Community / Economic Development
Marketing Suburban Life To Gay Community
Berwyn, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, is running an aggressive marketing campaign to convince the gay community that their small city is a friendly and affordable place for them to live.
Meet the Geeks Re-Shaping D.C.
Planning nerd bloggers like David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington are finding that they can have significant influence in the world of D.C. planning and development.
Stealth Solar is Slowly Transforming Downtown Portland
In Portland, two examples of how stealthy implementation of solar-powered technology is changing the rhythm of daily life.
Could Your Next Tomato Come From A Former Best Buy?
Gene Fredericks wants to turn empty big box stores into hydroponic and aquaponic growing centers using the latest technologies.
Why Are There So Many Empty Lots?
Kids from Walt Whitman Middle School in Brooklyn wanted to know why there were so many empty lots around their school. The Center for Urban Pedagogy worked with the kids to understand why, and created a video document from what they found.
New York Passes Smart Growth Bill
Governor David Paterson signed The Smart Growth Public Policy Infrastructure Policy Act on Monday, which directs the state to invest in infrastructure in dense communities rather than sprawling ones.
Community-Supported Businesses on the Rise
Stacy Mitchell reports on the growing trend of micro-financing, where small business people turn to the local community to get the funding they need to open restaurants or small shops.
Google Creates Affordable Housing Fund
Google has invested $86 million in a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit fund to create 480 affordable rental housing units for low income families.
Recreating European-Style Cafe Life in America
In Portland, patterns of urban use are emerging that are similar to the European-style neighborhood bar as a community gathering place.
The Legacy of L.A.'s Former Planning Director
Gail Goldberg recently left the helm of the City of Los Angeles' City Planning Department. AIA Los Angeles takes a look back at her four-year tenure and the positive impacts she made.
Mapping Toronto's Class Divide
Richard Florida plots the geography of class on a map of Toronto to show the deep economic divisions at work in an almost "completely post industrial," city.
The Question of Interstate 69
Next American City reviews a new book by Matt Dellinger about Interstate 69, the as-yet-unbuilt highway that could create a direct link between the Mexican and Canadian borders.
Seeking That Neighborly Feeling
The new HafenCity district under construction in Hamburg, Germany, is one of the largest urban developments underway today. Some worry that its newness and bigness aren't prime conditions for harboring neighborliness.
The Best "Adventure Towns" in the U.S.
Outside Magazine compiles their top 25 U.S. towns for outdoor adventure. Considered alongside the availability of great kayaking and biking were stats like percentage of college graduates and cost of living.
In Oregon, Students Seek Key to a Sustainable City
Roughly 600 University of Oregon students will take part in the university's Sustainable Cities Initiative, which pulls together students of architecture, planning, law, journalism and business to make a plan to fix downtown Salem.
HUD Announces Pilot Grants
Applicants have until November 22 to submit applications for a new round of HOPE VI funds.
America's "Forgotten Cities"
The website 24/7 Wall St. analyzes a number of sources of data to identify "dead cities" -- those which have lost their economic foundations.
Defending the "Great Good Place"
Public libraries are being relied on more than ever to assist Americans struggling with the economic crisis, even as they themselves are under threat, writes Neal Peirce.
Cities Must Realign Priorities Toward Job Creation
Aaron Renn argues that when it comes to thinking on large cities, "too many people remain stuck in the 90s." Now that the recession has civic finances in a vice grip, we ought to focus not on condos or bike shares, but straightforward job creation.
Creating Smart Cities and Replicating Silicon Valley
Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses what makes a city smart and successful in this interview with Foreign Policy.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
