Community / Economic Development

Americans Moving Less, Getting Rooted

In the 1950s, nearly 1/5 of Americans moved each year. That trend is quickly reversing. Americans are now staying put in greater numbers than at any time since World War II, and experts have plenty of opinions on why that is.

January 28, 2010 - New York Times

Making Use of Stalled and Vacant Developments

A new plan being pursued by the City of San Francisco would allow developers with projects stalled by the economic recession hold on to their development rights as long as they make some beneficial use of the vacant land until construction starts.

January 27, 2010 - San Francisco Chronicle

$70 Million in Transit Stimulus Funds at Risk

BART's people-mover connection to the Oakland Airport is jeopardized by an FTA ruling that the agency failed to reach out to minorities, potentially denying the agency of $70 million in stimulus funds. Might the funds go to other transit needs?

January 26, 2010 - SF Gate - Oakland Blog

Manufacturing Jobs Returning to U.S.

As offshoring becomes more expensive due to the higher costs of shipping an international infrastructure, more companies are making plans to expand their manufacturing operations at home.

January 25, 2010 - AreaDevelopment Online

Senior Citizens Create Jobs

A business analyst in Las Vegas suggests that the state should attempt to attract senior citizens to retire, because his report shows that seniors 'create jobs, spend a lot of money and are not a drag on government services.'

January 23, 2010 - Las Vegas Review-Journal

America's Depression, Infrastructure and Stubborn Way of Life

This essay from Places looks at today's economic depression, the nation's crumbling infrastructure, and various efforts to rethink they way America looks at fixing its cities.

January 22, 2010 - Places

20 Years of Resurgence in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has seen some dramatic decline over the past half century. Michael A. Stern, ASLA, LEED AP takes a look at the last 20 years of the city as it begins to rebound.

January 22, 2010 - ArchNewsNow

A Return to the Countryside in Battered Haiti

Haitians are moving back out into the countryside after the Capital city of Port-au-Prince suffered devastation from a series of earthquakes this month. Some argue the move back to the country may be a good thing for Haiti.

January 22, 2010 - The New York Times

New Urbanism in Abu Dhabi

While Dubai's fantastical Burj Khalifa is mostly empty and development has ground to a halt, Abu Dhabi continues to develop - and smartly, says Philip Langdon.

January 21, 2010 - New Urban News

The Cure for Ailing Parking Lots

In Portland, up to 400 food stands have sprung up around the city, enlivening underused spaces.

January 21, 2010 - New Urban News

Corner Stores and Fat Kids

Urban convenience stores are being further linked to childhood obesity after the release of a new study from Temple University.

January 21, 2010 - Miller-McCune

Despite Praise, Portland Has Room for Improvement

Portland, Oregon, is held high on a pedestal for innovative urban planning and development. But the city has its drawbacks and needs to face them, writes Aaron M. Renn.

January 20, 2010 - The Oregonian

The Food Court, R.I.P.

The "food court", staple of malldom and home of Hot Dog on a Stick, is dead, say retail architects and designers. Higher-end restaurants and softer surfaces are replacing the shiny plastic tables and Orange Juliuses of the past.

January 20, 2010 - Retail Traffic Magazine

Disparity Between Success and Failure Widening in U.K. Cities

The difference between success and failure in the U.K. has gotten worse with the recession, with ailing cities getting worse and successful cities are coming out even stronger.

January 19, 2010 - Public Finance

Brazilians Reinterpret Their Living Spaces

In this paper, Gustavo Rivera Jr. (Ph. D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago) evaluates the economic and sociocultural impact of recently developed public housing estates within the favelas of Belo Horizonte.

January 18, 2010 - The Urban Reinventors Online Urban Journal

A Cultural Revolution in Dallas

Dallas is putting its hopes on architecture and art to spur the city's cultural development.

January 16, 2010 - The Texas Observer

Models for Detroit: Belfast, Bilbao and Turin

Detroit can come back using the model of European countries that downsized and densified, restructured their industries and created incubators for innovation, say Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley of Brookings.

January 15, 2010 - The New Republic

Host City List Narrowed for U.S. World Cup Bid

In its bid to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022, the United States has narrowed its list of possible host cities down to 18. Notably missing are San Francisco and Chicago.

January 14, 2010 - Marketwatch

New Playgrounds Coming to NYC

NYC's Dept. of Education has committed to building 70 new playgrounds in the five boroughs.

January 14, 2010 - Crain's

Stimulus-Funded Road Projects' Effect On Unemployment: None

NPR interviews the AP reporter who conducted an analysis of stimulus spending in one particular area - road construction. His finding was that in addition to having no effect on total unemployment, it didn't improve construction employment either.

January 12, 2010 - NPR: All Things Considered

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.