Community / Economic Development

The Highs and Lows of The Pittsburgh Marathon

The Pittsburgh Marathon was canceled for five years due to budget constraints, but a recent study shows that the 2009 race generated over $22 million in spending.

September 12, 2009 - PopCity Magazine

Urban Foragers Find Food in the City

Forage SF promotes the idea of eating uncultivated food found growing naturally, and even sells boxes of "wild food." Reporter Tara Lohan joins a forager, or "freegan", as they collect goodies from the streets.

September 10, 2009 - AlterNet

Film Industry Lured to Michigan

In an otherwise stalled local economy, a few new construction projects are underway in Michigan, thanks to new tax incentives that are drawing the film industry to the state.

September 10, 2009 - The New York Times

The City Planner Behind 9/11

Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 terrorists, pursued a masters degree in city planning before the attacks. Slate's Daniel Brooks reads Atta's masters thesis, and finds a strain of anti-Western modernism that is revealing.

September 9, 2009 - Slate.com

Vegas Tourism Takes A Dive

Formerly thought to be recession-proof, the tourist mecca of Las Vegas is taking a hard hit during the current economic recession.

September 9, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Best Cities to See Live Music

Here's another way to rank your city- the Society of American Travel Writers surveyed their members on the Top 10 cities to see live music. New Orleans comes in over Austin, home of the famed SXSW festival.

September 8, 2009 - Society of American Travel Writers

Blight into Beauty in San Francisco

At a time when developers are having trouble getting loans to build, San Francisco is taking steps to improve empty lots with art, retail, and other temporary investments in neighborhood vitality until construction can resume.

September 7, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Growing Pains in Afghanistan's Cities

In Afghanistan, cities are changing. More and more people are leaving behind their agricultural past for city life, and the tide of new urbanites is stressing the fabric of the city.

September 7, 2009 - Forbes

The Value of a Petunia

Annapolis, Maryland has had a popular beautification program to fill downtown with flowers, but with recent layoffs and cuts, the true value of the program has come into question.

September 6, 2009 - The Baltimore Sun

Brown Says Expensive Olympics Will Boost London

English Prime Minister Gordon Brown is confident that the 2012 Summer Olympics will bring a big economic benefit to London. But with costs rising beyond expectations, some are skeptical of the PM's prediction.

September 5, 2009 - Reuters

The Dangers of Mega-Events

2010 will bring with it a series of huge international events -- the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the World Cup in South Africa and the World Expo in Shanghai. Though seen as major opportunities for their hosts, these events can also be dangerous.

September 5, 2009 - Next American City

From Garbage Mountain to Amphitheatre

A new 50,000 seat amphitheater is being planned for construction in Tel Aviv's new urban park, which was built on top of a garbage dump.

September 4, 2009 - Haaretz

Biden Says Aid to Cities 'Imperfect'

Speaking to members of the Brookings Institution, Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged that there have been problems with implementing the stimulus package funds at the local level.

September 4, 2009 - Streetsblog

Street Greening Upsets Some Portland Businesses

A new street greening project in North Portland that seeks to reduce stormwater runoff is fueling a debate between the area's young, eco-conscious businesses owners and older owners who are worried about interruption from the project.

September 4, 2009 - The Oregonian

Rising Wealth and the Emergence of New Global Cities

New world cities are emerging, and the "first truly urban century" will be shaped by the way increasing wealth is handled in places like Mumbai, Bangalore, Shanghai, Beijing, Sao Paulo and Dubai.

September 4, 2009 - Forbes

Following the Path of the Meltdown

A new documentary tracks the meltdown of Wall Street and its impact on housing throughout the country. The New York Times offers this review.

September 3, 2009 - The New York Times

Kansas' 'Green Impact Zone'

Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion, Jr. visited Kansas City on Tuesday to visit the site of the city's new "Green Impact Zone". The inner-city Zone will be a laboratory for energy-saving techniques.

September 3, 2009 - Kansas City Star

Heart of California's Agriculture on Life-Support

Water restrictions on farms in the state have atrophied jobs in the fertile Central Valley, giving communities some of the highest rates of unemployment in the state. As jobs dry up, the need for aid is surpassing what's there to give.

September 3, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

Room for Improvement in Prospective Olympic Host Cities

A new report from the International Olympic Committee has evaluated the four host candidates for the 2016 Summer Olympics and found many places for improvement ahead of its October 2 decision.

September 3, 2009 - The Chicago Tribune

Pop-Up Stores Find New Popularity in Bad Economy

Pop-up stores -- stores that fill retail space for a couple of quick months, than vanish -- were once scoffed at by retail landlords. Today, they're plugging holes in the retail economy.

September 2, 2009 - Retail Traffic Magazine

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.