Community / Economic Development

Nandita Godbole advocates for parks and greenspaces around Atlanta. But when faced with a struggle over keeping her own quarter-acre backyard open and free, she found she was powerless.

October 8, 2009 - Nandita Godbole

The theme of this year's International Architecture Biennale is "Open City: Designing Coexistence". Places Journal talks with the biennale's chief curator about what that means to planners, designers and architects.

October 8, 2009 - Places Journal

With Adolfo Carrion Jr. appointed as a "cities czar" and federal stimulus dollars flowing to urban sustainability projects, the Obama Administration aims to concentrate development to boost "environmentally and economically viable neighborhoods."

October 7, 2009 - Washington Post

Residents of the city of Penjaringan in North Jakarta brought a proposal to the government to convert the area underneath a toll road into a public space.

October 7, 2009 - The Jakarta Post

Thousands of subdivisions across the country have been abandoned mid-development by owners and developers hit hard by the economic recession. This video takes a tour inside one of these "zombie subdivisions".

October 7, 2009 - CNN

Drawn to the Galapagos Islands by their booming tourism industry, thousands of poor Ecuadorians are being booted from the sensitive ecosystem to counteract the negative impact of the rising human population.

October 7, 2009 - The New York Times

In a new report with the Cato Institute, Randal O'Toole takes off the gloves and lays the blame for the housing crisis squarely on urban planners.

October 6, 2009 - The Cato Institute

John Norquist is today the president of CNU, but from 1988-94 he was Mayor of Milwaukee. His legacy is apparent today in the city, says blogger Urban Engagement.

October 6, 2009 - Urban Engagement blog

Rio de Janeiro has been selected as the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. This analysis from NPR looks at why the Brazilian city was the obvious choice.

October 5, 2009 - NPR

Campbell Soup Company is taking a leading role in redeveloping the rough Gateway neighborhood of Camden, NJ.

October 5, 2009 - Next American City

Time Magazine takes a look at the growing problem of vacant storefronts across the U.S., and what some intrepid souls are doing about it.

October 5, 2009 - Time Magazine

Michael S. Thompson of the Chicago Honey Co-op discusses his urban beekeeping operation and how it provides jobs to otherwise hard-to-employ people.

October 3, 2009 - Orion Magazine

A new report from the Economic Research Service looks at how the economic recession is affecting rural areas. For the most part, things are a lot worse in America's nonmetro areas.

October 3, 2009 - The Daily Yonder

The Wall St. Journal assembled a panel to determine which cities will be the next 'youth-magnets,' using factors like economic diversity and lifestyle to make their selections. Number one? A tie between Washington, D.C. and Seattle.

October 2, 2009 - The Wall St. Journal

The Federal Reserve announced that 32% of loan applications were denied last year, and applications on the whole were down by a third from 2007.

October 1, 2009 - Builder Magazine

HUD-subsidized housing in transit-oriented developments could become more expensive as it ages out and TOD becomes more popular, says a new study by AARP, Reconnecting America and the National Housing Trust.

October 1, 2009 - Reconnecting America

Strip malls are in virtually every American city, but they're rarely an important part of those cities. Ava Bromberg says they can be. Her idea is to turn strip malls into community-owned hubs that generate capital within their neighborhood and keep it there.

October 1, 2009 - Nate Berg

In the midst of an important debate in Washington, DC over the future of America's transportation funding, a report issued this month by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified several challenges facing regional transportation policy.

October 1, 2009 - Northwest Hub

Elaine Cogan gives these tips for talking about planning issues with senior citizens and getting the most out of them throughout the planning process.

October 1, 2009 - Planning Commissioners Journal

San Pedro, a port city near Los Angeles, is looking to boost its image with a 1.2 billion dollar makeover. Plans include a promenade, a cruise terminal, and a vibrant commercial district and could take up to 10 years.

September 30, 2009 - Los Angeles Times