Community / Economic Development
Land Use Reform Tops China Agenda
China's government has announced major changes in property rights for farmers, giving them the ability to 'lease, exchange, or swap' their plots.
Kotkin's 'New Localism'
Joel Kotkin thinks that the effects of the financial crisis may not be all bad, and may even encourage a new focus on family and community ties.
When Financial Bridges Fail
Martin H. Krieger compares the lack of oversight involved in today's financial crisis with the transparency and responsibility involved in making bridges.
Are Libertarians Socially Conservative on Land Use?
Bill Fulton thinks so, calling them to task for speaking out against density in Orange County when, he says, the market demand is evident.
New Urbanism Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry
New Urban News reports that even as housing costs plummet and construction is halted on single-family homes across the country, traditional neighborhood developments and TODs are thriving.
Senegal Builds New Airport, Ignores Dakar's Slums
Patrick Smith believes that Senegal's ambitious new airport is not only unnecessary, but in light of the country's massive poverty and environmental problems, actually "obscene."
Which Cities Stretch Dollars The Farthest?
Texas cities top a ranking by Forbes of where your dollar goes the farthest. Affordable housing and promising job prospects made a big difference.
Best Cities To Live in During a Recession
Business Week looks for the most recession-proof cities, using as their main criteria an abundance of jobs in stable industries like government, health care, and education.
ARB Climate Change Plan Criticized By Both Sides
The CA Air Resources Board unveiled its final ‘scoping plan’ to meet the climate change targets set in the landmark 2006 law, AB 32. Business groups condemned it for its costs while land use planners criticized it for not doing more to curb sprawl.
Ideas to Outmode the Strip Mall
In a contest sponsored by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, architecture firms nationwide competed to show off how they would best use land currently devoted to strip malls. Bustler provides the winning entries.
Developers Can't Find The Money
Commercial real estate developers go into detail on the impact of the financial crisis on their ability to make projects happen.
The One-Day Casino
To keep its gaming rights which will in turn preserve its property value, The Queen of Hearts casino must open for eight hours every two years.
Urban Planners, Butt Out!
The authors of one study assert that vibrant cities can't be engineered by the application of "nuanced criteria"; however, this has very much become the paradigm of urban planning.
Hospitals Flee Poor Areas
Unable to bear the financial burden of serving the community's poor, inner-city nonprofit hospitals have been shutting down while investing in suburban hospitals, where patients are more likely to be insured.
Branding Sustainability
Las Vegas' Union Park is a LEED-certified development that sits on a revitalized brownfield, but with no shortage of Vegas' glitz. Can smart growth be as marketable as it is environmentally good?
Not Quite Urban, Not Quite Suburban
One city in Virginia has gone from suburban to (quasi-)urban in just a few years.
Investing in Communities During the Mortgage Crisis
Former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith is impressed by Mayor Christopher B. Coleman's efforts to revitalize depressed areas of his city, St. Paul. Coleman keeps the focus on increasing local investment through his 'Invest St. Paul' program.
Ghost Town in Yorkville
Yorktown was a booming exurb of Chicago, until the mortgage crisis put the kibosh on a number of developments in progress. Residents of these 'ghost towns' find themselves stuck with properties they can't sell.
A Tale Of Two Theaters
The theaters are in the same city, owned by the same company, a mile apart. One is by the highway on a 14-acre lot, the other is two stories in the middle of town with underground, metered parking, and eateries on the ground level. One is closing.
Economic Thinking is Job Number One
In the midst of this financial crisis, it is doubly important to understand the economic perspective on urban planning and real estate development, argues USC Professor Peter Gordon.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
