Community / Economic Development

The Growing Impact of Brookings' Bruce Katz

This cover piece from Next American City profiles Bruce Katz, founding director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, who the magazine calls the "oracle of urban policy".

April 9, 2010 - Next American City

Detroit Cosmopolitanism: An Open Letter to a Ballplayer's Skeptical Wife

When baseball player Johnny Damon signed a contract to play for the Detroit Tigers, his wife voiced concerns about the city not being cosmopolitan enough. This open letter to Mrs. Damon argues that the city has more going for it than many assume.

April 9, 2010 - Model D

Haiti Needs Old Urbanism, Not New

Plans for rebuilding Haiti have a strikingly New Urbanist tinge. But some say Haiti's economic situation isn't ready for a New Urbanist approach.

April 8, 2010 - Fast Company

Improving Cities By Degrees

Carol Coletta explains how improving education, lowering VMT and alleviating poverty by as little as 1% each could mean billions of dollars for cities.

April 7, 2010 - The Urbanophile

Farming Settles into the City

The idea of urban farming has gone from fringe to functional, with backyards plots and small infill operations teeming across North America. Lloyd Alter takes a look at the trend.

April 7, 2010 - Azure Magazine

Want Your TOD To Work? Add Parking

A panel of experts at a ULI Los Angeles came together to talk best practices for transit-oriented development. Their recommendations include better security, improved connectivity, and yes, more parking.

April 6, 2010 - The Ground Floor (ULI)

Student Planners Remake Toronto

Toronto's former chief planner Paul Bedford asked his students at Ryerson University to present 100-year plans to re-imagine Toronto.

April 6, 2010 - The Toronto Star

Preservationists Concerned About Visual Blight from Streetcars

Portland has them. So does Charlotte. But in the nation's capital, streetcar overhead wires are under fire from historic preservationists.

April 6, 2010 - Washington Post

Act Now to Create a Successful Detroit

This op-ed from The Detroit Free Press looks at ambitious goals for the city ten years into the future, and argues that citizens will need to start acting soon to turn those dreams into reality.

April 6, 2010 - The Detroit Free Press

New Orleans' Recovery Lessons for Haiti

Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the bungled recovery effort offers lessons to Haiti and Chile as they recover from more recent natural disasters, according to this piece from Allison Arieff.

April 6, 2010 - The New York Times

Residents Get More Say in Redevelopment

A scandal over bonuses and the recession leads to change in project to redevelop Southeast San Diego, but some critics want to see more construction, not just kumbaya.

April 5, 2010 - San Diego Union Tribune

Highway Trust Fund Bailed Out With $19.5 Billion 'Reimbursement'

One of the most significant pieces of legislation for transportation was last month's job bill that contained essential transportation provisions, including extension of the transportation act, $19.5 Billion to HTF, $4.6 billion to Buy America Bonds.

April 2, 2010 - AASHTO Journal

Land Use, Transportation and the World Cup in South Africa

Nate Berg reports on the effects of the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. Will the stadia be built on time? And what will be the impact on after they're built?

April 2, 2010 - Next American City

Comeback Cities

Paul Grogan headed LISC for 13 years in the 1980s and 1990s, and it's been 10 years since his influential book, "Comeback Cities", was published. How has Mr. Grogan's "blueprint for urban revival" held up, ten years on?

April 2, 2010 - Fels Institute of Government

Chicago's $1.3 Million Experiment in Democracy

In a Chicago Tribune op-ed, Alderman Joe Moore explains why he is letting residents decide how to spend his $1.3m ward budget, through the first Participatory Budgeting process in the US.

April 1, 2010 - Chicago Tribune

Creative Class Breathes New Life into Empty Spaces

The recession has left many real estate properties empty across the country. In Los Angeles, some of those empty spaces are being revived by the city's artists.

April 1, 2010 - Core77

Success in San Francisco Alleyways

This piece from The Examiner looks at the alleyways of San Francisco and how they have become activated in recent years.

April 1, 2010 - Examiner

Las Vegas Residents Want Out

A recent survey from UNLV suggests that 40% of the residents of the Las Vegas metropolitan area would prefer to leave the state.

April 1, 2010 - Las Vegas Sun

Chicago's $1.3 Million Experiment in Democracy

In a Chicago Tribune op-ed, Alderman Joe Moore explains why he is letting residents decide how to spend his $1.3 ward budget, through the first Participatory Budgeting process in the US.

March 31, 2010 - Chicago Tribune

Infrastructure the Limiting Factor for Local Food Movement

The local food movement is growing in popularity, but a lack of related agricultural and processing infrastructure is holding back its spread.

March 31, 2010 - The New York Times

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.