Geoff Manaugh of BLDGBLOG interviews Greg Lindsay, Fast Company's cities reporter, about his new book Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next.

March 17, 2011 - BLDGBLG

Who's the happiest and healthiest of them all? The New York Times posts an interactive map of the national Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

March 16, 2011 - New York Times

An enterprising couple from Los Angeles turned an RV into a mode of public transportation for the party-going crowd. Recent partnerships with Foursquare and Walt Disney Imagineering have made the RV a popular way to get around Tinseltown.

March 16, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

In the wake of the disasters which devastated parts of Japan, Russell Nichols of Governing investigates the state of disaster preparedness in US cities and states.

March 16, 2011 - Governing

In the coming days and years, Japan needs to address a host of issues related to earthquake recover and design, including damaged infrastructure, population and housing, energy, the economy and global impact.

March 16, 2011 - Architizer

The Lake View neighborhood in Chicago will unveil a new master plan for a completely redesigned community, including a "Low Line" park walkway.

March 15, 2011 - WLS

Facing possible dissolution, redevelopment agencies in California have gone on a bond-spree in the early months of 2011.

March 14, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

As London prepares to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, new rules about its waterways could force hundreds of houseboat residents out of the city's canals.

March 14, 2011 - Guardian

Unhealthy, smog-filled air has struck an unsuspecting locale: rural Wyoming.

March 12, 2011 - USA Today

Edging out places like Beverly Hills, the town of Aspen, Colorado, has seen its property values on a consistent rise, making it the most expensive town in America.

March 12, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

As a Berlin neighborhood gains favor among foreign tourists, locals are fighting to preserve their community's charm and identity.

March 12, 2011 - Der Spiegel

In 2013, San Francisco will host America's Cup; many hope this will expedite development along the Bay City's waterfront.

March 11, 2011 - The Achitect's Newspaper

Budget-troubled Jefferson County, Alabama -- once thought to be on the brink of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history -- is moving forward with plans to clean up its finances.

March 11, 2011 - Reuters

The city of Baltimore has a new open space plan it thinks will lead the city to future growth that is smarter, more vibrant, and better overall for its residents.

March 11, 2011 - Project For Public Spaces

Governmental support for plans for a religious theme park in Kentucky featuring a replica of Noah's Ark have spurred protests.

March 11, 2011 - NPR

Birmingham, Alabama is creating a new system of open markets that will bring fresh foods as well as more social space for the city's residents.

March 11, 2011 - Project For Public Spaces

Architects and planners in New Delhi are collaborating to create three new visions of the city, all based around the concept of sustainability.

March 11, 2011 - Frontline

Americans have shunned the "McMansion" for smaller, more appropriately proportioned homes, a trend which has benefited from the economic recession.

March 10, 2011 - ecohome

A huge mall in China -- the largest in the world -- has just a 1% occupancy rate.

March 10, 2011 - Gadling