Community / Economic Development

Los Angeles Finds a Communal Way to Enjoy The World Cup

Jeremy Rosenberg of Next American City examines how the people of Los Angeles get together to watch the world cup, in the absence of any primary public meeting space.

June 16, 2010 - Next American City

Strife in the City of the Future

Joel Kotkin describes the plight of a Los Angeles economy that has lost "one-fifth of all its employment since 2004." Once a hopeful generator of new jobs and technology, the area has suffered the most of all the Sunbelt metros.

June 16, 2010 - New Geography

A New Direction for New Urbanists

At the 18th Annual Congress for New Urbanists, Andres Duany announced 'Agrarian Urbanism' as his new planning emphasis. He believes that the success of New Urbanism has stultified its progress and reduced its potential.

June 15, 2010 - Fast Company

Reusing Stalled Construction Sites in Seattle

Officials in Seattle are trying to pass legislation that would allow stalled construction sites to be reused as parking lots and temporary vending areas.

June 15, 2010 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Hanging Out at the Virtual Mall

Mall operator Westfield Group says it is developing a completely virtual "mall" shopping space, and is seeking retailers to rent spaces.

June 14, 2010 - Retail Traffic Magazine

How Cities Can Take Advantange of Their Data

Public data can be more than information for cities. Some have even used it to help generate revenue.

June 14, 2010 - Next American City

The San Francisco of Fill-in-the-Blank

San Francisco is often upheld as a model for other global cities, with places such as Brighton, Port-au-Prince, and Geneva being compared to the city by the bay.

June 14, 2010 - The New York Times

Four Cool World Cup Stadia and Their Uncertain Futures

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa has caused the creation or redesign of ten stadia. The Architect's Newspaper offers this list of four of the most interesting stadia and what future these expensive buildings may have.

June 14, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

Mayor Daley, a Retrospective

Mayor Daley's successes in downtown Chicago have attracted attention worldwide, but what about the rest of the city? Greg Hinz and Steven R. Strahler say Daley has fixed downtown but not the city's neighborhoods.

June 14, 2010 - Chicago Business

The Promise of the Big Dig Unfulfilled

Causeway Street, formed by the Big Dig in Boston, is in the plans as a vibrant new center of streetlife. With the Big Dig construction long over, planners say now is the time.

June 14, 2010 - The Boston Globe

A Blight Fighter in Ohio

Judge Raymond Pianka of Cleveland’s Housing Court has taken a hard line on landowners that let their homes fall into disrepair, blighting suffering neighborhoods. But a higher court may be clipping Pianka's wings.

June 12, 2010 - Next American City

Will Social Media Revolutionize the Planning System?

Joe Peach understands "that online technologies and the city are becoming increasingly integrated," and argues that social media should have a democratizing effect on the planning process.

June 12, 2010 - thisbigcity.net

States Fighting For Films

As states elbow each other to lure movie makers to their markets with increasingly attractive tax incentives, some say the competition has gone too far.

June 11, 2010 - Governing

The Big Business Behind Local Opposition to Wal-Mart

Typically thought of as a war to protect small businesses in communities from being swallowed up by a giant, the local opposition to Wal-Mart stores is often funded secretly by other major grocery chains.

June 9, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

Santa Clara Residents Back Stadium Spending

Residents in Santa Clara, California have approved a measure that would direct $937 million in funding towards the creation of a stadium intended to lure the San Francisco 49ers football team.

June 9, 2010 - Sa Francisco Chronicle

Party in the Graveyard

The Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado is trying to lighten up what is typically a somber setting by scheduling concerts and other cultural events at the graveyard.

June 9, 2010 - The Denver Post

Bringing Bookshops Back to the Latin Quarter

Seeing a marked decline in the amount of bookstores in the traditional cultural center of Paris, the city began a program to actively lure them back.

June 8, 2010 - Guardian

Urban Gardens: Not Just For Hipsters and Yuppies

Hipsters and yuppies are the only people doing urban gardening, right? Grist says no, and gives examples of diversity in Denver throughout the community gardens there.

June 8, 2010 - Grist

Public Transit And Road Building Lobbies - Tied At The Hip?

Why would the nation's major public transit organization work so closely with America' major road lobbying group, even when it comes to opposing landmark climate legislation aimed at reducing 33% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from transportation?

June 5, 2010 - theTransportPolitic

Keeping Bad Property Investment Out Of Your City

A new report from PolicyLink presents strategies for keeping out bad land investment, such as when buyers "mothball" the property -- holding on to it without improving it -- bringing down the quality of the community.

June 4, 2010 - Next American City

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.