Community / Economic Development
The Force Pushing Green Jobs
The New Yorker profiles Van Jones, a leading environmental activist and the driving force behind the movement to create a green energy jobs policy in the United States.
Living at the Mall - Not Just a Figure of Speech
What comes next for the doomed, enclosed mall across America? This article highlights a number of solutions, including an adaptive reuse model that incorporates housing units inside the mall itself.
Miami's Highway Shoe Mystery Remains Unsolved
Was it a walkability protest, political demonstration, or just an accident? Regardless, the thousands of used shoes that covered Miami's Palmetto Expressway last week, delaying traffic for hours, are now on their way to Haiti.
More Signage, More Business
Cities like Alexandria, VA and Agoura Hills, CA have taken to relaxing sign restrictions for the sake of boosting local business.
Importing the Tijuana Model
Architect Teddy Cruz is creating new models of affordable housing using the shantytowns of Tijuana as his inspiration.
27 Towns for Working Artists
Art Calendar magazine presents its list of towns, cities and districts offering incentives or other benefits for artists living there.
Art Invades New Delhi, Comments On Changing City
Public art installations around New Delhi highlights the challenges of preserving India's heritage amidst development. 'We ask people to think about constructing a modern city and the accompanying extinction and loss,' says artist Ravi Agrawal.
No Ordinary Chinatown
Chinese designers are flocking to Prato, Italy and forging a new sort of Chinatown that look more like modern-day China.
Down on the Corner
Solutions to our global ills can be found in your local neighborhood, says Jay Walljasper. Great examples can be found in communities from South Bend, Indiana to Mississauga, Ontario.
The Monks of Tourism
In an effort to draw more tourists to their ancient temples, officials in the Chinese town of Guandu has contracted tourism-savvy Shaolin monks to take over operation of the temples.
'Consumption Amenities' Key to City Success
Cities that have fun things to do -- so-called "consumption amenities" -- are more successful at attracting people and growing jobs, according to a recent report.
Kunstler Predicts 2009
James Howard Kunstler predicts the Dow falling to 4000 by the end of the year, more dramatic swings in oil prices, and an overall contraction of services and the economy.
Public Art in 'The Big Potato'
Boise, Idaho and other cities in the region have adopted "percent for the arts" initiatives, and are looking to public art to reflect the region's 'maturity.'
Small Mining Towns Boom While Everyone Else Busts
Mining towns in Lander County, NV are skipping the recession, thanks to a local economy based on gold.
Stripped Malls
Retail analysts predict a "sea change" in the retail landscape in 2009, with a record number of bankruptcies, closures and vacancies.
Amid Tough Times, New York Remains Resilient
Housing prices are falling across the country. But the decline has been relatively small in New York City, America's "Resilient City" according to Edward L. Glaeser. He says this bodes well for the city's future.
Reviving a Hardscrabble Steel Town
Mayor John Fetterman of Braddock, PA struggles with the challenges of reviving a former steel town that has lost 90% of its peak population.
Timber Town Is Reborn As Manufacturer
A former Oregon timber town learned to evolve when its logging business dried up in the '80s, and now boasts a growing manufacturing industry. It's being seen as a model for other towns facing similar changes.
Foreclosures Become Illegal Skate Parks
The New York Times reports that skateboarders are coming from as far away as Germany to skate empty swimming pools throughout foreclosed neighborhoods in cities like Fresno, where boarders have set up shop.
Pain at the Pump, Suburban Blues and the Resurgence of Compact Growth
A paradigm shift is occurring in the development patterns of American cities -- even the inner cities that have struggled for decades with decay and abandonment, writes Kofi Sefa-Boakye of the Compton Community Redevelopment Agency.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
