Community / Economic Development
Bulldozing Quincy, Mass - and Building it Back Up
Most cities don't get the chance to start from scratch. But Quincy, Mass. plans to raze most of its 50-acre center and build it anew with the aid of a private developer's upfront funding - a plan that may rewrite the rules of urban development.
Growth Does Not Equal Productivity
Richard Florida writes that population growth and wealth do not go hand in hand -- wealth comes from improvements in productivity. In fact, some of the areas with the biggest leaps in population are suffering real declines in wealth.
The Next Dubai
The tiny mideast country of Qatar is a new hotbed of infrastructure activity and foreign investment, leading some to suggest that it will be the next place to take off in the region.
10 Tips for Building a Stadium in L.A.
As the city of Los Angeles edges closer to approving the construction of a new sports stadium in downtown, this post from Curbed LA offers 10 suggestions on how the stadium could and should fit into the city.
Street Food Vendors Approved in Vancouver
Vancouver is expanding its city-approved downtown street food vending program, with a recently approved list of new vendors allowed to cook and sell food from carts on the street.
America's New Ghost Towns
Depopulation and empty houses are creating modern day ghost towns throughout America. This piece introduces the latest class of emptying areas.
Revitalizing Mountain View
The former City Manager of Mountain View explains how a city once known as a second-class dormitory community turned its downtown area into a lively, successful, and loved place.
Every City For Itself: Adapting to Climate Change
What cities are best prepared for climate change, and which will falter? Josh Stephens reviews Climatopolis: How Our Cities Will Thrive in a Hotter Future by Matthew Kahn.
The Good and Bad of London's "Boris Bikes"
According to Joe Peach of This Big City, London public transit finally got something right with its cycle hire scheme, now known as "Boris Bikes."
Wall Street Journal Ranks U.S.' Most Miserable Cities
The WSJ's annual Misery Index looked at unemployment rates, gas prices, and changes in home values to determine the rankings of 20 major US cities.
Rethinking Retail Strategies in an Urbanizing U.S.
Writing for Retail Traffic Magazine, David Lynn claims that a renewed urbanization movement in the United States will drive retailers and investors to change their strategies to fit a more urban market.
Holland, Michigan's Heated Sidewalks Bring People Together
A small town in Michigan created a network of underground pipes to divert waste heat from its power plant to downtown streets and sidewalks. Today, the community benefits from sidewalks that remain clear and dry no matter how cold it gets.
Americans Prefer Smart Growth Neighborhoods, Study Finds
A recent study by the National Association of Realtors found that 56 per cent of respondents preferred walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods over neighborhoods that required more driving between home, work, and recreation.
Consolidating Detroit
As Detroit shrinks, a team of consultants and city officials are faced with the daunting task of reforming a city that is largely full of holes.
Cleanup Crew Plays Ball in Closed Tiger Stadium
Volunteers in Detroit recently performed a community cleanup in an unlikely location: the old Tiger Stadium.
Growth in Population, Not Necessarily in Prosperity
States are rowing in population, but not necessarily in terms of their economies. This post from The Atlantic explores why this presumed relationship isn't actually occurring.
Developer Claims That Public Transit Works For Baseball, But Not Football Fans
An executive of Majestic Realty, one of the developers bidding to construct an NFL stadium in Los Angeles, cited sprawl in the City of Industry as an advantage over AEG's proposal to build a stadium in downtown LA.
31 "Silver Bullet Solutions" for Urban Redevelopment
Rod Stevens, a business consultant specializing in urban ventures, compiled a list of the most common "silver bullet" solutions put in place by city leaders to address redevelopment over the past 60 years.
The Role and Impact of Preservation in L.A.
In this Q&A, architect Brenda Levin talks about the role of preservation in Los Angeles, and how restoring and reusing some of the city's historic buildings has created a long-term benefit.
Joel Kotkin On "The Best Cities For Minority Entrepreneurs"
Forbes asked Joel Kotkin, Wendell Cox, and Erika Ozuna to examine entrepreneurial trends among immigrants in the nation's largest metropolitan areas. The results of their study are contained in this article.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
