Community / Economic Development
North America's First Slow City
The village of Cowichan Bay, British Colombia, has been named the first "Slow City" in North America. This report from Living on Earth tours the town.
Farmers Markets + Food Stamps = WIN
In the midst of discussions over "food deserts" (areas of town with no access to fresh groceries, usually poor urban neighborhoods) comes news that a program creating food stamps for farmers markets is booming in New York City.
Tax Revenues Down in 44 States
Tax revenues were down during the third quarter of 2009 in 44 states, according to a new report from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government.
Lack of Curb Appeal Hurts Dowtown
In Ashtabula, Ohio, City Manager Tony Cantagallo is incensed that a handful of downtown businesses neglecting their storefronts are holding back the attempts to revitalize Main Avenue.
Revitalization, Without Gentrification
That's the trick architect Gregory Henriquez is trying to pull off in a rundown section of Vancouver, in one of the biggest redevelopment projects the city has seen yet.
Fort Collins is Feelin' Fine
This Colorado city and four others across the nation have made early moves toward sustainability, innovation, and clean technology.
Visualizing Unemployment During the Recession
Unemployment is spreading across the country like a rash. This video tracks the changing unemployment in American counties since January 2007.
Windsor + Detroit = BFF?
Windsor, Ontario is known as The Detroit of the North, and has been as hard hit as the Motor City by the fall of the auto industry. A group of artists and urbanists have come together to do something about it.
Exercising Eminent Domain for Private Developers
A New York Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a private developer, who plans to build a basketball arena in Brooklyn, validating the state's use of eminent domain on his behalf. A local group says the fight is just beginning.
Michigan Urged to Keep Film Incentive Program
Filmmakers are calling on state officials in Michigan to extend the state's grant program that provides up to 42% of production costs simply for filming in Michigan.
Change the Built Environment, Make the World Better
This essay from Places offers five simple ways to make the world a better place -- and they're all related to the built environment.
Iraqi Civil Engineers Take Over Base Planning
An architect, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and four civil engineers from Iraq have taken over the base planning for the U.S Army's Basrah base, a small city with electrical, sewage and water systems as well as ongoing construction.
Booming Burbs Stop Growing
Areas like Bellevue, Washington and Coral Springs, Florida have grown by 10% or more every decade since the 1970s. Today, these suburban communities are actually losing people.
Promise Takes Root in Dallas' Newest Park
A new multiuse park in Dallas, the first of four of its kind, is giving the downtown community a reason to celebrate.
Huge San Francisco Redevelopment Project Underway
It's the largest redevelopment project since the great earthquake of 1906: 702 acres, 10,500 residential units, a shipyard brownfield cleanup, and a new stadium (hopefully) for the 49ers. The Environmental Impact Report has just been released.
Small Cities Struggle Through Recession
Smaller cities are showing signs of struggle, as the amount of college-educated residents continues to drop. Coupled with the economic recession, smaller cities seems to be taking a harder economic hit than their larger counterparts.
Iraq, Tourist Destination?
With its rich history and wealth of artifacts, palaces, and natural beauty, some wonder if tourism could help Iraq to recover.
The Most Musical Cities in North America
This chart from the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto looks at North America's musical epicenters -- cities where the most music is produced.
Transit Expansion is Streetlife Expansion in L.A.
An extension of one of L.A.'s light rail lines opened this past weekend. Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers a hopeful prediction that the extension will inspire an improvement in streetlife.
The Remarkable Rezoning of NYC
Recently the NYC Planning Dept. announced its 100th rezoning since Bloomberg took office. This article takes a spin through the city's remarkable shift in the last 50 years away from industry to business and tourism and a sustainable approach.
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
