Community / Economic Development
What Makes A City Great? An American Perspective
H.V. Savitch attempts to break down the attributes that make a city great, and concludes that a city need not score high in all the categories in order to achieve greatness.
City Branding Can't Be Lipstick on a Pig
PlaceMaker Scott Doyon says that for cities -- maybe more than any other organization -- branding is about who you really are, and what what you really do, not a meaningless slogan or logo.
Slum Redevelopment Drives Real Estate Market In Mumbai
With not much undeveloped land left in Mumbai for fresh developments, the city’s real estate growth will largely be propelled by the success of its many slum redevelopment schemes, according to a recent study.
Shanghai Expo Closes With Focus On "Development through Development"
The Expo’s stated theme was “Better City, Better Life,” and organizers boasted it was the first World’s Fair devoted to the contemplation of cities.
"Urban Renewal Was Never Really A Planner's Idea"
So says APA President Mitchell Silver, AICP, in a recent interview. "...but planners were the agents, they had to implement it."
Nigerian Urban Renewal Project May Leave 200,000 Homeless
A waterfront redevelopment project in Port Harcourt is drawing fire from human rights advocates.
The Economic Impact of Energy Efficiency Retrofits
Cary Lowe, Los Angeles-based attorney and advocate for energy efficiency, makes the case for the economic benefits of energy efficiency retrofits to the state of California.
Two Major Projects, Some Trouble in Kansas City
Two major projects underway in Kansas City will make a significant impact on the city's downtown and skyline, but problems with one may delay its completion.
How Do You Say 'Sustainable Growth' in Mandarin?
A new report sheds major doubt on some of the emerging Chinese cities' abilities to grow in a sustainable manner.
The Missed Aerotropolis
Aerotropolises are cities that develop around airports into vibrant centers of business and residences. The Boston area had a chance to make one, but the city and state missed out, according to this column.
Turning A Brutal Regime into a Tourist Attraction
Officials in Cambodia are hoping to capitalize on tourists' interest in the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge regime with a proposed theme park.
Economic Powerhouse to Emerge in the Arctic
As result of climate change, dwindling resources and shifting demographics, a new economic powerhouse is likely to emerge in the arctic by mid-century, according to the new book "The World in 2050".
Gentrification Through Transit Stations
New transit stations can have major gentrifying impacts on neighborhoods -- from median income to car ownership rates, according to a recent study.
Forget Cities - It's Regions and Neighborhoods That Matter
When it comes to economics, statistics, demographics, development, and our daily actions, city lines don't count for much - neighborhoods and regions are where things happen, says Kaid Benfield.
Sponsoring Seattle
Leaders in Seattle are considering a plan to offer naming rights to various parks and civic amenities.
Recovering the Real Estate Market By Shifting Development Patterns
The real estate market will only recover once developers start building the types of neighborhoods and places people are demanding, according to Patrick C. Doherty and Christopher B. Leinberger.
Looming Transoceanic Highway Worries Some in South America
Officials in Peru and Brazil are hoping for a 2011 opening to the Transoceanic Highway between the coasts of the two countries. But some locals worry about what the road will bring once it's completed.
Metros Across The Country Seek Financial Help From Embattled States
Across the country, a growing number of towns, cities and other local governments are seeking refuge in havens that many states provide as alternatives to federal bankruptcy court.
Political Cleavage Intensifies Debate On A More Connected LA
Christopher Hawthorne, the architecture critic at the LA Times the contradictory evidence surrounding LA's machinations toward becomming a post-suburban city. He finds public opinion fractured as the MTA finalizes plans for two Westside subway lines.
India's Economic Growth Is Reflected In Smaller Cities
Economists and government officials have long acclaimed India’s so-called second-tier cities as new founts of prosperity and incubators of India’s growing middle class. Now even smaller cities in India’s most prosperous states are booming too.
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
