Community / Economic Development
Minneapolis Questions Worth of Casino Project
A proposal to build a casino in downtown Minneapolis has locals and lawmakers wondering if it's a good deal for the city. The governor wants more than the suggested 25% take of revenues, but others say even that is not worthwhile.
Would You Move to Transit-Oriented Development? How about for $12k?
D.C.'s Office of Planning is launching a pilot program to do just that.
Community-Focused Sustainability Programs Thrive Amid Budget Cuts
Sustainability-focused programs offered at the federal level have received overwhelming support from communities and protection from budget cuts, even in an age of tightened budgets.
The Warhol Community
In comparing the legacies of artist Andy Warhol and urban thinker Jane Jacobs, this essay suggests that the sort of urban community we think of today is more a result of Warhol.
Stadium Renovation Prices out Brazil's Poor from its Most Revered Public Space
As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, renovations to the Maracana, an infamous soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro, are pricing out the city's poor. Some say the work is killing one of the city's few egalitarian public places.
The "Eccentric" Town of Canon, Georgia
When asked to describe their town at a charrette, the residents of Canon chose words like "rundown", "courageous" and "eccentric". University of Georgia students and professors worked with locals to create a vision for the town.
Can A Failed Mega-Mall Un-Fail?
Officials in New Jersey are planning to revive a stalled megamall project called Xanadu. The New York Times asks a panel of experts whether the plan should move forward.
One Year Down, 3,000 Homes Demolished
Officials in Detroit have demolished 3,000 buildings over the course of the last year, a goal set by Mayor Dave Bing.
New Haitian President Faces Major Rebuilding Challenges
Michel Martelly is the newly elected president of Haiti. He faces the large challenge of rebuilding much of the country's population center, which was devastated by an earthquake in January 2010.
How Chinese Megacities Avoid Problems
Megacities are quickly on the rise in China. But as this post from New Geography argues, they've managed to avoid problems currently faced by other megacities in developing nations.
Can California Solve Its Budget Deficit and Save Redevelopment?
Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and a group of local stakeholders is circulating a proposal that would help the state of California and generate revenue for local redevelopment. Is it too late for a win-win in California?
Data Shows Internet Not Ruining Bricks-and-Mortar Retail
Counter-intuitively, Natl. Real Estate Investor says that sales in physical stores is supported by increases in broadband, and therefore the internet seems to enhance retail sales in shops.
Forbes' "Best Cities for Jobs 2011"
Joel Kotkin teamed up with Michael Shires to produce the annual Best Cities for Jobs list for Forbes Magazine.
A New Strategy for Shrinking Cities
In this article, Roberta Brandes Gratz argues that demolition-based strategies are not an effective way for shrinking cities to promote revitalization. Instead, she cites a recent auction of blighted homes in New Orleans as a better alternative.
Seattle's Answer to Affordable Housing
Zach Patton details the effects of Seattle's zoning regulation which allows for the construction of "backyard cottages." These cottages, writes the author, are a viable way to increase urban density and provide affordable housing.
Decentralizing Decisionmaking in New Orleans' Recovery
Various plans and strategies have been crafted over the years to try to help New Orleans recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. While early plans took a stronger stance, the city is now taking a less heavy-handed approach.
Improving Planning in San Francisco
The Wall Street Journal talks with Gabriel Metcalf, executive director of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, about where the city is heading and how it needs to change.
Immigration and Economic Competitiveness
Immigrant populations can be valuable assets to communities. This post from The Atlantic looks at how different countries' openness to immigrants benefits their economic development.
Remaking a Suburb into as Small Business Hub
Levittown is the quintessential American suburb. A new proposal seeks to reinvent it as a hub for small businesses.
Understanding the World's Urban Transition
Two writers from different parts of the world collaborate to expound on the evolution of places and how best to understand the changes underway in the urban world.
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
