Community / Economic Development

Tough Choices in Pleasantville, NY

Pleasantville, NY may be affluent and amenity-rich, but it isn't immune to the economic downturn. Now some suggest the town should sacrifice character for economic opportunity.

February 16, 2010 - New York Times

Vancouver's Recession Olympics

Vancouver lost its Triple A credit rating after being forced to bail out its Olympic Athletes Village when the hedge fund that had backed it went under -- just one of the unpredicted events that made this a Recession Olympics.

February 15, 2010 - Financial Times

Detroit Mayor Warms to Downsizing

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is reportedly open to the idea of downsizing the city, and is looking for other fresh ideas to help the city's economy return to a sustainable place.

February 15, 2010 - The Detroit News

Revitalizing a City With Technology

The town of Holyoke, Massachusetts has hired Cisco to create a technology-led urban revitalization plan.

February 14, 2010 - Fast Company

High Speed Rail Spurring Economic Growth in China

A large-scale program of high speed rail projects is creating a huge economic impact in China. The fast timeline for these rail projects and the jobs they are creating have American officials looking on jealously.

February 14, 2010 - The New York Times

What's Green and Not-So-Green About Vancouver

Grist takes a look at the Olympic city of Vancouver, and lists some of its greenest attributes, and some of its less-than-green downfalls.

February 12, 2010 - Grist

London Stadium Plan Misses Mark on Context

One of London's major soccer teams is floating plans to rebuild its stadium. But with its location in one of the city's most impoverished sections, many say the new plan doesn't do enough for its neighborhood.

February 12, 2010 - London Evening Standard

Former Mayor Calls Vancouver Olympics Investment Worthwhile

The Tyee talks with former Vancouver Mayor and British Columbia Premier Mike Harcourt, who argues that the investment to host the 2010 Winter Olympics are worthwhile.

February 10, 2010 - The Tyee

Shanghai Invests Deep in Expo, But Legacy Raises Concerns

Shanghai is preparing to host the 2010 World Expo -- an event that's costing more than $45 billion. While officials hope the event will be a boon for tourism, locals question whether the investment will pay off.

February 10, 2010 - NPR

A Farm Grows in San Francisco, Where A Freeway Once Stood

A group of San Francisco farmers are turning a former freeway into a productive urban farm.

February 9, 2010 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Americans Buying Less, Doing More

Americans are starting to value experiences over things, according to a new poll. Nearly half of Americans report spending less time purchasing non-essential goods, while many are spending more time on friends, family, and hobbies.

February 9, 2010 - New York Times

The State of Happiness

A new study ranks the U.S. states by residents' happiness. From Louisiana (#1) to New York (#51), the happiest people tend to live in sunny, outdoorsy states with strong quality of life measures.

February 9, 2010 - USA Today

Transportation On Parade

Washington County, Utah invites the public once a year to see what transportation projects are in the works and talk to planners and engineers. The meet-and-greet has proved highly popular and a way for information to flow both ways.

February 9, 2010 - The Spectrum and Daily News

The Mormon Church Backs Mixed-Use Project

City Creek Center is a $1 billion mixed-use development project that some say is a godsend for downtown Salt Lake City, creating jobs during a tough economy. Others wonder how the church's influence will play out in the culture of the project.

February 8, 2010 - The New York Times

Initiative Underway To Suspend California's Global Warming Act

California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or AB 32, is known throughout the U.S. as being the landmark state legislation that addresses climate change. It is the target of an initiative that aims to suspend it unless unemployment drops.

February 8, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Resort Planned in Russian Nature Preserve

Environmentalists in Russia are fuming over plans to construct a resort in the middle of a nature preserve near the 2014 Winter Olympics host city of Sochi.

February 8, 2010 - Der Spiegel

The Poverty Beneath the Rings

Vancouver is playing host to the Winter Olympics beginning later this week. It's a city admired across North America. But it's also home to a pocket of severe poverty and homelessness.

February 8, 2010 - The New York Times

Policy Confusion Over Food Trucks

Food trucks are becoming an increasingly visible part of streetlife in many cities, but few have figured out how to deal with them from a policy standpoint.

February 7, 2010 - The City Fix

HUD Hearts Portland

Obama's brand new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities admits to being inspired by Portland's groundbreaking urban planning policies.

February 7, 2010 - The Oregonian

A Garden in Motor City

Detroit revitalizes urban farming to replace dying industry.

February 6, 2010 - Chicago Tribune

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.